CENSUS OF INDIA 1961 VOLUME XX-PART VI-NO.2
HIMACHAL PRADESH
A Village Survey of SHAKRORI ( Seoni Sub-Tehsil, Mahasu District)
Field Investigation and Draft by JAG MOHAN
Editor
RAM CHANDRA PAL SINGH of the Indian Administrative Service Superintendent of Census Operations Himachal Prades/; , \ Contents
FOREWORD III
PREFACE VI
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS VIII
1. THE VILLAGE 1 Legend-Sections-Drinking Water Sources and Kulzl-Com munications-Flora and Fauna-Residential Pattern-Inter Vil lage relationship-Adjoining Villages and places of interest.
2. THE PEOPLE 11 Popu[afion-,]ntercaste relationshi'P,--Fomis of 'Greetings Languages - Houses -- Construction - Furniture - Dress Ornaments-Utensils-Food Habits.
3. BIRTH, MARRIAGE AND DEATH CUSTOMS 27 Birth-Chhatto-Mundan and Karan Vedh-Yagyopavit Marriage-Death-Sharadhs.
4. SOCIAL & CULTURAL LIFE 37 Village Temples-Fairs and Festivals-Satya Narayan ki katha-Navratras-Beliefs in spirits and unseen powers Social Taboos-Superstitions.
5. KARIALA AND FOLK SONGS 42
6. EDUCATION 47 Primary' School Shakrori-Government Higher Secondary School Seoni.
7. MEDICAL 49 Prevalent diseases-Medical care-Vaid's prescription Indigenous treatment of RhCllmatism-Civil Hospit~' Seon;·-..., Birth and Q(!(lt/! rq't!, n CONTENTS
8. ECONOMY 53 Income and Expenditure-Indebtedness-Inheritance of pro perty-Shopkeeping-Workers and Non-workers-Weights & Measures -Water Mills-Manufacture of Kattha. 9. AGRICULTURE 59 Crops and Calendar-Major Operations of Principal· Crops Weeds-Horticulture-Pests & Crop Diseases-Agricultural Implements-Marketing of produce-Animal Hllsbandry Veterinary Hospital-Poultry.
10. VILLAGE CRAFTS (j7 Spinning - Weaving - Basketry - Tailoring - Carpentry Shoe-making - Blacksmithy. 11. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PANCHAYATS 70 Community Development-People's attitude. Panchayats-Elections-Fllnctiolls-Case Studies.
APPENDICES ApPENDIX I-The Shali "Window" by W.D. West, Geologist, 75 Survey of India. o ApPENDIX II-Glossary of local words 92 ApPENDIX III-Ex/racts from Settlement Report oj Bhajji State 93 1923 ApPENDIX IV-Hindu months in Vikrami Calendar 94: ApPENDIX V-Conversion table 94: ApPENDIX VI~Questionnaire used by Investigator 107 *
ART-WORK, SKETCHES AND MAPS PHOTOGRAPHS Ram Chandra Pal Singh O. C. Handa. Bal Krishan "Times of India" COVER PAGE Prof. Bump Jag Mohan 'SpJendeur clay toy Peacock is from SeonL Painted by O. C. Handa'. O. C. Handa
1963 PRINTED IN INDIA BY THE MANAGER GOVERNMENT OF INDIA PRESS SIMLA FOR THE MANAGER OF PUBLICATIONS CIVIL LINES DELHI Foreword
A PAR T from laying the foundations of demography in this subcontinent, a hundred years of the Indian Census has also produced elaborate and scholar ly accounts of the variegated phenomena of Indian life-sometimes with no statistics attackea, but usually with just enough statistics to give empirical underpinning to their conclusions. In a country, largely illiterate, where sta tistical or numerical comprehension of even such a simple thing as age was liable to be inaccurate, an understanding of the social structure was essen tial. It was more necessary to attain a broad understanding of what was hap pening around oneself than to wrap oneself up in 'statistical ingenuity' or 'mathematical manipulation'. This explains why the Indian Census came to be interested in 'many by paths' and 'nearly every branch of scholarship, from anthropology and sociology to geography and religion'. In the last few decades the Census has increasingly turned its efforts to the presentation of village statistics. This suits the temper of the times as well as our political and economic structure. For even as we have a great deal of centralization on the one hand and decentralisation on the other, my colleagues thought it would be a welcome continuation of the Census tradi tion to try t6 invest the dry bones of village statistics with flesh-and-blood ac counts of social structure and social change. It was accordingly decided to select a few villages in every State for special study, where personal observa tion would be brought to bear on the interpretation of statistics to find out how much of a village was static and yet changing and how fast the winds of change were blowing and from where. Randomness of selection was, therefore, eschewed. There was no inten tion to build up a picture for the whole State in quantitative terms on the basis of villages selected statistically at random. The selection was avowed ly purposive: the object being as much to find out what was happening and how fast to those villages which had fewer reasons to choose change and more to remain lodged in the past as to discover how the more 'normal' types of villages were changing. They were to be primarily type studies which, by Virtue of their number and distribution, would also give the reader a 'feel' of what was going OIl and some kind of a map of the country. A brief account of the tests of selection will help to explain. A minimum ()f thirty-five villages was to be chosen with great ca~e to represent adequate ly geopraghicaJ, occupational and even ethnic diversity. Of this minimum ()f thirty-five, the distribution was to be as follows:
