Page:Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 3.djvu/329

Rh Kilakku Teru (east street). — A section of Kallan.  Killavar.— A sub-division of Tottiyan.  Killēkyāta.— The Killēkyātas are a Marāthi-speaking people, who amuse villagers with their marionette shows in the Telugu and Canarese countries. "They travel round the villages, and give a performance wherever they can secure sufficient atronage. Contributions take the form of money, or oil for the foot-lights." "Their profession," Mr. S. M. Natesa Sastri writes, " is enacting religious dramas before the village public (whence their name, meaning buffoon). The black kambli (blanket) is their screen, and any mandapa or village chāvadi, or open house is their stage. Night is the time for giving the performance. They carry with them pictures painted in colours on deer skins, which are well tanned, and made fine like parchment. The several parts of the picture representing the human or animal body are attached to each other by thin iron wires, and the parts are made to move by the assistance of thin bamboo splits, and thus the several actions and emotions are represented to the public, to the accompaniment of songs. Their pictures are in most cases very fairly painted, with variety and choice of colours. The stories chosen for representation are generally from the Rāmāyana and the Mahābhāratā, which they however call Rāvanyakathā and Pāndavakathā — the stories of Rāvana and the Pāndavas." The dead are buried in a seated posture. Some of the women are engaged as professional tattooers.  Kimedi.— A local name for Koronos who live at Parlakimedi. 