231
KAPU
| Avula, cow. | Mēkala, goats. |
| Alia, grain. | Kānugala, Pongamia glabra. |
| Bandi, cart. | Mungāru, woman's skirt. |
| Barrelu, buffaloes. | Nāgali, plough. |
| Dandu, army. | Tangēdu, Cassia auriculata. |
| Gorre, sheep. | Udumala, Varanus bengalensis. |
| Gudise, hut. | Varige, Setaria italica. |
| Guntaka, harrow. | Yeddulu, bulls. |
| Kōdla, fowl. | Yēnuga, elephant. |
At Conjeeveram, some Panta Reddis have true totemistic septs, of which the following are examples: —
- Magili (Pandanus fascicularis). Women do not, like women of other castes, use the flower-bracts for the purpose of adorning themselves. A man has been known to refuse to purchase some bamboo mats, because they were tied with the fibre of this tree.
- Ippi (Bassia longifolia). The tree, and its products, must not be touched.
- Mancham (cot). They avoid sleeping on cots.
- Arigala (Paspalum scrobiculatum). The grain is not used as food.
- Chintaginjalu (tamarind seeds). The seeds may not be touched, or used.
- Puccha (Citrullus vulgaris; water melon). The fruit may not be eaten.
The Pichigunta vandlu, a class of mendicants who beg chiefly from Kāpus and Gollas, manufacture pedigrees and gōtras for these castes and the Kammas.
Concerning the origin of the Kāpus, the following legend is current. During the reign of Pratāpa Rudra, the wife of one Belthi Reddi secured by severe penance a brilliant ear ornament (kamma) from the sun. This was stolen by the King's minister, as the King was very anxious to secure it for his wife. Belthi Reddi's wife told her sons to recover it, but her eldest son refused to have anything to do with the matter, as the King was involved in it. The second son likewise refused,