(a) At least eight villages were to be so selected that each of them would <:ontain one dominant community with one predominating occupation, e.g., fishermen, forest workers, jhum cultivators, potters, weavers, salt-makers, quarry workers etc. A village should have a minimum popUlation of 400, the ()ptimum being between 500 and 700. IV FOREWORD
(b) At least seven villages were to be mon means of transport of goods and pas of numerically prominent Scheduled Tribes sengers; domestication of animals and birds; of the State. Each village could represent a markets attended; worship of deities; festivals particular tribe. The minimum population and fairs. There were to be recordings of should be 400 the optimum being between course, of cultural and social traits and oc-
500 and 700. o cupational mobility. This was followed up in March 1960 by two specimen schedules, one (c) The third group of villages should for each household, the other for the village each be of fair size, of an old and settled as a whole, which, apart from spelling out character and contain variegated occupations the mode of inquiry suggested in the Sep and be, if possible, multi-ethnic in composi tember 1959 conference, introduced groups tion. By fair size was meant a population of of questions aimed at sensing changes in at 500-700 persons or more. The village should titude and behaviour in such fields as mar mainly depend on agriculture and be suffi riage, inheritance, moveable and immoveable ciently away from the major sources of property, industry, indebtedness, education, modern communication such as the district community life and collective activity, social administrative headquarters and business o disabilities, forums of appeal over disputes, centres. It should be roughly a day's journey· village leadership and organisation of cultural from the above places. The villages were to life. It was now plainly the intention to pro be selected with an eye to variation in terms vide adequate statistical support to empirical of size, proximity to city and other means of 'feel', to approach qualitative change through modern communication, nearness to hills, statistical quantities. It had been difficult to jungles and major rivers. Thus there was to give thought to the importance of 'just enough be a regional distribution throughout the statistics to give empirical underpinning to State of this category of villages. If, how conclusions', at a time when my colleagues
ever, a particular district contained significant were straining themselves to the utmost for the 0 ecological variations within its area, more success of the main Census operations, but than one village in the district might be select once the census count itself was left behind in ed to study the special adjustments to March 1961, a series of three regional semi _them. nars in Trivandrum (May 1961), Darjeeling and Srinagar (June 1961) restored their atten It is a unique feature of these village surveys tion to this field and the importance of tracing that they rapidly outgrew their original terms social change through a number of well-devis of reference, as my colleagues warmed up to ed statistical tables was once again recognised. their work. This proved for them an absorb This itself presupposed a fresh survey of villa ing voyage of discovery and their infectio_us ges already done; but it was worth the trouble enthusiasm compelled me to enlarge the m in view of the possibilities that a close analy quiry's scope again and again. It was just as sis of statistics and also because the 'consan well cautiously to feel one's way about at first guinity' schedule remained to be convassed. and then venture further a field, and although By November 1961, however, more was ex it accounts to some extent for a certain un pected of these surveys than ever before. evenness in the quality and coverage of the There was dissatisfaction on the one hand monographs, it served to compensate the pure with too many general statements and a grow ly honorary and extra-mural rigours of the ing desire on the other to draw conclusions task. For, the Survey, along with its many an from statistics, to regard social and economic cillaries like the survey of fairs and festivals, data as interrelated processes, and finally to of small and rural industry and others, was an examine the social and economic processes 'extra', over and above the crushing load of set in motion through land reforms and other the 1961 Census. laws, legislative and administrative measures, It might be of interest to recount brie~y technological and cultural change. In the lat the stages by which the Survey enlarged Its ter half of 1961 again was organised within scope. At the first Census Conference in Sep the Census Commission a section on Social tember 1959, the Survey set itself the task of Studies which assumed the task of giving what might be called a record in situ of mat~ shape to the general frame of st~dy and pro rial traits, like settlement patterns of the vIl viding technical help to Supermtendents of lage; house types; diet; dress, ornaments and Census Operations in the matter of cond~ct footweari furnitur~ a,nd storin~ vessels; ~orq- in~ surveys, their analysis and presentatIon. t,'oRtwORJ) v
