Landa.—A synonym of Mondi.
Lanka (island).—An exogamous sept of Bōya and Kamma.
Lattikar.—Recorded, at the census, 1901, as a sub-division of Vakkaliga (Okkiliyan) in the Salem district. Latti means a reckless woman, and latvi, an unchaste woman, and the name possibly refers to Vakkaligas who are not true-bred.
Lēkāvali.—A division of Marāthas in the Sandūr State. Many of them are servants in the Rāja’s palace. They are stated, in the Gazetteer of the Bellary district, to be the offspring of irregular unions among other Marāthas.
Lekkala (accounts).—An exogamous sept of Kamma.
Linga Balija.—The Linga Balijas (traders) are summed up, in the Madras Census Report, 1901, as a Lingāyat sub-caste of Balija. In a note on Lingāyats, Mr. R. C. C. Carr records that the Linga Banjigs or Banajigas are essentially traders, though many are now cultivators, and that Telugu Lingāyats often call themselves Linga Balijas.
The following legendary account of the origin of the “Linga Bhojunnalawaru” is given in the Baramahal Records.[34] “Para Brahma or the great god Brahma created the god Pralayakala Rudra or the terrific at the day of destruction, a character of the god Siva, and he created the Chatur Acharyulu or four sages named Panditaraju, Yekcoramalu, Murralaradulu, and Somaluradulu, and taught them mantras or prayers, and made them his deputies. On a time, the Asuras and Devatas, or the giants and the gods, made war on each other, and the god Pralayakala Rudra produced from his nose a being whom he named Muchari Rudra, and he had five sons, with whom he went to the assistance of the devatas or gods, and enabled them to defeat the giants, and for his service the gods conferred upon him and his sons the following honorary distinctions:—
- A flag with the figure of an alligator (crocodile) portrayed on it.
- A flag with the figure of a fish portrayed on it.
- A flag with the figure of a bullock.
- A flag with the figure of an eagle.
- A flag with the figure of a bell.
- A bell.
- A modee ganta, or iron for marking cattle.
- The use of burning lamps and flambeaus in their public processions during the day.
- The use of tents.
“On a time, when the god Pralayakala Rudra and Mochari Rudra and his five sons, with other celestial attendants, were assembled on the Kailāsa parvata or mountain of Paradise, the god directed the latter to descend into the Bhuloka or earthly world, and increase and multiply these species. They humbly prayed to know how they were again to reach the divine presence. He answered ‘I shall manifest myself in the Bhuloka under the form of the Lingam or Priapus; do you worship me under that form, and you will again be permitted to approach me.’ They accordingly descended into the earthly regions, and from them the present castes of Baljawaras deduce their origin.”