236 
ON THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS 
ceremony the festival concludes. This respect paid to the 
Kurumba goddess seems to prove that she is also worshipped 
by the Kallas, who, though calling themselves Saivites, are 
mostly still devil-worshippers.^'*^ 
The ancient home of the Kallas being Tondamandalam 
explains thus the name of their chief, so well known in the 
modern Indian history as the Tondamdn ; and their Kurumba 
origin is likewise indicated by their using the Ndda and 
Kottam system as a division of their country ; these two 
terms being peculiar to the Revenue Administration of the 
Kurumbas.''*^ 
From subsequent events it is however clear that the 
Kurumbas, though defeated and at times even reduced to 
insignificance, were not annihilated and that they eventually 
recovered to some extent their former influence. "We know 
thus that the Kurumbas reasserted their supremacy in certain 
places, and made themselves feared again in Tondamandalam, 
and held Marutam Kottai in the times of Krbnaraja of 
Yij ay anagara. 
Another branch of the Kurumbas is even said to have 
founded the kingdom of Vijayanagara, as its first djTiasty 
is traced to Kurumba descent. Horace H. Wilson says that 
these princes were of a "Kurma or Kuruha family." This 
tradition tallies with the fact that both the first king« of 
Vijayanagara and the Kurumbas pretended to be Yadavas.^'^^ 
Other Kurumbas invaded Southern India about two 
hundred years ago and founded the Maratha kingdom of 
Tanjore, an event which leads me to speak of the Eurijiis, 
Kitmbis or Kunhis. 
The special deity of the modern KaUas is called Alakar, ^■ipsir ; 
aiaku signifies beauty. Compare about the coooanuts, p. 214. 
See Mr. Ellis' Report on the Mirasi Eights, pp. 22S. 229. 
See Mackenzie Collection No. 14, C. M. 768, YIII. 
See p. 237. Rev. W. Taylor's CataJonw Raisoiiie. vol. III. p. 368, 
and H. H. Wilson's Introduction to the Mackenzie Collection, 1st ed., p. cxi, 
(2nd ed., p. 83"): " One ti-adit ion ascribed the origin of 1' i/ayatuiffar to Madhava 
leaving it to the Kioma or Kiintba family." 