This section headed by Dr. B. K. Roy Bur for in quality. This is, perhaps, for the first man has been responsible for going through time that such a Survey has been conducted in each monograph and offering usdul sugges any country, and that purely as a labour of tions which were much welcomed by my col· love. It .has succeeded in attaining what it set leagues. Finally, a study camp was organised out to achieve; to' construct a map of village in the last week of December 1961, when India's social structure. One hopes that the the whole field was carefully gone through volumes of this Survey will help to retain for over again and a programme worked out the Indian Census its title to 'the most fruitful closely knitting the various aims of the Survey single source of information about the coun· together. try'. Apart from other features, it will per This gradual unfolding of the aims of the haps be cenceded that the Survey has set up Survey prevented my colleagues from adopting a new Census standard in pic.torial and gra as many villages as they had originally intend phic documentation. The schedules finally ed to. But I believe that what may have been adopted for this monograph have been printed lost in quantity has been more than made up in an appendix.
NEW DELHI A. MITRA May, 24, 1963 Registrar General, India Prefac~eI
[N 'Simla Present and Past' there is a reference about the route to Seoui "the route lies along Mashobra, Naldehra and Basantpur on a uood road which runs at times through "thick forest with lovely scenery." ::0
I have seldom seen about 35 miles of such lovely scenery about the variety of colour in Spring right up to Seoni and Tatapani. The route about which Sir Edward mentioned was the road surveyed by Col. Phillimore. It was a beautiful zig zag road to Shakrori which went. up to Seoni and Tata parli from 7,000 to 1,500 feet. We also pass Naldehra that fascinating green which had captivated Lord Curzon so much that he named one of his daughters Alexandra Naldehra Curzon (Lady Alexandra Metcalfe).
Going down to Shakrori, Seoni or Tatapani in Spring is enchanting. Near Simla it starts with the apple blossoms, apricot blossoms, peach blos soms, near blossoms, coral flower and ends with kachnar and anarkali. 'The seft red of pomegranate blossoms'. Taking a decade and more, a change worth mentioning is the ad dition of a wonderful new road from Naldehra to Tatapani now passes near Shakrori. This is one of the major roads in Himachal Pradesh after 1946. There has been a steady decline in the death rate. Chances of new born living a full span of life have considerably increased. The major deve lopment of a new road has brought to their lives a slight change in fashion and culture. Elders used to look at Chaba there were few electric bulbs and had never hoped that they would ever see their homes electrified during their life time. This has now become a reality. Lying on the banks of the Sutlej, Shakrori has always been a prosperous village. In the past children were a little shy of the school~ patients shy of the doctor and the people were used to working less on the roads or ,,,orking outside their homes. Now more children go to the schools, even girls go to schools, whenever there is illness, they seek the aid of the doctor. There is a steady decline in death rate and the expectancy of life has in creased. Villagers are slightly less dogmatic about their attitude towards Harijans. Activities of the Community Development and Panchayat have started creeping into their lives. The bethu system has been abolished. The vilfagers are fairly well informed about offices located in Seoni and in Simla or about what to get from where because Seoni has always been a place of importance in their lives. They are still shy of taking to horticulture. A number of old houses have been replaced by new ones and many altered sub&tantially, though a number of owners are still using grass-roofs. This is not so much because they cannot afford C.G.I. sheets but because C.G.I. sheets are not available. Timber seems to be one of their problems. PREFACE VII
