The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India Part 34

_Dom_.--An important caste in Bengal. See article Kanjar. Used as a synonym for Ganda in the Uriya country.

_Domra_.--Subcaste of Turi.

_Dongaria_, _Dongarwar_.--(From _dongar_, a hill.) A sept of Bhil, Dhobi, Mali, Mang and Sonkar. A surname of Maratha Brahmans.

_Dora_.--(Sahib or Lord.) t.i.tle of the Mutrasi caste.

_Dosar_.--Subcaste of Bania.

_Dravida_.--(Southern.) See Panch-Dravida.

_Dube_.--(A teacher and a man learned in two Vedas.) A common surname of Hindustani Brahmans. A subcaste of Banjara.

_Dudh_.--(Milk.) Dudh-Barai, a subcaste of Barai; Dudh-Gowari, a subcaste of Ahir or Gowari; Dudh-Kawar, a subcaste of Kawar.

_Dudh Bhai_.--(Milk-brothers.) A fraternity of Gonds in Betul, who are apparently foster-brothers. They do not marry, though they have different septs.

_Dukar_.--A subcaste of Kolhati. From _dukar_, hog, because they are accustomed to hunt the wild pig with dogs and spears when these animals become too numerous and damage the crops of the villagers.

_Dukaria_.--t.i.tle of the officer of the Andh caste who const.i.tutes the caste committee.

_Dulha_.--(Bridegroom.) A section of Chadar.

_Dumar_ or _Dom_.--A low caste of sweepers in Bengal. See Kanjar. Subcaste of Basor, Ganda, Panka and Turi. Synonym and subcaste of Mehtar. A section of Kawar.

_Durgbansi_.--A clan of Rajputs in Ragnandgaon.

_Dusre_.--(Second.) A subdivision of Shrivastab, Gaur and Saksena Kayasths, meaning those of inferior or mixed origin as opposed to Khare or those of pure origin.

_Dwarka_.--One of the most holy places in India, situated on or near the sea in Gujarat. It is supposed to have been founded by Krishna. Site of one of the monasteries (Ashram) of Sankaracharya, the founder of the non-dualistic or Vedanta philosophy.

_Dwija_.--(Twice-born.) A t.i.tle applied to the three higher cla.s.sical castes, Brahman, Kshatriya and Vaishya, and now especially to Brahmans.

_Ekbahia_.--(One-armed.) Subcaste of Teli, so called because their women wear gla.s.s bangles only on one arm.

_Ekbaile_.--One who yokes one bullock only to the oil-press. Subcaste of Teli.

_Elama, Elma_.--Synonym for Velama. A subcaste of Kapewar or Kapu.

_Erenga._--Subcaste of Kharia in Bengal.

_Erna_.--(From Eran, in Saugor district.) A section of Teli.

_Fakir_.--A Muhammadan mendicant. Synonym Sain. See article.

_Farid_.--Sheikh Farid was a well-known Muhammadan saint. A section of Panwar Rajput.

_Farsi_.--Persian. From the Province of Fars. The term Farsi is also used by the Hindus to signify foreign or non-Aryan languages like Gondi.

_Fidawi._--(A disciple.) An order of devotees of the Khojah sect known to the Crusaders as a.s.sa.s.sins. t.i.tle of Khojah.

_Gadaba_.--Synonym of Gadba.

_Gadaria_.--A caste. Subcaste of Ahir.

_Gadha_.--(An a.s.s.) A sept of the Uika clan of Gonds in Betul, so named because their priest rode on an a.s.s in crossing a river.

_Gadhao_.--(From _gadha_, an a.s.s.) Subcaste of Kunbi.

_Gadhewal, Gadhere, Gadhwe, Gadhilla_.--(One who keeps donkeys. From _gadha_, an a.s.s.) A subcaste of Dhimar, Katia, Koshti, k.u.mhar and Sonkar. A sept of Gond and Pardhan.

_Gadhwana_.--(From Garha, near Jubbulpore.) Subcaste of Nai.

_Gadiwan_.--(A cart-driver.) Subcaste of Dangri.

_Gadri_.--(From _gadar_, a sheep.) A synonym of Gadaria. A subcaste of Dhangar.

