Penta: Deccan
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Penta
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 |
Penta — Tamil cultivators, found in large numbers in, the Nalgunda District, especially at Srirangapur, and believed to have originally come with the Contingent fortes from .the Trichinopalli District of the Madras Presidency. The men of this caste are noted for their criminal propensities and are often involved in ceises of petty thefts and fraudulent transactions, such as cheating people by selling brass ornaments for gold. Their houses, which do not, however, resemble those of the wandering tribes, are constructed of grass and palm twigs. The males dress like the ordinary cultivators of the country, but the females still cling to the dress of their former home. Like the Tamil women they wear, in their elongated ear-lobes, huge rings of rolled and twisted palm leaves. TheJ do not wear bodices, nor glass bangles on their wrists, nor nose-rings in their nostrils. A very singular custom has survived to this day among the Pentas of Nalgunda. A bride, suspected of having been unchaste, is forced to undergo an ordeal on her wedding day. This is effected by placing a bracelet in an iron pot containing boiling ghi, and asking the bride, after she has purified herself by a bath, with her clothes still wet, to pick out the bracelet with her hand. Should no blisters appear on her hand her innocence is proved beyond all doubt But if she hesitates to plunge in her hand, or if it is blistered when put in, she is pronounced guilty and as a punishment is driven out of the caste.
Internal Structure
The caste is divided into'four sub-castes. (1) Palli, (2) Wanir ' gardeners,' (3) Padayachi, (4) Gandamaru. Amongst these interdining is permitted. The members of the first and second sub-castes intermarry, as also those of the third and the fourth. The exogamous sections appear to be of the eponymous type, being perhaps based upon the names of their founders. The rule of exogamy differs very little from that in vogue amongst the Telugu castes. Thus a man cannot marry outside his sub-caste nor inside his section. No other section is a bar to marriage, provided one does not marry his aunt, or any of his first cousins, with the exception of & maternal uncle's daughter.
The typical exogamous sections are given below : —
(1) Sanyasirao Kottam.
(2) Kari Kottam.
(3) Kata Kottam.
(4) Ramakaru Tanda Kottam.
(5) Woolapatti Kottam.
(6) Nachan Karupei) Kottam.
(7) Wandi Karin Kottam ' cartmen.'
(8) Padadasin Kottam.
Note : — The word "Kottam" means multitude.
Marriage
Both infant and adult marriages are practised, and the fact of a girl attaining the age of puberty before marriage places no slur upon her family. In the case of infant marriages, care is taken to guard against premature consummation. Polygamy is allowed. The marriage ceremony, with slight differences, is of the standard type. After Tambul, PapuaWanam, Lagnam Nischaya and other cere- monials prelirfiinary to the wedding, an auspicious day is fixed for the wedding, when three married female relatives of the bridegroom form a procession, and, with music, go to a white-ant hill for worship; there they break cocoanuts and afterwards fill baskets with the ant-earth which is carried to the bridegroom's house. With this earth, mixed with water, a platform is built, under the marriage bower, by the maternal uncles of the bridal pair, for which each receives a cup of spirits as a present. This ceremony being over, three earthen vessels, painted externally, are brought by the married females from a potter's house and, being filled with water, are deposited close to the platform. Near these earthen pots, which are called ' Ravi Reni,' a twig of the Pipal tree (Ficus religiosa) is planted and worshipped, with offerings of cocoanuts. The twig is then daubed with scented oils and perfumes and washed with warm water. This ceremony is called Nalgu. The bridal pair are then anointed and bathed, and are wedded according to the rites of Kapu marriage. The tying of a tali round the bride's neck by the bridegroom forms the binding and essential portion of the ceremony. No price is paid for the bride; but a dowry to the amount of Rs. 50 is paid by the parents of the bride to the bridegroom. '
Widow-Marriage
A widow is allowed to marry again. The ceremony opens by the bridegroom tying a turmeric coloured string round the bride's neck, and ends with a feast to the relatives and other caste brethren.
Divorce
Divorce is permitted on the ground of the wife s adultery and is effected by driving the wonian out of the house, in the presence of the caste people. ,
Religion
Yedchamma is the characteristic deity of the taste, and is worshipped on Fridays by the eldest male member of the household eis the officiating priest. A fast is observed during the day and, at dusk, all male members of the household resort to a jungle and there worship the deity with offerings of fowls, sheep and spirituous liquors, which are afterwards partaken of by the worshippers. The Goddess Kali is worshipped on Sundays. The local divinities, Karnappa, Swami and Madrawalo Swami are pro- pitiated on Tuesdays and Fridays respectively. In addition to the animistic deities mentioned above, the members of 'the caste duly honour Venkamma, Hanuman and other gods of the Hindu Pantheon, and observe all Hindu festivals. Brahmins are employed for reli- gious and ceremonial purposes and incur no social disgrace on that account.
Funerals
The dead are buried in a lying posture with the head towards the south. On the third day after death milk, mixed with gingelly (Sesamxim indicum) seeds, is placed on the grave and offered to the deceased ancestor. On the 1 0th day, the mourners perform ablution and become purified. Balls of cooked rice are offered, and libations of water mixed with til seeds are poured out in the name of the departed soul.
Social Status and Occupation
Socially the Pentas rank with Kapus, Velamas and Mutrasis, with whom they eat cooked food and drink water. They do not wear the sacred thread, nor do they eat the leavings of higher castes. Their ostensible means of livelihood is gardening and agriculture.
