Page:The Indian Antiquary Vol 2.djvu/214

 190 THE ENDIAN ANTIQUARY. [July, 1873. WALKING THROUGH FIRE. BY H. J. STOKES, M.C.S., NEGAPATAM. The following are notes of evidence given at an inquest on a boy, aged fourteen, who lost his life on the 80th of April last from burns re¬ ceived in attempting to perform the ceremony of walking through fire. The practice of this ceremony is prohibited in this Presidency; yet it appears to have been maintained for many years past in the village Periy*angudi, without having been discovered by the autho¬ rities. When the magistrate went to the spot, the place where the fire was kindled had been ploughed over, bo as to conceal it. A close in¬ spection, however, revealed the fire-pit, which was found to measure 27 feet long by 7J broad. It was about a span deep. The situation was on an extensive open plain before the village deity Dranpati Amman’s temple. The pit lay east and west; the image of the goddess was placed at the west end, and it was towards it that the worshipper walked along the length of the pit from east to west. Virappa Vdndydn states:—“ I was one of the eight persons who carried the goddess Draupati Amman to the place where the fire-treading took place. Tho fire-pit was a trench about two poles long, by two strides broad. Six b&bfll trees wero cut into faggots aud kindled. Those who trod on the fire were Nachchu, Pflj&ri of Periy&ngudi; Chidambaram, Pflj&ri of Angalamman temple at Achchutamangalam; R&raas&mi Pillei, Sfc&nika of Draupati Amman of Periy&ngudi, and resident of Shenganflr; S&min&da Padey&chi of the same place; his brother Subr&ya; Subban&yakkan of V&lkei; Mutty&lu his brother; Aryappan, dealer in oil; N&galinga Pillei; Muttus&mi Pillei of Manveli; my brother N&gappa V&ndy&n; Kol- lumalei, Pflj&ri of V&lkei; and the deceased, Pak- kiri—in all thirteen persons. Of these Nachohu, the P&j&ri, went first into the pit at the east end, and walked through it to the west end, where he got out. So did the next Pfljari, Chidambaram, holding a small tabor in his hand. The St&nika (or superintendent of temple) came next, ringing a bell. Thus each of the persons above mentioned, except Pakkiri, walked through the fire, one beginning after the other had done. As each got up out of the trench, he went and walked'through a second pit dug at the west end of the'fire-pit, and filled with water. This is called the P&l-Kuli or milk-pit. Last of all, Pakkiri got down into the trench like the rest. He had not made one pace, when his legs crossed, and he fell on his right side, and then rolled over on his left. Where he fell was near the edge of the trench, so one of us pulled him out by the hand. They got a pumpkin, and applied the juice of it to the wounds. Then his mother and sister carried him in a swinging-cot home. The moment he was pulled out he said he felt giddy, and fell down. He did not speak again. He looked quite well before he got into the trench. Like the rest who walked through the fire, he wore a cloth wrapped tight round his waist, and his breast and arms were daubed with sandal.” Ndgappa Malavardyan states:—“ I live in tho next street to the temple of Draupati. When I was away in Mauritius I was for eight years ill with dyspepsia, and made a vow to the goddess of this temple to walk through fire if I got well. Four years ago I recovered, and last April I returned to my village from Mauritius. The landholders of Periy&ngudi, V&lke, and Shenganflr supply the materials required for the ceremony. That day the fire was lit at noon; at two o’clock the fuel had burnt to embers. I had fasted all the day, and had bathed in the tank of the Y&lke Agrah&ram. I got down into tho firo at the east end, meditating on Draupati, walked through ^o the west, and up the bank; then I went to the temple and got ashes, which I rubbed on me, and then went home. We went down to the fire to the sound of tom-toms, tabors, drums and bells at 5-30 p.m. There were two or three hundred people there.” Nachchu Padeydchi states : —” I am P&j&ri of this temple of Draupati. I have walked through the fire every year for the last seven or eight years. I made no vow. It is my duty as Pflj&ri to walk through the fire. I took the Karakam (an earth¬ en pot) from the temple to the Agrah&ram, where I bathed. Then we all came here with music. The tabor-player first, then the St&nikan (superintendent of temple), and then I went down into the fire, and walked across it. Then the others followed one by one.” Abhirdmi states :—“ Pj^ckiri is my younger brother. My daughter, si?years old, was ill with fever, and I vowed a ‘ M&vilakku ’* to the god¬ dess. We went to Pakkiri’s house, and he ac¬ companied us to the fire-pit the day before yester¬ day in the evening. There was a great crowd. I stood at some distance and looked on. I did not see Pakkiri go into the pit, but I saw him when • An offering of kneaded rice-flour in tbe midst of which a depression is made for oil or ghee to bum m, i The word means “ flour-lamp.” in a lamp. >•