GLOSSARY

l€Jl
GLOSSARY
AGRAHARAM
a village or street of Brahmins.
AL
agricultural workers.
AMANJI
free labour in the days of the Cholas.
AMALDAR
an official in charge of a par1{anaunder
Musnm rulers.
.'.
AM BOGAM
a part of the marriage function held on the
marriage day or after a few days, when
the couple is offered dress, utensils, furniture,
etc. to facilitate the setting up of a new
home.
AMMI MIDHITHAL
the bride performing the ?eremony of. placing
her right foot on the grinding stone, the
bridegroom helping her to do so at the
marriage function.
AMSAM
territorial division consisting of a .few villages
in the Malabar area.
ANICUT
a water reservoir or a dam.
APPAM
a cake prepared with rice and sugar.
ARAIY AN
a chieftain.
ARATHANA
temple service; divine worship.
ARATHI/ALATHI
a kind of offering made to prevent the effects
of evil eye.
ARTHA MANDAPAM
hall immediately in front
shrine in a temple.
ARUNTHATHl
the ceremony at which the bride witnesses the
star Arunthathi in the course of the marriage
ceremony as a model worthy of imitation.
PARTHAL:
of the
the
innermost
1m
ARUVAL
sickle~
AVATAR
an incarnation, specially of Vishnu.
AYACUT
area depending on an irrigation
well, tank or canal.
BARAM
a weight
of
system. like
500 pounds.
BOOTHA KALAM
:
the giving of food by the bride to the bridegroom for the first time.
BOTTU
:
a spot or wafer of red sandal paste worn
on the forehead by males, the kumkum
worn by ladies.
BRAHMADEY A
:
land held free by the Brahmans.
BRAHMOTHSA VAM
:
the annual festival of a Hindu temple held on
a grand scale.
CACHE
:
French word for Kasu (see Kasu)
KANDASHASTI
:
festival celebrated in the month of aipasi.
CHAKRA(S)
:
an ancient coin.
CHANK
:
conch shell.
CHAUTH
:
an
CHEF THABEDAR (French):
assessment equal to one-fourth of the
original standard assessment or generally
one-fourth of the actual government col1ections demanded by the Maratha's from the
Mohammadan
and
Hindu"
Princes of
Hindusthan as the price of forebearing to
ravage their countries.
senior Thabedar, a police official next in rank
to the Nainard and the Palegar-chief native
police officials.
I
COTWAL
an
Indian
police
official.
1633
adeity or idol.
DARSHAN
vision or sight of
DEKSHA
a household
water.
DESAM
territorial division in the olden days in the
Malabar area.
DESSANDRI
a p.erson wa,ndering from place to place.
DEV ADANA
lands granted for temples.
DEV ADASI
a dancing
temple.
D HARBAjDHARBAI
a sacrificial grass much
Hindus.
DHOLI
a litter.
DIKSHA
initiation _0f a disciple by a Guru.
DOUDDOU
a copper coin of small denomination.
DURBAR
a royal court or an audience.
ENNAI NALANGU
the ceremony of applying gingelly oil on the
head of the newly married couple.
ERU KALAPE
farmer's plough.
FANON
a silver coin.
FAUJDAR
an officer of the Moghul Government invested
with the charge of the police and jurisdiction
in all criminal matters.
FIRMAN
an order or authorisation.
GART
a mode of conveyance.
GHANI
oil press.
utensil for cooking
and
and singing girl attached
storing
to the
used in worship
by
GOPURAM
.
a tovycr fit. tbc entrance of a templ~,
q~AMA
..village-by extension, the people's organisation
at the village level.
GUMASTA
.a writer or clerk.
HAVILDAR
a subordinate
HOMAKUNDAM
..
revenue
official.
:'
"a"pit . made in the ground for sacrified fire.
IRA YIU LAND
:
tax free land.
JAGIR
:
it is known to be merely a life-rent tenure, but
it is sta+ed to convey a rent free title.
KADUKKAN
:
ear rmg.
KALAKATTU
:
an agricultural implement-a
remove the weeds.
KALUV A (Telugu)
:
channel.
KALYANA MANDAPAM:
a large hall for
hook
utilised to
celebrating marriages, etc.
KAMBAKARIN
:
villager put on duty for distribution
for cultivation.
of water
KAMBA YI
:
a variety of textile.
KANDY
:
a weight of 500 pounds.
