Page:Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 6.djvu/243

Rh are spread. The corpse is placed in the grave in a sitting posture. As in the case of a Sanyāsi, who is a Jivanmukta, or one liberated from the bondage of the flesh though alive in body, so a dead Pishārati is believed to have no suitable body requiring to be entertained with any post-mortem offerings. A few memorial rites are, however, performed. On the eleventh day, a ceremony corresponding to the ekoddishta srādh of the Brāhman is carried out. A knotted piece of kusa grass, representing the soul of the deceased, is taken to a neighbouring temple, where a lighted lamp, symbolical of Maha Vishnu is worshipped, and prayers are offered. This ceremony is repeated at the end of the first year.*

Some Pishāratis are large land-owners of considerable wealth and influence.†  '''Pīsu Perike. —''' Perikes who weave gunny-bags.  Pītakālu (dais, on which a priest sits). — An exogamous sept of Oddē.  '''Pittalavādu. —''' A Telugu name for Kuruvikkārans.  Podapōtula.—A class of mendicants, who beg from Gollas.  '''Podara Vannān. —''' The Podara, Podarayan or Pothora Vannāns are washermen of inferior social status, who wash clothes for Pallans, Paraiyans, and other low classes.  Podhāno.— Recorded, at times of census, as a title of Bolāsi, Gaudo, Kālingi, Kudumo, and Sāmantiya. The Sāmantiyas also frequently give it as the name of their caste.  '''Poduvāl. —'''Defined by Mr. Wigram ‡ as one of the Ambalavāsi castes, the members of which are as a rule employed as temple watchmen. Writing concerning <section end="H243" />