Lost a cow lately? Check if its in Komavaram!

Komavaram, according to T, is the home of heriditary cattle thieves (kallars). Apparently, whenever a resident needed a little bit of cash, he would go over to a village in neighboring Tanjavur at night and steal cattle. He would then tie them up in the forest and inform his chief of the location. The owner, on discovering the theft, would make a beeline to the chief of Komavaram. The chief would assure him that he would investigate the theft. The owner would be asked to pay an investigation fee and could collect the cattle at the specified location in the forest.
A percentage would be retained by the chief and the rest given to the thieves! Legend has it that a couple of them bet some other villagers that they would steal Robert Clive's horse and indeed they managed it. Clive learnt about kallars and their practices and has documented this in official memos from Clive to the viceroy(?).