Kuudr (Kundakodumand). This is a large village with substantial huts in the Tamil style which have been built by Kuriolv. There is a large dairy, the tudrpali, and a smaller dairy, the kidpali, in front of it, with two buffalo enclosures (tu), one apparently for each dairy. In the large tu there are three stones called keinkars, tashtikars and mutchudkars, all of ceremonial importance (see p. [169]). Growing in one side of the tu there is a tree called teikhuwadiki, under which the mu is buried.
As usual, water is taken from two sources, and at Kuudr that used for sacred purposes is drawn from a spring, called kiznir. The origin of this spring has been already given in connexion with the prayer of Kuudr, in which this and other events in the history of the village are commemorated. The special relations between Kuudr and Òdr have been already considered in the account of the latter village.
Kiudr (Kengodumand). This village has a somewhat anomalous position in that, though not the chief village of its clan from the social point of view, it is in many ways more sacred than Kuudr.
It is a very picturesque village, shown in [Fig. 7], in which there are two dwelling-huts. That shown in the figure is one of the largest and best constructed of existing Toda huts, having been rebuilt recently under the direction of Kijievan (50), who has a special reputation as an architect. It was at this village that a pregnant woman was not allowed to come to the hut, but had to remain at some little distance, and the sacredness of the hut is also shown by the fact that the prayer of this village provides the only instance in which the kwarzam of a hut occurs.
The dairy is situated at some little distance from the huts, quite out of sight of people at the latter. On going from [[669]]the huts to the dairy a shallow stream flowing over broad flat stones is crossed. This stream is called Keikudr, and is of some ceremonial importance (see p. [307]).
The dairy which is called Kilpoh is shown in Figs. 20 and 31, and is a large, well-built structure of the ordinary shape. It is situated within a high wall, which is much thicker than usual, and in front it must be several yards across, so that it is possible to walk about on the top of it. On this wall, on the right hand side, are two old stones (shown in [Fig. 31]), called neurzülnkars. Close to the dairy there are two ancient and weatherworn stones, shown in [Fig. 32], to which the same name is given.
There are six bells in the dairy. Two are kept on the patatmar and are called patatmani, the individual names of the bells being Mudrani and Kerani. The other four are called ertatmani, and are kept on the ertatmar; their individual names are Pongg, Nongg, Pundrths, and Pan.
Kiudr is one of the villages which was said to have been at one time a ti mad. In favour of this is the fact that its dairy is called poh and that there are stones called neurzülnkars which are usually found at a ti mad. The people have also to play a part during the procession of the buffaloes of the Nòdrs ti, and there seems to be little doubt that the village is in some way especially connected with the ti institution, though exactly how is uncertain.
Kiudr is certainly a village especially revered not only by the Kuudrol but by all Todas. It is a sati mad, and any Toda will be believed if he speaks in front of its dairy. Another sign of the sanctity of the dairy is the fact that the ceremony of pilinörtiti may be performed here not only by members of the Kuudr clan, but also by any other Toda.
Molkush. This is a recently established village, little more than a quarter of a mile from Kiudr. The scenes shown in Figs. 16 and 17 were taken at this village. It has no dairy and the milk of the ordinary buffaloes is churned in the dwelling-hut. This village may be regarded as an adjunct to the sacred village of Kiudr, at which the ordinary buffaloes are tended. At the time of my visit the wife of one of the men who usually lived at Kiudr gave birth [[670]]to a son and the seclusion-hut was at Molkush, and both before and after the birth the woman and those connected with her were living at this village. It seemed as if the restrictions connected with life at Kiudr are avoided by building at a little distance what is technically another village, at which the people live whenever for any reason they are not allowed to live at Kiudr. Its existence seemed to me to be one of the many devices by means of which the Todas keep the letter of the law with the minimum of inconvenience.