AGRAHARAM

AL

AMANJI

AMALDAR

AM BOGAM

AMMI MIDHITHAL

AMSAM

ANICUT

APPAM

ARAIY AN

ARATHANA

ARATHI/ALATHI

ARTHA MANDAPAM

ARUNTHATHl PARTHAL:

l€Jl

GLOSSARY

a village or street of Brahmins.

agricultural workers.

free labour in the days of the Cholas.

an official in charge of a par1{anaunder theMusnm rulers. .'.

a part of the marriage function held on themarriage day or after a few days, whenthe couple is offered dress, utensils, furniture,etc. to facilitate the setting up of a newhome.

the bride performing the ?eremony of. placingher right foot on the grinding stone, thebridegroom helping her to do so at themarriage function.

territorial division consisting of a .few villagesin the Malabar area.

a water reservoir or a dam.

a cake prepared with rice and sugar.

a chieftain.

temple service; divine worship.

a kind of offering made to prevent the effectsof evil eye.

hall immediately in front of the innermostshrine in a temple.

the ceremony at which the bride witnesses thestar Arunthathi in the course of the marriageceremony as a model worthy of imitation.

1m

ARUVAL sickle~

AVATAR an incarnation, specially of Vishnu.

AYACUT area depending on an irrigation system. likewell, tank or canal.

BARAM a weight of 500 pounds.

BOOTHA KALAM : the giving of food by the bride to the bride-groom for the first time.

BOTTU : a spot or wafer of red sandal paste wornon the forehead by males, the kumkumworn by ladies.

BRAHMADEY A : land held free by the Brahmans.

BRAHMOTHSA VAM : the annual festival of a Hindu temple held ona grand scale.

CACHE : French word for Kasu (see Kasu)

KANDASHASTI : festival celebrated in the month of aipasi.

CHAKRA(S) : an ancient coin.

CHANK : conch shell.

CHAUTH : an assessment equal to one-fourth of theoriginal standard assessment or generallyone-fourth of the actual government col1ec-tions demanded by the Maratha's from theMohammadan and Hindu" Princes of

Hindusthan as the price of forebearing toravage their countries.

CHEF THABEDAR (French): senior Thabedar, a police official next in rankto the Nainard and the Palegar-chief nativepolice officials. I

COTWAL an Indian police official.

DARSHAN

DEKSHA

DESAM

DESSANDRI

DEVADANA

DEVADASI

D HARBAjDHARBAI

DHOLI

DIKSHA

DOUDDOU

DURBAR

ENNAI NALANGU

ERU KALAPE

FANON

FAUJDAR

FIRMAN

GART

GHANI

1633

vision or sight of adeity or idol.

a household utensil for cooking and storingwater.

territorial division in the olden days in theMalabar area.

a p.erson wa,ndering from place to place.

lands granted for temples.

a dancing and singing girl attached to thetemple.

a sacrificial grass much used in worship byHindus.

a litter.

initiation _0f a disciple by a Guru.

a copper coin of small denomination.

a royal court or an audience.

the ceremony of applying gingelly oil on thehead of the newly married couple.

farmer's plough.

a silver coin.

an officer of the Moghul Government investedwith the charge of the police and jurisdictionin all criminal matters.

an order or authorisation.

a mode of conveyance.

oil press.

GOPURAM . a tovycr fit. tbc entrance of a templ~,

q~AMA ..village-by extension, the people's organisationat the village level.

GUMASTA .a writer or clerk.

HAVILDAR a subordinate revenue official.

HOMAKUNDAM .. :' "a"pit . made in the ground for sacrified fire.

IRA YIU LAND : tax free land.

JAGIR : it is known to be merely a life-rent tenure, butit is sta+ed to convey a rent free title.

KADUKKAN : ear rmg.

KALAKATTU : an agricultural implement-a hook utilised toremove the weeds.

KALUV A (Telugu) : channel.

KALYANA MANDAPAM: a large hall for celebrating marriages, etc.

KAMBAKARIN : villager put on duty for distribution of waterfor cultivation.

KAMBA YI : a variety of textile.

KANDY : a weight of 500 pounds.

KAPPU KATTUl HAL : the ceremony of tying a thread around theright hand wrist before marriage.

