Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 8.djvu/207

KHONDS. from their parents and relations, when these have fallen into poverty, or in seasons of famine; but they are most commonly stolen from the plains by the professed kidnappers of the Panoo caste. These Panoos are base and sordid miscreants, who carry on a profitable trade in the blood of fellow men. Unfortunate people of the low country are decoyed into the hills by these miscreants, and sold to the Khonds for Meria sacrifices. Their guilt admits of no palliation, and no mercy is ever shown them when they are brought up for punishment.

In some cases Meria women are allowed to live till they have borne children to Khond fathers. these children are then reared for sacrifice, but never put to death in the village of their birth, and to avoid this they arc exchanged for children born under similar circumstances in other villages. Merias are always treated with marked kindness, and are seldom subjected to any restraint. Money is rarely used in the purchase of Meria victims, the price agreed upon being usually paid in cattle, pigs, goats, brass vessels, or ornaments, and sometimes in saffron, wax, and other products of the hills.

The sacrifice to be efficacious must be celebrated in public before the assembled people. Of the manner of sacrifice in Goomsoor, I cannot do better than quote from the interesting report of Mr. Russell, whose secretary I was during the war.

"In the Malas (hill tracts) of Goomsoor the sacrifice is offered annually to Tado Penner, the earth god, under the effigy of a peacock, with a view to propitiate the deity to grant favourable crops. The zani, or priest, who may be of any caste, officiates at the sacrifice, but he performs the pooja (offering of flowers, incense, &c.) to the idol through the medium of the zoomba, who must be a Khond boy under seven years of age, and who is fed and clothed at the public expense, eats alone, and is subjected to no act deemed impure.

"For a month prior to the sacrifice there is much feasting, intoxication, and dancing round the Meria victim, who is adorned with garlands, &c. On the day before the performance of the barbarous rite he is stupified with toddy (fermented palm juice), and is made to sit, or is bound, at the bottom of a post bearing the effigy above described. The assembled multitude then dance round to music, and addressing the earth, say: 'O god, we offer this sacrifice to you; give us good crops, seasons, and health.' After which they address the victim: 'We bought you with a price, and did not seize you; now we sacrifice you according to custom, no sin remains with us.'

"On the following day, the Meria being again intoxicated, and anointed with oil, each individual present touches the anointed part, and wipes the oil on his own head. All then march in procession round the village and its boundaries, preceded by music, bearing their victim in their arms. On returning to the post, which is always placed near the village idol, Zacari Penoo, represented by three