The expenses on marriages and death rites Because this toy had come from so near are becoming lesser. Ours is brief socio to Shakrori and because it had so completely economic survey and we give a peep into the fascinated these young friends and elder lives of the people and the village. The survey friends also. Shri B. C. Gue, head of the Arts commenced sometime in 1960, but the Investi Section, Mayo College (Ajmer), S. R. Sethi, gator who was carrying out this survey left Handa and I have given it a place of pride in in between and the major portion of the work our cover page. had to be redone and it took ·~couple of years for Jag Mohan to finalise tms. His labours For a work like this, many have helped have now borne fruit. He had to visit the vil and it is only complete because there is so much of their kindness. We saw new homes, lage a number of times. Besides this, he. had moved around their fields, heard their lllusic, to visit other villages as well. It takes consIder able time even for an Administrator to get in song, laughter and saw the children in gay formation. There is a slIght suspicion, a slight moods romping about ~lso fairly curious shyness and a rough curiosity about why about what we are doing there. This brief all this information is being collected and why monograph answers the curiosity. The 'P_")s. tionnaire has been so patiently end so devot of all places, in Shakrori. When penetrating edly prepared by Durga Singh, our Office questions on culture and folklore a:e aske~, there is a whisper that probably a falry tale IS Superintendent, when the study started in an being written. There are other departmental embryo. Rikhi Ram, our Assistant Census officials also asking different questions and I Superintendent had gone through the chap am sure it is tiring to answer so many ques ters very carefully more than once. Their keenness was absorbing. I would like to lay tions year after year. here my sense of gratitude, and I am ever so Last year Durga and Geetika honoured me much indebted to them. . by visiting my office ~m~, aftern.oon. After Dr. B.K. Roy Burman took the trouble of scanning my room to bIts Anythmg more we going down to Shakrori, met the people and could see". caught a glimpse of what we were doing. He "A little pea-cock". was kind in going through our earlier draft. "Where is it?" O.C. Handa has put in some very attractive "Not far away". drawings, sketches and photographs. They "How long have you had it?" add so much more charm to this. "A couple of years". This is our second village survey mono "Has he been here all along?" graph and S. R. Sethi, Manager, Government "Yes, except once or twice: J take him of India Press, has again shown us the good to Summer Hill". ness of assisting in every way to make this "O! let's see". more attractive. We have received consider able patience from him and his colleagues. Finally in all humble' splendour, my pea cock arrived in some one's palm. Lastly, I may be allowed to end this with a personal note. It has given me great joy "I wish some one could have given it to guide and supervise this project and what life". ever editing shortcomings are mine.
BOSWELL SIMLA RAM CHANDRA PAl:, SINGH May 30, 1963 Acknowledgements
D URI N G this assignment we have visited Chaba, Basantpur, Seam, Tatapani, Taror, ShaH, Madhod and carry some rich memories for .all these villages. We shall always be so grateful as villagers showed us very great kindnesses. During our short visits Munshi Gushaun Ram of Seoni accompanied us to most of these places inspite of his old age. With his ready sense of wit and humour, these days passed off happily. The village Lambardar Kundan Lal, Naib Sarpanch Ram La!, Parma Nand, Loomcha, Behari and Sarpanch of Shakra, all gave us much of little bits of information which helped us to study rural sociology much better and also performance ·of kariala in Shakrori. This is one lot of gratitudes.
Another lot lowe to Jharna and Partap Chakravarti and to their parents Shri and Shrimati P. K. Chakravarti for the abundance of knowledge in geology and in flora and fauna of areas between Simla and Tatapani. They knew so much in geology about this area that it was the 'first time I heard of the ShaH Window from them and thanks to B. C. Roy, Director General, Geology, who very kindly sent me one of his valuable books and permitted me to print this write up by that eminent geologist-Dr. West. T waG able to meet Dr. West, in Simla the other day luckily enough and he talked about the days when coolies were paid 50 n.P. for carrying loads from one place to the other-say even twelve miles away.
It was gracious of Prof. Bump of the American Embassy who has sent me some Photographs. I have printed two of them here. Then Bal Krishan that well known photographer of the "Times of India" has sent me many of his attractive photographs on Himachal. I have printed one here and I hope to print the rest in my remaining reports-they add lustre to our Publication.
