Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c28.s6.t3.22

c28.s6.t3.22

Paravar are the devil-dancers of the Tulu country (E. Thurston and K. Rangachari, vol. VI, reprint 1987: pp. 139-140). The names Paracaivaṉ and Pāracavaṉ are apparently later corruptions of **paracavaṉ* (*paracu* + *avaṉ*) 'one who worships by singing and dancing', as indicated by their traditional occupations of singing, dancing and playing musical instruments in temples, the variant form Paravar for their name and, above all, their virtual identity with the Uvaccar. The accidental similarity with *pāraśava* (Skt.) seems to have given rise to the later legend that the Pāracavar were the offspring of a Brāhman through a Śūdra woman (ibid. p. 139). What is of exceptional interest in the present context is the very early association of the term *upaccaṉ* (LT *uvaccaṉ*) with *paracu* (**paracavaṉ* > LT *paracaivaṉ* / *pāracavaṉ*) as revealed in this inscription.