The Baiderkulu are believed to be fellow castemen of the Billavas, and Koti and Chennayya to be descended from an excommunicated Brahman girl and a Billava.
In the southern taluks Elayads officiate as purohits, but, in the northern taluks, their own castemen take the part of the Elayads in their sradha ceremonies.
The castemen themselves prefer the name Sivadvija or Saivite Brahman.
Their castemen or Brahmans unite themselves with their women in sambandham.
Each family feeds a few of the castemen at least once during that month.
The Collector may select any of the said lands to be placed under special fire protection.
It is hard for those who have not lived and worked among them to realise how easily the ryot falls a dupe to impudent self-advertisement.
Sidambara, or Chidambaram, is the site of one of the most sacred Siva temples.
In all general matters the ways of the three sub-divisions are similar.
They are generally Vaishnavites, wear the sacred thread, and have for their priests Vaishnava Brahmans or Satanis.
Sivadiksha, as already indicated, is observed between the twelfth and sixteenth years.
The former passed up the Sispara path, while the latter crossed in a line, and proceeded slightly down the hill, eventually crossing the stream and up through the sholas over the steep hills on the opposite side of the valley.
They are fit for tapping as soon as they come into bearing, but four years later and in the succeeding decade are most productive.
Bamboo labyrinths, bamboo baskets, and even men's hands alone, are called into use.
Into one of the pots the female relations put grain seedlings, and four other pots are filled with water by the bridegroom's party.
Of three Valluvans, whom I interviewed at Coimbatore, one, with a flowing white beard, had a lingam wrapped up in a pink cloth round the neck, and a charm tied in a pink cloth round the right upper arm.
The castemen of the neighbourhood, including the relations and friends of the deceased, accompany the bier to the burial-ground, and return home after bathing.
One of the castemen acts as Velichapad (oracle), and speaks as if by inspiration.
If the girl, whom a man claims in accordance with this custom, is not given to him, his mother raises such a howl that her brother is compelled by the castemen to come to terms.
After this, the castemen and women who are invited are feasted along with the girl, who is neatly dressed and adorned in her best.
She is bathed on the fourth day, and the castemen and women of the neighbourhood, with the relatives and friends, are treated to a sumptuous dinner.
The Tandans again exchange betel leaves as before, and distribute them to all the castemen present, beginning with the uncles of the boy and girl.
In no case do the castemen receive cloths from classes lower in social rank than the Sudras, and this is pointed to with pride as one of the causes which keep them in their present elevated scale.
The castemenbelong to four septs or illams, namely, Kattotillam, Karotillam, Chempotillam, and Ponnotillam.
Sacrifices of sheep, fowls, green cocoanuts, and plantain fruits are offered to the demons believed to be residing within, and are afterwards liberally distributed among the castemen and others present.
On the morning of the sixteenth day, all the castemen of the kara who are invited bring with them rice, curry-stuffs, and toddy.
They have the duty of looking after the horses and bullock-carts of the castemen who assemble for marriage or other ceremonies.
A candidate for admission in the Mahli caste has to eat a little of the leavings of the food of each of the castemenat a feast.
One member is especially charged with the preparation of this, and if there should not be enough for all the castemen to partake of it, he is severely punished.
They profess to cure all kinds of diseases in children with the aid of magic and medicines, and all the castemen believe that harm or even death may be caused to men with the aid of sorcerers.
The Paravans of Chengannur and Tiruvella call themselves Chakka, a word supposed by the castemen to be derived from slaghya or praiseworthy, but perhaps more correctly from Chakku, the basket carried by them in their hands.
On the thirteenth day, the castemenare fed, and, if the girl is married, consummation takes place.
The caste messenger is called Cholano, and he carries a silver baton when he summons the castemen to a meeting.
The test of the apotheosis of such a one is that his castemen should have a successful day's sport on some day that they have set aside in his honour.
When a Mari Holeya girl reaches puberty, she is expected to remain within a hut for twelve days, at the end of which time the castemenare invited to a feast.
As soon as the sound is heard, the castemen amongst whom any offence has occurred assemble, each house in the village being represented by a member, so as to make up a panchayat (council).
They fix a day for the ceremony, and invite their Vallon and the castemenof the village.
The forty-first day, on which the festival terminates, is one of great celebration, when all castemen attend at the temple.
Devangas give money to these beggars, who have the privilege of locking the door, and carrying away the food, when the castemen take their meals.
When a young man chooses a girl, the preliminary arrangements are made in her hut, in the presence of her parents, relations, and the castemen of the village.
At the sound of the horn, the castemen on whose account the visit is made assemble at the place of encampment, with the Desayi's local representative at their head.
If a girl is too poor to be married before puberty, the castemen of the kara raise a subscription, and marry her to one of themselves.
When a Pulayan is dead, the castemen in the neighbourhood are informed.
In certain cases, when the illicit connection becomes public, the castemen meet with their Vallon, and conduct a regular enquiry into the matter, and pronounce a verdict upon the evidence.
They assert that their fellow castemen are still employed in turning, painting, and other decorative arts at Goa.
A feast is given to the castemen once a year, when they have some savings.
For the second meal the castemen go so far as to sit in his compound, but apparently he does not cook the food nor partake of it.
Four castemen of standing carry the proposal of marriage from the boy's father, and the girl's father, being forewarned, sends others to meet them.
A sacrifice is performed, and the friends and fellow-castemen of the family make presents to the boy of copper and silver coin.
The second or main feast is given in the offender's courtyard to all the castemen of the village and sometimes of other villages.
During an eclipse the Mangs beg, because the demons Rahu and Ketu, who are believed to swallow the sun and moon on such occasions, were both Mangs, and devout Hindus give alms to their fellow-castemen in order to appease them.
But to them and their castemen their change of trade involves the transfer of caste relations.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "castemen" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
