Sattadavan, which means 'One who does not wear'
(_e.g._ the sacred thread and scalp-lock). It is a mixed religious
order recruited from any caste except the Pariahs, leather-workers and
Muhammadans. The Dasaris [496] are said to be the reputed descendants
of a wealthy Sudra of one of the northern Districts, who, being
childless, vowed that if offspring should be granted to him he would
devote a son to the service of the god. After this he had several
children, one of whom he consecrated to the deity, calling him Dasan
(the obedient servant). Dasan and his offspring made their livelihood
by begging. This order, like that of the Satanis, is reinforced by idle
members of the lower Sudra castes, who become Dasaris by being branded
by the Guru of Tirupatti and other shrines. In the Central Provinces
the Dasaris are stated to be recruited from the impure Mala caste
of the Telugu country, and hence to rank below the Satanis. Many
of the Madrasi servants in European households call themselves
Dasaris. Members of the agricultural castes are usually admitted into
the Satani order and its status is almost equal to theirs. The caste,
in spite of its small numbers, has several subdivisions, as the Sale
Satanis, who are weavers, the Bukkas, who are sellers of _kunku_ or
red powder, and five other subdivisions who are all beggars. Some of
these eat together but do not intermarry. They have exogamous family
groups, usually named after sacred places in Madras or celebrated
Gurus (spiritual preceptors) or deities, as Tirupatti, Ramanujamwar,
Shaligramwar and so on. The caste marry in the ordinary way and do
not observe celibacy. Widow-marriage is allowed, but a widow must
marry a widower, and the officiating priest at the ceremony must
also be a widower. The Satanis principally revere Vishnu, whom they
worship on Fridays. Their priests are taken from their own order and
form a separate subcaste under the name of Parmastwar. A novice,
on being initiated to the order, is branded with the figures of a
Sankha (conch-shell) and Chakra (discus). They both burn and bury
the dead, and the spirits of female as well as of male ancestors are
propitiated. This is done by calling a married woman by the name of
the dead female, putting red powder on her forehead and worshipping
her. Among the Satanis a widow accompanies the corpse of her husband
to the grave. They officiate at funerals, and a Satani priest applies
the caste-mark to the body of the corp