KARA VAl : a tool used by goldsmiths.

KARUV ARAI : a part of the temple in which the idol is placedand where the Brahmin officiates.

KA VYA : an epic poem.

KASU : a copper coin of very small denomination.

1635

KASULADANTA (Telugu): a chain with. gold sovereigns as pendants.

KATTU MARAM : raft of logs tied together and used for fishing,(CATAMARAN)

KAVALAI a device to draw water from the well for

irrigation purposes.

KHARIF the autumnal harvest.

KIRUTHIGAI the third of the twenty-seven lunar asterisms.

KIZHAKKINI (Malayalam): the fourth room attached to the building iscalled kizhakkini.

KOKKU THOSHAM an evil cast on the children-believed to resultin disease.

KOLA YILAGAM

(Malayalam)the room beyond the verandah.

KORAL a variety of grass used for mat-weaving.

KUDAM a household utensil used for fetching andstoring water.

KUDIKIDAPPUKARS/KUDIKIDAPPUKARAN

cultivating tenant.

KURUVAl a short duration variety of paddy.

KURUVITHOSHAM an evil cast on children by birds believed toresult in disease.

KUTCHA crude.

LAMPASSE a variety of textile exported during the XVITIcentury.

EEHIAM a medicine in semi-solid form..!'.'

MADATHIPATHI the head of a mutt or a religious leader.

.

1636

MAGANAM

MAGANI

MAHAMANDAPAM

MAHANA IT AR

MANAI

MANAIMAPPU

MANAVARY (LAND)

MANDAP/MANDAPAM

MANGANI FESTIVAL

MANVETTY

MAPPILLAI AZHAIPPU

MARUVUNNAL

MATRIMANDIR

MIRASDAR

MOl SEITHAL

MOKSHA

MOO LA VAR

a territorial division.

a unit to measure rice, etc. normally onesixteenth.

a large pavilion in a temple.

distinguished men of the locality.

house site.

house site enjoyed by village craftsmen.

land which depends on seasonal rams.

a pavilion or open porch.

a festival unique in Karaikal, celebrated 111

honour of Karaikal Ammayar.

a hoe or an agricultural implement.

a function on the eve

bridegroom is takenplace of marriage.

of marriage when thein a procession to the

to dine and receive presents at the residenceof the bride after the marriage.

a place of meditat.ion in Auroville nearPondicherry.

a big land-owner.

to offer gifts in cash or kind .'to the newlymarried couple.

eternal bliss/heavenly abode.

the idol in the sanctuary which isout for procession either withinthe temple.

not takenor without

MUDRAS OF NATYA

MUKUTHI

MUNDU (Malayalam)

NADU

NAGOTTU (Telugu)

NATHAM

NATUVANAR

NATYA

NA VARAI

NAVARA THIRI

NEERAZHI MANDA PAM

NILAM

NILA VILAKKU

PADAKKU

PADIKAPPAR

PADIKA VALKULI

IPADINJATTAGAM I

(Malayalam) 1-

PADINJATTAPURA I(Malayalam) J

1637

different hand poses of c1assical dance.

a nose ornament.

a dhoti worn around the loins.

a territorial division in the olden days; byextension, the people's organisation at thelevel.

a jewel.

hamlet.

dance/music master.

dance.

a variety of crop.

the first nine nights in the month(in September) devoted to thegoddess Lakshmi, SaraswathySakthies.

of purattaciworship ofand other

a covered stone structure with pillars builtat the centre of the sacred tank in the temple.

a unit of land measurement in the olden days.

a standing lamp.

an old unit of measure.

those who had to keep watch over the village.

remuneration paid for policing the lands.

a room beyond the kolayilagam in between thf'vadakkini and thekkil/i. .

