Page:Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume 6.djvu/46

PALLI DASARI child. The Pallis trembled at the enormity of the demand, and declared that they would sooner submit to Salivahana's decree of perpetual exile than offer such a horrible sacrifice. Ramasawmy Naik, however, rose to the occasion, and resolved to sacrifice his own girl-wife, who was then pregnant with her first child. He succeeded in propitiating the deity by offering this heroic sacrifice, and the spells of the Seniyars instantly collapsed, and the whole legion of imps and devils, who had impeded the progress of the Pallis' car, vanished into thin air. The coast having thus been cleared of hostile influences, Ramasawmy Naik, with no more help than his own occult powers gave him, succeeded in hauling the whole lot of cars to their destination, and in a single trip, by means of a rope passed through a hole in his nose. The Pallis, whose gratitude knew no bounds, called down benedictions on his head, and, falling prostrate before him, begged him to name his reward for the priceless service rendered by him to their community. Ramasawmy Naik only asked that the memory of his services to the caste might be perpetuated by the bestowal upon him and his descendants of the title Jāti-pillay, or children of the caste, and of the privilege of receiving alms at the hands of the Pallis; and that they might henceforth be allowed the honour of carrying the badges of the caste — banners, state umbrellas, trumpets, and other paraphernalia —in proof of the signal victory they had gained over the Seniyars."  Palli Dāsari.— A name for Tamil-speaking Dāsaris, as distinguished from Telugu-speaking Dāsaris.  Palli īdiga. — A name given by Telugu people to Tamil Shānāns, whose occupation is, like that of īdigas, toddy-drawing. 