KAPPU KATTUl HAL
:
the ceremony of tying a thread around
right hand wrist before marriage.
KARA VAl
:
a tool used by goldsmiths.
KARUV ARAI
:
a part of the temple in which the idol is placed
and where the Brahmin officiates.
KA VYA
:
an epic poem.
KASU
:
a copper coin of very small denomination.
the
.
1635
KASULADANTA (Telugu):
KATTU MARAM
(CATAMARAN)
a chain with. gold sovereigns as pendants.
:
raft of logs tied together and used for fishing,
KAVALAI
a device to
irrigation
KHARIF
the autumnal harvest.
KIRUTHIGAI
the third of the twenty-seven lunar asterisms.
KIZHAKKINI
(Malayalam):
draw water from
purposes.
the fourth room attached
called kizhakkini.
the well
for
to the building is
KOKKU THOSHAM
an evil cast on the children-believed
in disease.
KOLA YILAGAM
(Malayalam)
the room beyond the verandah.
KORAL
a variety of grass used for mat-weaving.
KUDAM
a household utensil
storing water.
KUDIKIDAPPUKARS/
KUDIKIDAPPUKARAN
cultivating tenant.
KURUVAl
a short duration variety of paddy.
KURUVITHOSHAM
an evil cast on children by birds believed to
result in disease.
KUTCHA
crude.
LAMPASSE
a variety of textile exported during the XVITI
century.
EEHIAM
a medicine in semi-solid form.
MADATHIPATHI
the head of a mutt or a religious leader.
used
for
to result
fetching
and
.!'.'
1636
MAGANAM
a territorial division.
MAGANI
a
MAHAMANDAPAM
a large pavilion in a temple.
MAHANA IT AR
distinguished men of the locality.
MANAI
house site.
MANAIMAPPU
house site enjoyed by village craftsmen.
MANAVARY (LAND)
land which depends on seasonal rams.
MANDAP/MANDAPAM
a pavilion or open porch.
MANGANI FESTIVAL
a festival
unit to
sixteenth.
honour
measure
unique
of
in
Karaikal
rice, etc.
Karaikal,
normally
celebrated
one
111
Ammayar.
MANVETTY
a hoe or
MAPPILLAI AZHAIPPU
a function on the eve of marriage when the
bridegroom is taken in a procession to the
place of marriage.
MARUVUNNAL
to dine and receive presents at the residence
of the bride after the marriage.
MATRIMANDIR
a place of meditat.ion in Auroville
Pondicherry.
MIRASDAR
a big land-owner.
MOl SEITHAL
to offer gifts in cash or kind .'to the newly
married couple.
MOKSHA
eternal bliss/heavenly abode.
MOO LA VAR
the idol in the sanctuary which is not taken
out for procession either within or without
the temple.
an agricultural implement.
near
1637
MUDRAS OF NATYA
different hand poses of c1assical dance.
MUKUTHI
a nose ornament.
MUNDU (Malayalam)
a dhoti worn around
NADU
a territorial division in the olden days; by
extension, the people's organisation at the
level.
the loins.
NAGOTTU (Telugu)
a jewel.
NATHAM
hamlet.
NATUVANAR
dance/music master.
NATYA
dance.
NA VARAI
a variety of crop.
NAVARA THIRI
the first nine nights in the month of purattaci
(in September) devoted to the worship of
goddess Lakshmi, Saraswathy and other
Sakthies.
NEERAZHI
a covered stone structure with pillars built
at the centre of the sacred tank in the temple.
MANDA PAM
NILAM
a unit of land measurement in the olden days.
NILA VILAKKU
a standing lamp.
PADAKKU
an old unit of measure.
PADIKAPPAR
those who had to keep watch over the village.
PADIKA VALKULI
remuneration paid for policing the lands.
PADINJATTAGAM
(Malayalam)
PADINJATTAPURA
(Malayalam)
I
I
1-
I
J
a room beyond the kolayilagam in between thf'
vadakkini and thekkil/i.
.
1638
PAGODA
a gold coin formerly minted at Madras having
the emblem of a temple on one side.
PALAGAI ALA VANGU
an agricultural implement.
PALAYAKAR
those guarding the bastions;
petty chieftain.
PANAM
see fanon.
PANDAKKAL
NA TTUTHAL
the ceremony of installing the first
erect a pandal for a marriage.
PARAMBU
an agricultural implement; a board or roller
for smoothing land newly ploughed.
PARGANA
a territorial
villages.