1638

PAGODA

PALAGAI ALAVANGU

PALAYAKAR

PANAM

PANDAKKALNA TTUTHAL

PARAMBU

PARGANA

PARWANA

PASUPATHA ASTRAM

PATHIGAM

PATIRI (Malayalam)

PATTA

PENN AZHAITHAL

PICOTAH

POL YGAR

PON

POROMBOKE

PRAKARAjPRAKARAM

a gold coin formerly minted at Madras havingthe emblem of a temple on one side.

an agricultural implement.

those guarding the bastions; in later days,petty chieftain.

see fanon.

the ceremony of installing the first pole toerect a pandal for a marriage.

an agricultural implement; a board or rollerfor smoothing land newly ploughed.

a territorial sub-division consisting of severalvillages.

see firman.

the mighty arrow obtained from Lord Siva.

a poem of ten songs praising a deity.

a cnsp rice cake.

duly registered land title.

the marriage eve function of receiving thebride either from her own house or from a

temple to take her to the place of marriage.

(see Kavalai).

(see palayakar).

gold.

government or municipal land left uncultivated.

the closed precincts of a temple.

1639

PRA TILOMA : some curious instances of mixed castes.

PUJARI : the exorcist.

PUTTU : rice cake.

QILADAR : the Governor or the Commandant of a fort.

RADOTSA VAM : car festival of a temple.

RAT ANAM : a wheeled instrument used by goldsmiths.

RATHAM : a temple car.

RETTAKADIVAM (Telugu): a bracelet worn above the elbow.

RISHABAM : the sacred bull of Siva.

RYOT : peasant cultivator.

SAMARA : a chowry used as a fan for idols in procession.

SAMADHI : a form of mortification.

SAMBA : a variety of long duration paddy.

SAMBRADA YINS : persons endowed with the knowledge trans-mitted orally from teacher to teacher andestablished as of divine authority.

SANY ASI : a Hindu ascetic.

SATHI : self-immolation of a woman on the funeral

pyre of her husband.

SILASSE : a variety of textile exported.

SOOL SEITHAL : SOD! means pregnancy-SoD! seitha! is thereforea ceremony performed by the bride's parentsat the residence of the bridegroom for thefirst pregnancy i.e. in the fifth or seventhmonth. After the function is over, the brideis taken to the house of her parents inorder to take care of the first delivery.

1640

SOONIAM

SOWCAR

STALAPURANA

SURNAM

TAl POOSAM

THALl

TAMBIRAN

TAPASYA

TAVALAI

THAKKA (Malayalam)

THALADI

THALAVAYE

THALl KATTU

THANNEER PANDAL

THAYATHU

THAVA

THEE MITHI

THEPPA THIRUVIZHA

sorcery.

a banker.

the written legend of a sacred place.

a medicinal powder.

the eighth lunar asterism.

a nuptial badge tied on the neck of the brideby the bridegroom at the time of the wedding.

the head of a religious order, managing thetemple or the mutt according to tradition.

penitence, self-mortification.

a kind of brass pot.

an ear ornament.

a variety of long duration paddy.

a chief officer of the police.

the ceremony of tying the nuptial badgearound the neck.

a thatched structure where drinking wateris supplied free on festival occasions.

a small gold or silver casket with an amuletworn by a person.

self-imposed mortification to propitiate somedeity.

fire-walking.

a festival when an idol is floated on the templetank.

1641

TERI : a sand hilI.

THEV ANGU (thosham) : suffering from the evils of. covetous eyes.

THIRTHAMJTHEERTHAM: sacred bathing ghat.

THEKKINI (Malayalam) : the room on the south.

TIRUKALYANAM : marriage festival of a deity in a temple.

TORTHU (Malayalam) : a towel.

ULA VIRAl : the share due to the farmer.

UTSAVAM : a religious festival in a temple.

VADAKKINI (Malayalam): the room on the north.

VADDANAM (Telugu) : a jewel worn around the waist.

VAHANA : the image of an animal or bird borne on a

vehicle or carriage used for the processionof deities.

VAIKUNDA EKADESI : the eleventh phase of the moon.

VALAI KAPPU : ceremony held of in the 5th or 7th month of awoman's first pregnancy. On this occasion,the women (with their husbands living) aregiven glass bangles to wear free of cost.

VANKI : a bracelet worn above the elbow.

VANNAN : washerman.

VARAM the share of the

as agreed tocultivators as

produce due to the landownerbetween the farmer and theper tradition.

VELLANIRAI the annual share of the landlord.

VIZHAL a variety of grass used to cover the roof ofhuts.

1642

VIDYASTANA a seat of learning in olden times.

VOIKAL canal.