80 
ON THE OEIGIXAL INHABITANTS 
as Pidari she resembles tlirough her e\dl inclinations Kali. 
Different personifications of ParvatI and Kali are variously 
named, as Velattal (Eiattal), Nagattal, Egattal, Cemattal, 
Mariyattal or Mariyamman, Angalamman, Ellamman, Puci- 
ganamman (Pungattal), &c. Temples are found every^v^here 
in South India, and she is generally the village goddess. 
Mariyamman, the goddess who inflicts and removes small-pox 
and other diseases, is found among the Gauda-Dravidians 
of the whole of India. 
The feasts of these goddesses extend over a week and last 
occasionally sixteen days. During the whole of this time a 
Pariah is kept clothed and fed in the temple as the accepted 
bridegroom of the goddess. High across the streets festoons 
of margosa leaves are hung, and on the last day, while pots 
filled with water are carried by the people and the idol is 
taken in procession round the streets of the village, tom- 
toms are beaten in honor of the Pariah bridegroom, and after 
he has fasted and bathed, he gets a new cloth dyed -n-ith 
safi^ron, and the priest fastens a quarter anna piece to the 
right hand of the goddess and another to that of the Paiiah. 
This ceremony is called kdppu, srrui^. 
The name Velattal is commonly explained as mother of 
Subrahmanya, from Yel and Attal. Naguttal is regai'ded 
to signify the same from Nagan (Subrahmanya) and Attal. 
Some Tamil scholars however do not favor this explanation. 
When revered in these forms Parvati or Kanyakimiari is 
regarded as a Pai'iah woman or Matangi. 
The Pariahs enjoy even now, in many places, privileges, 
the origin of which cannot be explained except by admitting 
the existence of substantial reasons, which have long been for- 
gotten. A Pariah ties to this day the tali round the neck of 
Egattal, the tutelary goddess of Black Tow n in Madras. The 
Pariah, who acts ns the bridegroom, arrives at the temple 
about ten days before the feast commences and is treated as 
described above. At Ferambiir, near Madi-as, the same deity 
