322 A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH 
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CHAPTER Siva Acharya ; who resides at Kunji , and whose office is hereditary; 
\^v***s ^ u t * n a ^ a i rs relating to the left-hand-side they are subject to 
July 1 3. Munamvara Swdmi, who is the Guru of that division of this tribe 
which wears the Linga. Dharma Siva Acharya bestows holy water 
on his followers, and receives their contributions under the name 
of chanty* A certain sum is paid for each public ceremony, and 
another is given for holy water. Once in four or five years 
this personage comes, and receives the sums that have been col- 
lected for him at the different villages. On these occasions he 
punishes any of his followers who may have been guilty of a trans- 
gression of the rules of cast, and there is no slighter punishment 
than excommunication; but he cannot inflict this without the 
consent of the heads of the cast assembled in council. 
The Panchanga , or village astrologer, acts as Purohita at mar- 
riages, funerals, births, on the building of a new house, and at the 
ceremonies performed monthly and annually in honour of deceased 
parents. On these occasions the Purohita reads prayers in th o 
Sanskrit language. The Nagaratra endeavours to repeat after 
him; but it being an unknown tongue he seldom is able to proceed 
farther than a few of the first words, and then must hearken 
quietly .to the remainder, as the Brahman does not choose to 
pronounce it leisurely, or at least distinctly. He is indeed seldom 
able to read fluently ; and all intervals are filled up by a repetition 
of the last word, accompanied by a most sonorous nasal twang, 
which is continued until he is able to make out the folio wins* 
O 
word. This kind of unintelligible cant is, however, preferred 
greatly to all prayers that are pronounced in the vulgar tongue ; 
which, indeed, are considered as of little or no efficacy, especially 
if they are extemporary. 
Gardeners of There is here a tribe of Teliga Banijigas , who follow no other 
tep-S* P r °f ess i° n than that of gardeners. They allow themselves to be 
inferior to those who are merchants, or farmers ; but pretend to 
be superior to the weavers of sackcloth. In their families they 