PARWANA
see firman.
PASUPATHA ASTRAM
the mighty arrow obtained from Lord Siva.
PATHIGAM
a poem of ten songs praising a deity.
PATIRI (Malayalam)
a cnsp rice cake.
PATTA
duly registered land title.
PENN AZHAITHAL
the marriage eve function of receiving the
bride either from her own house or from a
temple to take her to the place of marriage.
PICOTAH
(see Kavalai).
POL YGAR
(see palayakar).
PON
gold.
POROMBOKE
government or municipal land left uncultivated.
PRAKARAjPRAKARAM
the closed precincts of a temple.
in later
days,
pole to
sub-division consisting of several
1639
PRA TILOMA
:
some curious instances of mixed castes.
PUJARI
:
the exorcist.
PUTTU
:
rice cake.
QILADAR
:
the Governor or the Commandant
RADOTSA VAM
:
car festival of a temple.
RAT ANAM
:
a wheeled instrument used by goldsmiths.
RATHAM
:
a temple car.
RETTAKADIVAM (Telugu):
of a fort.
a bracelet worn above the elbow.
RISHABAM
:
the sacred bull of Siva.
RYOT
:
peasant cultivator.
SAMARA
:
a chowry used as a fan for idols in procession.
SAMADHI
:
a form of mortification.
SAMBA
:
a variety of long duration paddy.
SAMBRADA YINS
:
persons endowed with the knowledge transmitted orally from teacher to teacher and
established as of divine authority.
SANY ASI
:
a Hindu ascetic.
SATHI
:
self-immolation of a woman on the funeral
pyre of her husband.
SILASSE
:
a variety of textile exported.
SOOL SEITHAL
:
SOD! means pregnancy-SoD! seitha! is therefore
a ceremony performed by the bride's parents
at the residence of the bridegroom for the
first pregnancy i.e. in the fifth or seventh
month. After the function is over, the bride
is taken to the house of her parents in
order to take care of the first delivery.
1640
SOONIAM
sorcery.
SOWCAR
a banker.
STALAPURANA
the written legend of a sacred place.
SURNAM
a medicinal powder.
TAl POOSAM
the eighth lunar asterism.
THALl
a nuptial badge tied on the neck of the bride
by the bridegroom at the time of the wedding.
TAMBIRAN
the head of a religious order, managing the
temple or the mutt according to tradition.
TAPASYA
penitence,
TAVALAI
a kind of brass pot.
THAKKA (Malayalam)
an ear ornament.
THALADI
a variety of long duration
THALAVAYE
a chief officer of the police.
THALl KATTU
the
ceremony of tying
around the neck.
THANNEER
a thatched
structure where drinking water
is supplied free on festival occasions.
PANDAL
self-mortification.
paddy.
the
nuptial
badge
THAYATHU
a small gold or silver casket with an amulet
worn by a person.
THAVA
self-imposed
deity.
THEE MITHI
fire-walking.
THEPPA THIRUVIZHA
a festival when an idol is floated on the temple
tank.
mortification
to
propitiate
some
1641
TERI
:
a sand hilI.
THEV ANGU (thosham)
:
suffering from the evils of. covetous
THIRTHAMJTHEERTHAM:
eyes.
sacred bathing ghat.
THEKKINI (Malayalam)
:
the room on the south.
TIRUKALYANAM
:
marriage festival of a deity in a temple.
TORTHU (Malayalam)
:
a towel.
ULA VIRAl
:
the share due to the farmer.
UTSA VAM
:
a religious festival in a temple.
VADAKKINI
(Malayalam):
VADDANAM
(Telugu)
the room on the north.
:
a jewel worn around
:
the image of an animal or bird borne on a
vehicle or carriage used for the procession
of deities.
:
the eleventh phase of the moon.
VALAI KAPPU
:
ceremony held of in the 5th or 7th month of a
woman's first pregnancy. On this occasion,
the women (with their husbands living) are
given glass bangles to wear free of cost.
VANKI
:
a bracelet worn above the elbow.
VANNAN
:
washerman.
VAHANA
VAIKUNDA
EKADESI
the waist.
VARAM
the share of the produce due to the landowner
as agreed to between the farmer and the
cultivators as per tradition.
VELLANIRAI
the annual share of the landlord.
VIZHAL
a variety of grass used to cover the
huts.
roof
of
1642
VIDYASTANA
a seat of learning in olden times.
VOIKAL
canal.