Another stone here is called imudrikars or parsatthkars. Milk is put on it every morning and evening by the palikartmokh, but it is not used in any way in connexion with a funeral. The Todas relate that an Englishman shot at and splintered this stone some years ago. Soon after he was bitten by his horse, and he asked the Todas, with whom he was on very good terms, what ought to be done. He was told that he should perform the irnörtiti ceremony, and a few days later he brought a three-year-old calf to the irnörtkars at Nidrsi and gave it to the people. It was taken by both kudr and the Englishman was soon well again. The whole affair was regarded as a good joke, and is interesting as showing that the Todas do not object to making sport of one of their sacred ceremonies, especially when they gain an addition to their stock of buffaloes.
Akirsikòdri. This is the male funeral village, at which there is a dairy with three rooms, in which the body of a dead man is placed on the day of the etvainolkedr.
Melgars
The Tarthar clan which takes its name from the village of Melgars occupies a very special position in the Toda social organisation and in the dairy ceremonial. Although a Tarthar clan, the Melgarsol in many respects resemble the Teivaliol much more closely than they resemble the other clans of their own division.
In former times the Melgarsol are said to have held the office of palol at the Kars ti and at the Pan ti, and to have lost this privilege owing to misbehaviour of a palol, of which [[661]]an account has been already given. They are still capable of holding the offices of wursol and kaltmokh, for which otherwise only Teivaliol are eligible, and they have privileges and duties in connexion with various kinds of Toda ceremonial which are wholly unshared by other clans.
Though they may still hold the offices of wursol and kaltmokh, they are not allowed to carry out certain of the duties; thus, a Melgars wursol may not kill the sacred buffalo at a funeral, nor may he perform any of the other duties which fall to the part of a wursol on this occasion.
Although a Melgars man may no longer be palol, the Melgars people have a large number of privileges and duties connected with the ti. An account of these has already been given, but they may shortly be recapitulated here with the names given to them by the Todas.
(i.) Mòr vatiti, tòr tititi. “Buttermilk he drinks, food he takes.” The Melgars men may take buttermilk and food at the dwelling-hut of any ti, and they alone have this privilege at the dairies of the Nòdrs ti.
(ii.) Teirpülk mad oiiti. “He goes at the head (of the procession) to (the place called) teirpül.”
(iii.) Ti alugpur putiti. “The alug things of the ti he carries.”