Dhian Singh, Sub·Editor of Gazetteer Unit has prepared for me the write up on the Rheumatic treatment. Suharu Ram, my peon W3.S also always full of little bits of information on agriculture, animal husbandry, village crafts and jewellery about which we sometimes had been having very lingering questions. He has always helped us during our tours with his unassuming and humble ways in these three and a half years that he has b~en h~re, 1 The Village
Ace 0 R DIN G to the village misal hakiyat, Shakrori a village in Seoni Sub· Tehsil of Mahasu District derives its name from Shakri (small stones or pebbles). At one time the village remained a bed of the river Sutler, before it changed its course. As a result, the land now forming Shakrori was covered all over with pebbles which are in abundance there even today. This pretty village situated on the banks of the Sutlej is sprawled by neat little houses. A portion of Seoni sub-tehsil is hilly but if we were to take the villages in the lower valley of the tehsil, they are almost plain. The village is situated at a height of 1,700 ft. above sea level and lies near Seoni on the Simla-Seoni Tatapani road. The average monthly rainfall and the mean monthly tetppera ture recorded at Chaba Electric Power House during the last 10 years, is given in table I. Tn winter there may seldom be a snowfall though it gets pretty cold with mercury going down to 41°P. Spring and autumn are very pleasant but summer months are hot and the temperature goes up to more than 101°F. Most of the year the village remains green and the fields have a bountiful of crops. Shakrori was selected for our survey because it was one of those medium sized villages with a population of about 342, having an agricultural bias. One third of the area is irrigated by a kuhl. During the last 15 years the changes that have occurred here are in the form of the merger of the State to form a part of Himachal Pradesh; a well-settled motor-road; ele~tricity; marketing facilities being near Simla; opportunities to work on the road or to take up jobs in Simla. The village has changed in some ways but has remained static in others. An attempt is made here to study these aspects of social and economic life of the villagers. Legend about the Village Elders have narrated that once there lived an old man about two furlongs away from Shakrori, close to the Sutlej. Tn due course the old man's son married a beautiful girl. After a few months the lady fell ill. She recovered after a long treatment and one evening when she came out to wash her 'thalu (bronze plate) after serving the meals to her father-in-law. she heard a voice coming from the facing dhank (cliff) calling parhu, parhu, parhu ('am falling). This phenomenon continued for over six months. Since only the daughter-in law heard this, she was awed by the mysterious call and her health started waning. The old man showed signs of anxiety and finally the whole pheno menon was narrated to him. Next evening the old man accompanied his daughter-in-law when she went out to wash the utensils. He suggested to her that the next evening she might ask the voice to f~ll if it so wislwd, 2 THE VILLAGE
She acted accordingly and suddenly the The households are divided iin five cate hillock rolled forward and swallowed the en gories according to their settlement history. tire village including her house. Sounds of 1. More than five 11 Rajput families, musical instruments like dhol and nagara con 11 Brahman and 6 tinued to be heard from the debris for about Lahar families. a week. 2. Between 4 and 5 The hill slide blocked the flow of Sutlej as generation 4 Rajput and 1 a result of which a reservoir was formed en Lohar. gulfing Shakrori and the neighbouring villages. 3. Between 2 and 4 In due course when the river forced its way generations. 11 Rajput and 1 through the obstruction, the ceded land was Lohar. left covered with pebbles or shakri, which are 4t One generation. 3 Rajput, I Chamar found in and around Shakrori even today. and 3 Brahman families. TABLE I 5. Present generation ... 1 Brahman, 1 Raj Rainfall Temperature put, 2 Lahar and 1 ,------A------. Sood. Months No. of Rainfall Mean Mean rainy in Maxi- Mini days inches mum mum Drinking Water Sources and Kuhl Drinking water is fetched from springs in January 7 3'56 66·59 41·49 !he village. The first spring, one comes across, February 3 1·70 71·86 46·97 IS ~ay 5 2·09 82·19 54·72 on to the main abadi near the motor March. road, from where the village path hegins. This April 3 0'91 84·06 64·37 May 4 1·41 99·56 73·48 spring Panhetu-ka-pani serves the drinking June 7 3-43 101·62 75·68 water needs of three or four households who July 18 13·34 92-98 78-52 have recently constructed their' farm-cum August 15 8·17 92·86 78·79 dwellings in the nautor land. The water is September. 