OF BHAEATAVARSA OR INDIA. 
81 
is called Ce/iidttdl, mother of safety. In Mysore a Holiya 
is generally tlie priest of the village goddess, and the Kulvadi 
or Pariah headman of the village community is regarded 
as the real proprietor of the village. At Melkota a Holiya 
presents to Celvapillai, or utsava-idol, wMch is thus called as 
it is carried in procession at the festival, a branch of the 
Cami or Vahni tree to be used as an arrow for his bow at 
the hunting festival (pdrirettai), and while the idol is moving 
in procession, a Pariah huntsman lets a hare run across 
the road in front of the car that the god may shoot at it ; 
this done, the idol returns in grand procession to the temple. 
The Pariah receives as a reward (pdrifosikam) a garland, the 
flowers of which are distributed among the heads of the 
large conflux of Pariahs. This hunting festival is in Mala- 
yalam called 2J«//<>f/fe, or royal hunt. It is just possible that 
pari and palli are identical words. The Holiyas pull the car 
at Melkota and are not debarred from approaching it. They 
pull also the ropes of the cars at Kancipuram, Kumbha- 
konam, Srivalliputtur, and other places. In fact they do so 
wherever there are big temples. To obviate any unpleasant- 
ness arising on such occasions, it is laid down, as a rule, that 
the touch of Pariahs and outcastes who come to revere the 
deity does not pollute. 
Devalayasamipasthan devasevartham agatan 
Candalan patitan vapi sprstva na snanam aearet.^^ 
The Holiyas are permitted in Melkota to enter the Tiru- 
narayana temple on three days of the year. The Brahnians 
ascribe this privilege to the circumstance that a poor but j)ious 
Pariah had observed that a cow approached every day a 
white ant's hole and let her milk drop into it. He searched 
and discovered that the image of Celvapillai was concealed in 
it. In consequence, the Pariah took compassion on the cow 
One need not bathe if one touches Candalas or outcastes, who stand 
near the temple and have come to worship God. 
