India’s Holy Milkmen

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 237, 6 October 1928, Page 18 (Supplement)

India’s Holy Milkmen

A certain tribe of Southern India, the Todas, regard their purveyors ol milk as holy men. The chief of these is the Holy Milkman, who has an official residence, the Sacred Dairy, which he is not allowed to leave during his term of office. The Holy Milkman. moreover, is usually a bachelor; if he married before being appointed to his high office, he must leave his wife and devote himself entirely to observing the stringent rites of the Sacred Dairv

• No ordinary person may touch a Holy Milkman, for to do so would, defile his exalted office and he would be compelled to resign. Another restriction is that Holy Milkmen must not be spoken to except on Mondays and Thursdays. On other days, any message must be shouted from a considerable distance. The dairy-temples are usually built in conical form, and the milkman-prie-t must always sleep in the cowhouse, a draughty structure 'with a small fireplace. There is no d.oor to the dairy, and a Holy Milkman is allowed to wear only one coarse robe. hen he is eating, his hand must not touch his lip-, and to prevent this the milkman throws his food into his mouth. When drinking, he must hold the vessel aloft and pour the liquid down his throat a.s from a tap.