Page:Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 4.djvu/129

Rh eager to escape, they consented to marry the maiden to a Kurumban who ferried them across the river. The Kunchigars are the descendants of this girl and the Kurumban. When running away they, in their haste, forgot a little girl, and left her behind them. She was seized by the Nawāb, who thirsted for vengeance, and thrown into the air so as to fall on knives placed so as to transfix her. Some miracle interposed to save her, and the Arē Kunchigars of Mysore are her descendants."*  Kunchu (a tassel or bunch). — A sub-division of Okkiliyans, and of Koravas who make brushes used by weavers. Kuncham, meaning either a measure used in measuring grain or a tassel, occurs as an exogamous sept of Mādiga and Māla.  Kundanakkāran.——An occupational Tamil name for those who cut, enchase, and set precious stones.  Kundatōn.— A name for chunam (lime) workers in Malabar.  Kūndu (nest). — A sub-division of the Irulas of South Arcot.  Kungiliyan.— A title of some Kallans.  Kunjamma. — A name for Elayad females.  Kunnuvan.——The Kunnuvans are described, in the Gazetteer of the Madura district, as " the principal cultivating caste on the Palni hills. They speak Tamil. Their own traditions say that their ancestors were Vellālans from the Dhārāpuram and Kāngayam country in Coimbatore, who went up the Palnis some four or five centuries ago because the low country was so disturbed by war (other accounts say devastated by famine), and they call themselves Kunnuva Vellālas, and state that the name Kunnuva is derived from Kunnūr village in <section end="H129" />