KUHUMBAR, a forest race on the skirts of the Neilgherry Hills, on their western flanks. They are very much dreaded by all the tribes of the Neilgherries, excepting the Todas, and are supposed to be necromancers, and each Badaga village has its own Kurumbar to keep off the evil eye of other Kurumbars. It is further believed that deaths are only caused by Kurumbar influence, and under this superstitious belief Kurumbars have several times been sacrificed. At the close of the year 1874, Kurumbars were massacred at Kotagiri, and on the 30th April 1882 there was another massacre, about 15 miles east of Kotagiri. The son of the Badaga headman of Elmnaad village (northern boundary of Todanaad) had fallen sick and died. The village priest being con sulted, the cause or the death was attributed to the evil eyeand magic of the unfortunateKurumbar, who was straightway seized and put to death, and his body burnt on the same funeral pyre, and with the ashes of the headman's son, as a sacrifice.
One life not being considered sufficient to appease the wrath of the gods, a party was sent to fetch his wife and three children, who were hunted clown to a village at the foot of the hills near Segur, there secured, and brought to the burning place, where they also were brutally murdered and cast into the flames.
The chief of the Irular stated that on the evening of the 30th April 1882, two Todas and a Badaga were seen going towards the missing Kurumbar's house, which was about twenty-five yards from his, and that on the same night he was roused from sleep by cries of murder proceeding from the Kurumbar's hut, which caused such a panic among the villagers, that they all deserted their homes, and sought refuge in a neighbouring jungle, where they hid themselves for two days. Return ing to the village on the third day, they found the Kurumbar's house empty, and all his cattle missing.