Viramushti: Deccan
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Viramushti
This article is an extract from THE CASTES AND TRIBES OF H. E. H. THE NIZAM'S DOMINIONS BY SYED SIRAJ UL HASSAN Of Merton College, Oxford, Trinity College, Dublin, and Middle Temple, London. One of the Judges of H. E. H. the Nizam's High Court of Judicature : Lately Director of Public Instruction. BOMBAY THE TlMES PRESS 1920 Indpaedia is an archive. It neither agrees nor disagrees |
Viramushti, Virabhat, Bhadrapad — a low caste of Telugu beg- gars who accept charity from the Komati and Bahja communities only. They are mostly to be found in the Districts of Nalgunda, Warangai, Karimnagar and Atraf-i-Balda. Once a year they go on their begging excursions, visiting places where Komatis and Balijas have settled to trade.
Origin
The word Viramushti is derived from Sanskrit Vir war- rior and Mushti fist, and is said to refer to the proficiency of their ancestors in boxing. Traditions, current among the caste, trace theii origin to the soldiers of fortune who served the Rajput king Vishnu Vardhana, who ruled at Rajmahendri (lith century A. D.). The legend says that when Vishnu Vardhana was marching into the town of Penugundspattan to seize the beautiful daughter of Kusuma- shetti, these soldiers, at the earnest entreaty of the girl, delayed his entry and gave her relatives time to throw her on the funeral pyre and thus save her honour. Since that time the Komatis in gratitude have helped this caste. According to another legend, Viramushtis represent themselves as having sprung from the drops of perspiration which fell from the body of Virabhadra, when he destroyed the sacri- fice of Daksha. Virabhadra was created by Siva from his Jhatd, or pubes, which he dashed on the ground in a moment of frenzy, on learning that Sati, his wife and Daksha's daughter, had burnt herself in Dakshas sacrificial fire.
Internal Structure
The Viramushti caste has no sub-divi- sions. They profess to have three gotras (1) Virbhadra, (2) Diksha- kula, (3) Vibhuti Pindala Gotra, which, however, appear to have no bearing upon their matrimonial relations. Their intermarriages are governed by surnames which are very numerous.
Most of the sections are of the territorial type; The rule of exogamy is carefully observed. A man is allowed to marry his elder sister's daughter. He may also marry the daughter of his maternal uncle or paternal aunt, but on no account the daughter of his maternal - aunt. Two sisters may be married to the same man at the same lime, or successively.
Marriage
Viramushtis marry their daughters before they have attained the age of puberty, but adult marriages occasionally take place if the girl's parents are too poor to arrange her marriage before puberty. Sexual license before marriage is not tolerated, and if a woman goes wrong with a man of her own caste, her seducer is compelled to pay a fine to the caste people and take her as his wife. If he is already married, and declines to fulfil his obligations towards her, he is required to maintain her until she finds some one in the caste who would marry her by the rite of Marmannu. Polygamy is per- mitted theoretically to any extent; but is practically limited to four wives at a time.
After the preliminary negotiations have been concluded, and the horoscopes of the couple have been found to tally, an auspicious day is fixed for the celebration of the wedding. A marriage pandal of six pillars is erected before the bride's house and another before that of the bridegroom. The ceremonies of Praihanam Yadmukpdh, Kotnam and Ravireni follow and need no separate description, as they closely correspond with those of the other Telugu castes. In the Mylapoh the pair are bathed and seated in the centre of a squwe formed of unhuSked rice, having at its four corners four water potS encircled five times with cotton thread. The next ceremony is Mutyalpolu which resembles Myalapolu, except that the bridal pair, seSted inside, are made to worship their tutelary deity, Virabhadra. After Jiragudam, Kankanam and Padghattanam have been performed, as is customary among the other Telugu castes, the pusti, or the auspi- cious necklace is tied round the bride's neck and mettallu are put on her toes. Then comes Kanyadan, or the formal gift of the bride to the bridegroom by, her parents, which constitutes the essential portion of the ceremony. ^Under Pota, the caste people are enter- tamed at a feast, while under Tola, the bridal pair are entertained at a garden party and subsequently carried in procession to the temple of the village Hanuman. On the Nagvelly day, the bridegroom is handed a sword, and the couple walk three times round twenty-one leaf plates arranged circularly, each containing a heap of cooked rice with a dough lamp on its top. A Brahmin usually officiates as priest at the ceremony, but failing one a Jangam's services are engaged for the purpose.
Widaw-Marriage
Widows are allowed to marry again by the Marmannu ritual. This ceremony takes place at night. The bride- groom visits the bride's house, presents her with sari, choli and bangles and brings her with him to his house. Next day a feast is given to relatives and friends.
Divorce
Divorce is recognised and effected, with the sanction of the caste panchayal, by tying a rupee in the woman's garment and expelling her from the house. Divorced wives may marry again within the caste by the same rite as widows. A woman, taken in adultery with a member of the caste, is punished with a fine, which goes to provide the caste people with a feast. Adultery with a man of low caste entails expulsion from the caste.
Inheritance
Viramushtis follow the Hindu Law of Inheri- tance. It is said that, failing male issue, the females are entitled to inherit the property.
Religion
The religion of the Viramushtis is of the type current among the low Telugu castes and has no features of special interest. They are all Vibhutidharis and acknowledge Aradhi Brahmins as Their gurus. Some of them are converted to Lingkyitism and wear Their lingam on their arms. Their characteristic god is Virabhadra, wor- shipped every Monday and on Shivaratri day (14th of the dark half^ of Magh corresponding to the middle of March) with a varietf of offerings. A fast is also observed in honour of the god. iTi addition to this the member of the caste revere Pochamma, Mutyalamma, Mari Amma and other minor deities. They have a strong belief in witchcraft and spirits and an Erkala woman is occasionally consulted in cases of sickness or calamity.
Funerals
The dead are disposed 6i by burial, being laid in the grave in a sitting posture, but unmarried persofis are buried in a lying position. In the former case a Lingam, Vihhuti (ashes) and "Bel" leaves are placed in the hands of the corpse. No mourning is observed nor sradha performed; but on the 10th day after death caste people are fed in honour of the deceased. In the dark half of the month of Bhadrapad (September) offerings are made to departed ancestors in general through the agency of Jangams, who are fed and receive presents.
Social Status
The social rank of the caste is very low and none except the lowest unclean classes will take fodd from them. It is said that they accept cooked food only from Brahmins, Jangams, Komatis and Balijas. They eat fish, fowls, pigs (both varieties) and sheep and drink spirituous and fermented liquors.
Occupation
The Vircimushtis believe their original occupation to be begging from Komatis and Balijas and dealing in balls of Vibhuti (holy ashes). They extort alms by beating their bodies, cutting them with a sword and pricking them with needles. They carry, as a badge of their mendicancy, a sword, a needle, an image of Virbhadra and the head of Daksha. At a Komati marriage they claim one rupee from the boy's party and eight annas from the girl's party as their perquisites. Some of the members of the caste have settled down to agriculture and are engaged as farm labourers. Their women are skilful tatooers and make mats of leaves of the wild date (Phanix stylestris).
After initiation into this order, the Virmushti men are enjoined not to cirt the hair of their heads or beards.
