MYSORE, CANARA, AND MALABAR. 
351 ' 
is a Sri Vaishnavam Brahman residing at Ah ob alum. The Guru of CHAPTER 
VI 
the Siva side lives at Meilai\ and is called Linguppa. He wears the • 
Linga, as do also his followers ; and he is a Sannyasi , but of what 20 * 
kind the people here do not know. In his excursions, which do 
not happen above once in ten years, he distributes holy water, and 
receives contributions under the name of charity. It is at their 
marriages only that the Panchanga reads Mantrams . 
I have already mentioned the customs of the Nagaratras , or Customs of 
Bheri, who worship Vishnu , and of those who worship Siva without th . e ® hcn 
1 _ 1 who wear 
wearing the Linga . I had here an opportunity of examining those the Linga . 
who wear that indecent badge of their religion. They will neither 
eat nor intermarry with either of the other two sects ; but the 
whole submit to the authority of the same hereditary chiefs, what- 
ever their religious opinions may be. They say, that all Bheri were 
formerly of the Vishnu side, and that about five hundred years ago 
they separated from it. Yet they contend, that even before this 
secession, they and all other Nagarataru were under the authority 
of Pharma Siva A chary a, a Smartal Sannyasi residing in the lower 
Carnatic . For this extraordinary circumstance they can assign no 
reason. This Brahman at their marriages bestows on them a thread, 
like that which is worn by the three higher casts; for they pretend 
to be Vaisyas. For each thread, which ever after marriage they 
continue to wear, they pay one Fanam. Under the name of Pharma 
(duty), they also give contributions to this Brahman whenever he 
comes to the place. On such occasions he punishes by whip and 
fine all those who have transgressed against the rules of cast. They 
are also subject to Muniswara Swdmi, a person of their cast, who 
lives at Baswana-pura , near Cangundy, in the Bara Mahal. He be- 
stows on them the Linga , and an UpadSsa; but his power in punish- 
ing for delinquencies extends only to fines. The first Muniswara 
Swdmi is believed to have sprung from the earth at Kalydna Pat- 
tana; and his successors acknowledge no superiors, but are com 
sidered as Iswara in a human form. The office is hereditary, and of 
