Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 3.djvu/268

Rh profligacy. There are, however, distinctions among them. Many have a pride in their position, which restrains them from abandoned proceedings. Others are restrained by the temple authorities under pain of fine or dismissal. Nor are they without instances of honourable and virtuous conduct. In some instances vows of celibacy are made; and ministrations to the sick and needy, and to poor pilgrims and devotees, with constant ceremonial observances, distinguish and separate the virtuous devotee from the rest of her vile associates. In such cases the person is highly venerated, and sometimes even worshipped.

Professed Patars, however, make no pretensions to such virtue. Those who possess the requisite talents are regularly instructed as public singers and dancers. Those who are not teachable follow their own courses, but assist in temple ceremonials and menial offices. In the southern portion of India, females devoted to idols are divided into Patars, or those who sing and dance, and Moorlees, who form the lowest and most abandoned class. Some of these—indeed, by far the greater number—are from the lowest castes in connection with Hindooism, and are devoted to Kah or Dévi, under the denomination of Mmi-iamma, Ellamma, &c., when they become priestesses of peculiar ceremonies unconnected with Brahminical Hindooism, which are relics of ancient aboriginal demon worship. Many of these women affect at such times to receive the divine afflatus. After dancing wildly, they suddenly become entranced, even in the act of dancing, and utter mystic sentences, which are interpreted to the spectators by a male priest: these signify coming plenty, or famine and pestilence, peace or tumult, high or low prices of agricultural products, &c., and are eagerly looked for, and implicitly believed, by the lower orders of the people. The sight of some of these shrieking, frantic women, with staling, bloodshot eyes, making the wildest gesticulations, and foaming at the mouth, is very horrible; and they seem, for the time, to be literally possessed by a devil. When exhausted, they sink into a deep lethargy, and profess, when they recover, entire ignorance of what has befallen them, except the weakness which has ensued. At such ceremonies Brahmins do not assist, as they involve sacrifices of goats, sheep, fowls, and even buffaloes: they are conducted by the lower order of caste priests, as kolies, shepherds, labourers, &c., of all kinds, who receive the offerings and make the sacrifice at the shrine or idol, before which the Moorlees are dancing wildly, until the afflatus seizes them by turns. It is hardly necessary to observe that no Patar or Moorlee can marry. In some instances Patars may become concubines, though this is rare; but Moorlees, in dread of their goddess's vengeance, never forsake their calling.

The subject of the illustration is dressed in a large "chadar" or sheet, covering the whole of her person, and trimmed with gold or silver lace, over which she wears a gauze muslin scarf, ornamented with tissue. Her complexion is light, with black hair and eyes, and she is about five feet in height.