MYSORE, CANARA, AND MALABAR. 
357 
Gorippa, & c. ; and in distress make vows of money to Pharma Rqja. CHAPTER 
Their Guru is the Sri Shela Bickamutta, who sits on the Surya Sin - v * 
ghdsana , or throne of the sun. He is a married man of hereditary July. iff. 
rank, and wears the Linga, of which the Jangalu are not considered 
worthy. When one of them goes to the Guru , he makes a profound 
reverence, and, according to his slender means, presents a small 
sum. The Guru , in return, gives them some consecrated ashes of 
/cow-dung, with which they make the mark of Ska on their fore- 
heads ; and he takes their beads in his hand, by which the prayers 
repeated on them become more efficacious. At their marriages the 
Panchanga reads prayers ( Mantrams). At the Amamsya , or new 
moon, they fast; but they observe no ceremony in honour of their 
parents. 
The Asagaru , Asagas, or washermen, in this country are of two Customs of 
kinds, $u dr a , and JPhalliaru. The former are of two nations, Telinga ^ ,e Asagaru, 
and Karnata. inese last are by far the most numerous; and, al- men. 
though they will not intermarry with the Tclinga washermen, yet 
they will eat in common. They have no hereditary chiefs ; but the 
collector of the district, who is appointed by the government, and 
receives a salary, carries all complaints to the Cutzval of the Kasha, 
or police officer of the chief town of the district, who settles them 
according to custom. The washerman of every village, whose office 
is hereditary, washes all the farmers clothes, and, according to the 
number of persons in each family, receives a regulated proportion of 
the crop. Out of this he must pay to government- a certain sum, 
which in general is collected by the head washerman of the Kasha. 
They follow no profession but that of washing; and in all public 
processions, are bound, without reward, to carry a torch before the 
images, and the chief officer of government. Both men and women 
wash. Their proper beasts of burthen are asses, each house keeping 
for breeding and labour two or three she asses. The female colts 
are reserved to keep up the breed ; and the males are sold to the 
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