Marco Polo's Voyage to Indian Seas: 23: Lar [1]

Lar is a province lying westward of this place (Chennai) and thence came all Abraiamain in the world [2]

These are the best and most honest of all the merchants, and would not on any account tell a lie.  They neither eat flesh nor drink wine, are faithful to their wives, and lead  virtuous lives.  They take nothing from anyone and do nothing that could be considered a sin.  They are all known by a silk thread worn over the shoulder and tied beneath the opposite arm, so that it passes across both the breast and back.  They have a rich king, who readily purchases precious stones, and enjoins that the merchants shall offer to him all the pearls brought from Maabar, for which he pays double the cost.  They therefore procure them in large quantities.  They are idolaters, and regard omens from birds and beasts more than anyone in the world.  I will tell you one of their customs: when one wishes to treat for any merchandise, he rises and observe his shadow in the sun; and if it be of the due length, on that day, according to certain rules, he makes his bargain; but if it be of not long enough, he will not buy a single article.  If they go to a house

for this purpose, and see one of the animals named tarantula, [2] which here greatly abound, they observe if it comes to them from a lucky quarter in which case they buy; but if otherwise, they give up the transaction and go away.  One leaving his house, when hears a man sneeze in a manner that does not appear lucky, he stops and re-enters.

Even if on his road he sees a sallow approaching from the right or left in an unlucky manner, he returns.  Their teeth are very good, through the use of a herb, which makes them looks extremely well and is very salutary.

They never bleed from the vein or any other part, yet perfectly preserve their health.

There are among them an order named euigui, who live to an extraordinary age, even 150 or 200 years, yet can perform all services of monastery and idol as a young man.

This is owing to their great abstinence in eating and drinking, for they subsist mostly on rice and milk 

They mingle quicksilver and sulphur, making a beverage which they drink from their infancy, saying that it lengthen their lives. There is also in this kingdom a religious order of more rigid euigui, observing the greatest abstinence leading a rude and very severe life, and going perfectly naked.  They adore the ox, and many wear on their forehead a small effigy of one in copper or bronze gilded.

They also burn their cow dung, and reduce it to ash, with which they reverentially anoint many parts of their body, as Christians use holy water. [4]

They eat neither from spoon nor platter, but from large leaves, mostly of apple of paradise [5] Even these must be dry, for if green they are said to have soul, and it would be a sin to kill, and they would rather die than commit sin towards an animal an action believed unlawful. When asked why they feel no shame in going naked, they say they wish to have nothing belonging to this world, which they entered without clothing; and committing no sin they have no reason to be ashamed. Besides they kill no living creatures, neither fly nor flea, nor hog, nor worm, considering they have souls.  They will sleep on the earth without any covering, whence it is a great wonder they do not die, much more that they enjoy so long a life.  They fast the whole year round, drinking only water. Some reside in monasteries to serve the God, but before admission they undergo the trial. The young girls offered to the idol caress these new candidates and endeavour variously to entertain them. Such as appear to take any pleasure in these endearments are rejected unworthy, but if they show themselves totally indifferent, they are retained.  Such are the customs of these cruel and perfidious idolaters, who burn the bodies of their dead, because otherwise they would breed worms, which after eating the flesh would starve, and thus involve in great sin to the soul to which the body belonged.  But I will now cease saying anymore about them.

Notes:-

1. Lar : A geographical area including Lalgudi, Kanjeevaram, Thanjavur etc.

2.  Abraiamain: A term used by Europeans to name Brahmin.

3. tarantula: spider 

4. Cow dung, after drying in the sunlight make excellent fuel. Indian villages still use this dung cakes as a fuel for cooking. It is cheap when compared to cooking gas of around Rs900 price tag for a villager whose daily wages is around Rs300.

5. Apple of Paradise here means banana. Still we use banana leaves for feast. It is not because of absence of plate but as a mark of pride.

6. The Brahmins of whom Marco Polo narrates may be of Jain sects. Jain temples did have erotic scenes, and in the background of Marco's narrative, it gives a new insight into the monastery life of these sects.

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