Belu (Feronia elephantum).--An exogamous sept of Kuruba.
Bende (Hibiscus esculentus).--An exogamous sept of Kuruba. The mucilaginous fruit (bendekai or bandicoy) of this plant is a favourite vegetable of both Natives and Europeans. The nick-name Bendekai is sometimes given, in reference to the sticky nature of the fruit, to those who try to smooth matters over between contending parties.
Benia.--A small caste of Oriya cultivators and palanquin-bearers in Ganjam. It is on record [122] that in Ganjam honey and wax are collected by the Konds and Benias, who are expert climbers of precipitous rocks and lofty trees. The name is said to be derived from bena, grass, as the occupation of the caste was formerly to remove grass, and clear land for cultivation.
Benise (flint stone).--An exogamous sept of Kuruba.
Bepari.--Bepari is, in the Madras Census Report, described as "a caste allied to the Lambadis. Its members worship a female deity called Banjara, speak the Bepari or Lambadi language, and claim to be Kshatriyas." Bhonjo, the title of the Rajah of Gumsur, was returned as a sub-caste. The Rev. G. Gloyer [123] correctly makes the name Boipari synonymous with Brinjari, and his illustration of a Boipari family represents typical Lambadis or Brinjaris. Bepari and Boipari are forms of Vyapari or Vepari, meaning a trader. The Beparis are traders and carriers between the hills and plains in the Vizagapatam Agency tracts. Mr. C. Hayavadana Rao informs me that "they regard themselves as immune from the attacks of tigers, if they take certain precautions. Most of them have to pass through places infested with these beasts, and their favourite method of keeping them off is as follows. As soon as they encamp at a place, they level a square bit of ground, and light fires in the middle of it, round which they pass the night. It is their firm belief that the tiger will not enter the square, from fear lest it should become blind, and eventually be shot. I was once travelling towards Malkangiri from Jeypore, when I fell in with a party of these people encamped in the manner described. At that time, several villages about Malkangiri were being ravaged by a notorious man-eater (tiger)."
Beralakoduva (finger-giving).--A section of the Vakkaligas, among whom the custom of sacrificing some of the fingers used to prevail. (See Morasu.)