| 1.13.1.5. Utilisation of the Fund |
| Money and the materials collected from the offenders are utilised in two ways. If the case involved is fighting leading to physical injury or theft, half of the money collected from the offenders is given to the aggrieved party and the other half is put in the village fund. The money accumulated in the village fund is utilised during the festival seasons for constructive purposes and the remaining is given to the temple in the name of the people of the particular village. In case of murder, in the past, the murderer was excommunicated and majority of his property is seized and given to the aggrieved family and the murderer’s family had to live with minimum requirements for the family. |
| 1.14. Social Culture |
| 1.14.1. Religion |
Religion and worship among Uralis are the deeply rooted phenomena in their culture. They worship only Hindu deities like `bannari a:tta’, `mulesukkara ayyä’, `a:lemala ayyä, `kumbappä, `ranganattä, `ka:rama e’, and `be: ere sva:mi’. Except `bannari a:tta’ the other deities are male gods and the female deity `bannari a:tta’ is their clan goddess and is considered to be superior to all the other deities. There is a legend behind this. According to the legend, before the establishment of the temple for `bannari a:tta at the place called Bannari, which is approximately 18 k.ms from Dimbam at the foot hill on the way to Sathyamangalam, the goddess first appeared to Uralis living in the hills and asked them to build a temple at Bannari and the Uralis obeyed and successfully materialised the desire of the deity. Bannari a:tta is supposed to guard the mountains and those who live and travel in that area. Even now, the buses and other transport vehicles passing that way stop at Bannari and the drivers go to the temple and worship the goddess for their safe travel in the ghats. Now, the temple has grown considerably larger and has its own trust. People from different parts of Tamilnadu and Karnataka come to Bannari during the festival seasons. Even now, the Uralis should conduct the first `puja’ before the commencement of the festival, which is a traditional practice. So, one day earlier to the festival, Uralis from different settlements around Dimbam will go to Bannari with long bamboo sticks and plant the first bamboo pole for the construction of the `pandal’. They take along with them the native musical instruments, camphor, milk, incense sticks, banana, flowers and coconuts. |
| On the same evening Uralis worship the goddess with the offerng they have brought and start playing the instruments and dance for the glory of their deity. After this, the festival starts and lasts for fifteen days. On the last day of the festival also the presence of Uralis are sought for and the similar kind of `punja’ is done by them again. |
| Next choice goes to the god living at Belere very ear to Dimbam called as `bëere sva:mi’. Annual festival for this god is performed exclusively by Uralis. |
| Other gods listed above are worshiped very rarely. Prior to every festival. Uralis take bath, wear washed or new clothes and wear all the ornaments they have. Songs in praise of the deities of worship are in the mother tongue of Uralis. |
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