The Teutütusthchi Ceremony
This is an annual ceremony in which a fire is lighted at the foot of a hill by the palol and kaltmokh. The name teutütusthchi or teutütusthtiti means “god fire he lights.” It [[291]]is performed in the month which the Todas call Tai, beginning with the new moon in October.
The two palol and the kaltmokh of the Nòdrs ti perform the ceremony on the first or second Sunday after the new moon, and make the fire in alternate years at the hills called Kòti and Puthi. The two palol of the Kars and Pan ti set fire together at the hill Kònto on the following Tuesday. This ceremony is not performed by the palol of either the Kwòdrdoni or the Nidrsi ti. In 1902 the Nòdrs palol went to the hill Kòti on the second Sunday after the new moon (October 12th).
The hills of Kòti, Puthi, and Kònto are said to be chosen because they are very high, and have the highest teu, who are spoken of as elder brothers.
The palol and kaltmokh set out when they have taken buttermilk after the morning work, abstaining from other food till the ceremony is over. They take with them the nirsi or fire-sticks, some leaves of kakud, a piece of tuni, and some dried grass from the thatch of the dairy. Each palol wears both the pòdrshtuni and the kubuntuni.
When they reach the foot of the hill they make a heap of firewood. They then spread the kakud leaves on a stone and powder the thatch of the dairy on the leaves, and each palol makes fire with the fire-sticks and lights the powdered thatch. Then the kaltmokh says, “Teutütusthtkina?”—“Shall I light the god (or sacred) fire?”—and both palol answer “Teutütustht!” Then the kaltmokh takes the lighted thatch and applies it to the heap of firewood. As soon as the fire burns well, each palol takes off his kubuntuni and, standing some little distance from the fire, the two dairymen pray, using the usual prayer of the ti with the following additions:
Kòr Young grass pûv flower mâ; may; tein honey pûv flourish mâ; may; pom fruit purzh ripen mâ. may.
After the prayer the dairymen and their attendant return to their dairies so as to be in time for the afternoon work.
The object of the ceremony is to make the grass and honey [[292]]plentiful, as the additions to the prayer indicate. The Todas told me that in ancient times they lived largely on wild fruits, nuts, and honey, and that then the ceremony was of great importance. At the present time the Todas in general seem to take but little interest in the occasion, but its former importance is still shown by the fact that the Sunday and Tuesday on which the ceremony is performed are among the chief Toda feast days, when the people of every village eat the special kind of food which they call ashkkartpimi.