In connection with the 'vellari thadi' referred to above, Dr. Oppert writes [46] that "boomerangs are used by the Tamil Maravans and Kallans when hunting deer. The Madras Museum collection contains three (two ivory, one wooden) from the Tanjore armoury. In the arsenal of the Pudukkottai Raja a stock of wooden boomerangs is always kept. Their name in Tamil is valai tadi (bent stick)." Concerning these boomerangs, the Dewan of Pudukkottai writes to me as follows. "The valari or valai tadi is a short weapon, generally made of some hard-grained wood. It is also sometimes made of iron. It is crescent-shaped, one end being heavier than the other, and the outer edge is sharpened. Men trained in the use of the weapon hold it by the lighter end, whirl it a few times over their shoulders to give it impetus, and then hurl it with great force against the object aimed at. It is said that there were experts in the art of throwing the valari, who could at one stroke despatch small game, and even man. No such experts are now forthcoming in the State, though the instrument is reported to be occasionally used in hunting hares, jungle fowl, etc. Its days, however, must be counted as past. Tradition states that the instrument played a considerable part in the Poligar wars of the last century. But it now reposes peacefully in the households of the descendants of the rude Kallan and Maravan warriors, who plied it with such deadly effect in the last century, preserved as a sacred relic of a chivalric past along with other old family weapons in their puja room, brought out and scraped and cleaned on occasions like the Ayudha puja day (when worship is paid to weapons and implements of industry), and restored to its place of rest immediately afterwards."
The sub-divisions of the Kallans, which were returned in greatest numbers at the census, 1891, were Isanganadu (or Visangu-nadu), Kungiliyan, Menadu, Nattu, Piramalainadu, and Sirukudi. In the Census Report, 1901, it is recorded that "in Madura the Kallans are divided into ten main endogamous divisions [47] which are territorial in origin. These are (1) Mel-nadu, (2) Sirukudi-nadu, (3) Vellur-nadu, (4) Malla-kottai nadu, (5) Pakaneri, (6) Kandramanikkam or Kunnan-kottai nadu, (7) Kandadevi, (8) Puramalai-nadu, (9) Tennilai-nadu, and (10) Palaya-nadu. The headman of the Puramalai-nadu section is said to be installed by Idaiyans (herdsmen), but what the connection between the two castes may be is not clear. The termination nadu means a country. These sections are further divided into exogamous sections called vaguppus. The Mel-nadu Kallans have three sections called terus or streets, namely, Vadakku-teru (north street), Kilakku-teru (east street), and Terku-teru (south street). The Sirukudi Kallans have vaguppus named after the gods specially worshipped by each, such as Andi, Mandai, Aiyanar, and Viramangali. Among the Vellur-nadu Kallans the names of these sections seem merely fanciful. Some of them are Vengai puli (cruel-handed tiger), Vekkali puli (cruel-legged tiger), Sami puli (holy tiger), Sem puli (red tiger), Sammatti makkal (hammer men), Tiruman (holy deer), and Sayumpadai tangi (supporter of the vanquished army). A section of the Tanjore Kallans names its sections from sundry high-sounding titles meaning King of the Pallavas, King of Tanjore, conqueror of the south, mighty ruler, and so on."