_Gaharwar, Gaharval, Gherwal_.--One of the thirty-six royal races of Rajputs chiefly found in Bilaspur and Khairagarh. A section of Patwas.

_Gahbainya_ or _Gahboniya_.--(Those who hid in a village when called by a king to his presence.) A subcaste of Kurmi. A section of Kurmi.

_Gahlot_ or _Sesodia_.--A famous clan of Rajputs. A section of Daraiha and Jos.h.i.+.

_Gahoi_.--Subcaste of Bania. See article Bania-Gahoi.

_Gahra_.--Synonym for Ahir or herdsman in the Uriya country.

_Gai-Gowari._--Subcaste of Gowari.

_Gaiki_.--A cowherd. (A subcaste of Gond in Betul.) A section of Chamar.

_Gaikwar_ or _Gaika_.--(A cowherd.) A clan of Maratha. A section of Ahir, Bhil, Kunbi and Mahar.

_Gaita_.--Subcaste of Gond.

_Gaiwale_.--(Cow-keeper.) A subcaste of Moghia.

_Gajarha_.--_(Gajar_, a carrot.) A section of Teli in Mandla.

_Gajjam_.--A sept of the Dhurwa clan of Gonds in Betul named after Gajjami. (Bow and arrows in Gondi.)

_Ganda_.--(A messenger.) A low caste of village watchmen. In the Uriya country the Gandas are known as Dom. A subcaste of Pardhan. t.i.tle of Kharia.

_Gandhi_.--A scent-seller. (From _gandh_, a Sanskrit word for scent.) Synonym of Atari. A section of Mahes.h.i.+r Bania.

_Gandli_.--The Telugu caste of oil-pressers, numbering about 3000 persons in the Central Provinces, in the Chanda, Nagpur and Bhandara Districts. They are immigrants from the G.o.davari District of Madras and have been settled in the Central Provinces for some generations. Here many of them have prospered so that they have abandoned the hereditary calling and become landowners, traders and moneylenders. Like the well-to-do Telis they are keenly desirous of bettering their social position and now repudiate any connection with what may be known as 'the shop,' or the profession of oil-pressing. As this ranks very low, among the more despised village handicrafts, the progress of the Gandlis and Telis to the social standing of Banias, to which they generally aspire, is beset with difficulties; but the Gandlis, in virtue of having migrated to what is practically a foreign country so far as they are concerned, have achieved a considerable measure of success, and may be said to enjoy a better position than any Telis. A few of them wear the sacred thread, and though they eat flesh, they have abjured liquor except in Chanda, where they are most numerous and the proportion of wealthy members is smallest. Here also they are said to eat pork. Others eat flesh and fowls.

The Gandlis are divided into the Reddi, Chetti and Telkala subcastes, and the last are generally oil-pressers. It is probable that the Reddis are the same as the Redu-eddu or Rendu-eddu subcaste of Madras, who derive their name from the custom of using two bullocks to turn the oil-press, like the Do-baile Telis of the Central Provinces. But it has been changed to Reddi, a more respectable name, as being a synonym for the Kapu cultivating caste. Chetti really means a trader, and is, Mr. Francis says, [442] "One of those occupational or t.i.tular terms, which are largely employed as caste names. The weavers, oil-pressers and others use it as a t.i.tle, and many more tack it on to their names to denote that trade is their occupation." Marriage is regulated by exogamous groups, the names of which are said to be derived from those of villages. Girls are generally married during childhood. A noticeable point is that the ceremony is celebrated at the bridegroom's house, to which the bride goes, accompanied by her party, including the women of her family. The ceremony follows the Maratha form of throwing fried rice over the bridal couple, and Brahman priests are employed to officiate. Widow-marriage is permitted. The dead are both buried and burnt, and during mourning the Gandlis refrain from eating _khichri_ or mixed rice and pulse, and do not take their food off plantain leaves, in addition to the other usual observances. They have the _shantik_ ceremony or the seclusion of a girl on the first appearance of the signs of adolescence, which is in vogue among the higher Maratha castes, and is followed by a feast and the consummation of her marriage. They now speak Marathi fluently, but still use Telugu in their houses and wear their head-cloths tied after the Tulugu fas.h.i.+on. [443]