8 4·19 91·14 73·43 hard. October 4 2·22 84'92 60·40 November 1 0·34 75'41 47·55 Bain-ke-pas-ka-pani is just a few feet below December 3 1·11 66·14 41·96 the Primary School building near an old baoli or bain which has now dried up. This Annual Rainfall 78 42·47 spring has, a cemented raised platform with a small out-let pipe. The drinking water sources Sections of the Village are open to all without any restrictions of The central area of the village, where the caste or creed; generally people living on the main population now resides, is said to be 200 west of the Shivalaya get water from here while years old. In the beginning the Brahmans those living in Parli Ber and on the eastern used to live in Rajhera and Rajputs resided side of the Shiva temple get their water from in ParH Ber sections of Shakrori. Nearly 4 J akhar-ka-pani. generations ago the Brahmans started build RajJ:zere-ka-pani is considered to be the ing their houses in the heart of. the vil1ag~, sweete'st and coldest but it is so far away from /since the residential accommodatIOn of Raj- hera was not sufficient for their requirements and also because their families became larger and wanted more space to spread out. A few years later, Rajputs also started shifting from Parli Ber ~o~ s~ilar reaso~s. The Lahar families are resIdmg 111 three dIfferent sections viz., 3 households in Parli Ber, 6 in Gaullu (one of the settlements on the north) and the remaining 3 in the main abadi. There are only 2 Chamar households. One of them resides in the main abadi and the At the spring other in Gaullu. THE VILLAGE 3 the main abadi and other sections that few households get water from here. The three springs in Gaullu known as Gaullu-ka-pani serve the Lohars and a Chamar who live close by. There is also a kuhl in the village which is primarily used to irrigate the paddy fields. But some households who find it difficult to fetch water from the springs generally meet their drinking water needs from the kuhl. The springs generally derive their names either from the place where they are situated or from some important landmark nearby. For example, Rajhere-ka-pani is so known because it is located in Rajhera and Bain-ke-pas-ka pani derives its name from the dried up bain (baoli) near which it is located. ' Communications Roads-There is a well settled motor road that links Simla with Seoni, Tatapani, Karsog and goes on to Mandi. This is one of the major developments after 1948, but it is after 1958 that the road has settled down so well. Buses, trucks and jeeps ply throughout the day. A road to Luri also passes through this village. Then the village paths and pakdandis con nect Shakro'ri with Matyogri, Bagain, Chaba and Devi Dhar-the neighbouring villages. Kachnar lhoola-There is a jhoola over the river Sut for Shakrori on his way from and to Seoni. lej very near to Chaba and the villagers use it Very often the children, take post cards and to go across the river to Shakra and other vil letters with them to the post office at Seoni, lages. It was built sometime in 1953. Some while on their way to the Higher Secondary times they ferry across on an inflated buffalo School. They also collect the dak for their parents from the Sub-Postmaster.
Flora There are quite a few trees in the village which provide timber. The varieties of simbal, tun, shisham, kharak and khair are found in and around Shakrori. Last year, the villagers sold a large number of khair trees to the kattha makers and hence only a few of them are now left growing here. The buel trees are Masl1ak also available in the village. Their green leaves skin either from .chaba or from just below serve as fodder while their branches supply the village. T arus generally charge two annas raw material for the ropes besides firewood. per head for ferrying across. Some villagers Bamboos available near springs in the village may pay even Re. 1 to Rs. 2 for going down arc owned by eight households. Kachnar and the river to Tatapani. In case there is only coral are also found which look pretty when one mashak then a passenger lies across the in blossom. Forest Department have their nur taru's back. If there are two mashaks then a sery at Mohra Nal. between Shakrori and charpoy is tied across and two tarus paddle Basantpur. , with their legs and use oars. Besides, some fruit trees like mango, pome Post Office-The nearest post office is locat granates (wild), bananas, lemons, galgal, juju ed at Chaba. The dak runner delivers the dak fus and figs are also found in and around the 4 THE VILLAGE fruit is eaten by the villauers. The wood is reddish-brown, t~ugh and hard ..It is worth cultivating along road-SIdes, and once established it needs little attention. Kagji Jamri (Citrus medica, var limo num)-A small citrus tree which thrives well in the area, and is used for pickles and for flavouring food. Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)-This well known fruit tree thrives in and around the area. It may be found in Seoni, Chaba and nearabout Shak rori. Santra (Cirus aurantium)-There are some orange trees but they have not succeeded in attracting the villagers. The fruits are small and sour. Amrood (Psidium guava)--This is a fruit which ripens in winter. There are a few trees in the village. Pap ita (Carica papaya)-A small, soft and short-lived tree. The fruit is sweet and pleasant. the unripe fruit is eaten, cooked as a vegetable and is excellent. The trees are easily Coral flowe,.. grown but during frost there are yillage. Flora found along Simla-Tatapani road heavy damages. IS:- T oat (~orus alba}-A middle sized tree. Am or Amb (Mingifera Indica)-'-An FruIts edible and timber is used for evergreen tree. The wood is some manufacturing of sports requisites. times used for house building. and Wild fig (Ficus Palmata)-A small tree. leaves are used at marriage cere Leaves variable. dark grey and monies. Most of the mango trees met smooth and fruit edible. Wood used with are of the ungrafted common as fuel. type. The mangoes are generally Kikar (Acacia arabica}-A moderate size stringy. From Seoni are obtained the evergreen tree. Bark dark brown or best mangoes we have ever seen blackish. Flo'WJers yellow. Wood growing in the area. Green mangoes tough and used in the construction of are cut up and dried by the villagers agricultural implements and tent for flavouring or they are pickled in pegs. Bark used for tanning and dye salt. ing. Roots used in the preparation of Aru (Prunus persica)-The tree can grow alcohols. well in the sub-tehsil. Good fruit has Talzli (Dalbergia sissoo)-A decidous tree. been obtained from these. Bark rough. A valuable timber trce Daru (Punica granatum)-A small tree used for furniture, wheels. boats. which has been growing wild in the carts and other purposes. forests, but it is being cultivated by Van (Salvadara Oleoides)-A large shrub few villagers. or small tree. Bark grey slightly Jamri (Citrus medica, var acida)-.-Com rough. It is used little for timber mon in the village, used for making and is a bad fuel. Can be used for pickles. brick burning if mixed with other Kela (Musa sapientum)-The local type of wood. Fruit edible. bananas are seedy. pulpy and large. Beri (Sizyphus j~juba)-A medium sized Jaman (Eugenia Iambolana}--An ever tree or large shrub. Almost ever green tree. which grows well. The green. Spines in pairs. Gives a hard THE VILLAGE 5
light reddish timber used for agricul too tame ta believe. They stay away in the tural implements. Leaves used as forests for months to return with the brood. fodder after being thrashed out. Then there are chakor, titter, bater, pjgeons. Nim (Azadirachta lndica}-A large ever hariales and doves. There are also a number of green tree. Leaves are used far plac parakeets. dronge. Himalayan crows, vultures. ing baxes ta keep 'Off insects. It has golden oriole, bulbul, finches pheasants and medicinal values also . wild fowls. Amongst ducks you have those . Pipal (Ficus religiasa)-A large glabraus which are indigenaus or migratory which may shady tree. Leafless far a short time be seen along the river during winter. There during hot weather. Bark grey, may be a mallard, the red-headed p'Otcher, Sacred to Hindus and hence not cut. whistling teel, brown headed teel and rare Kachnar (Bauhinia Varievata)--A sighted bagla, crane or a saras down the river. medium-sized tree. Leaves used as About the peacock, and the golden oriole Rt. fodder and flowers for making pick Honourable Malcolm Macdonald has given les. Wood is durable but little used. the following superb description:- Bark used for local tanning and dye PEAFOWL-No mor~ gorgeous creature ing. exists 'On Earth than a Peacock ... It Other trees noticed 'On the higher altitudes is common to see a cock dancing its in the sub-tehsil are Deodar (Cedrus Deodare), magnificent pas seul in a field before Kail (Pinus Wallecheana). an audience of admiring hens, or a ChiI' (Pinus roxburghil), Bleaga (Sapium male bird as splendidly clad as a insigna), Ban (Quercus incanal), Siris (Albiz maharajah strutting along a road zia Ibbek), Kakar (Pistacia integerrima), Ailna wi th a harem of its own particular thus (Ailanthus cxcellassa) and Pagora (Ficua brand of wives, ...... · .. . religiosa). GOLDEN ORIOLE-A male bird: 'No Fauna Emperor was ever more regally Pipal, Coral tree, pomegranate, manga and fobed'. bel' are all a heaven for wild birds in spring PARADISE FLYCATCHER-A male and summer. Many birds are faund between bird. 'One of the most fabulously gra Basantpur, Shakrori-Chaba-Suni and Tatapani cious of winged creatures'. which one could patiently meet in Delhi. We mention a few birds which we have seen. The HOUSE SPARROW-'Bringing en'Ough most macrnificent of all of course is the pea building material to make a minia· cock. Th~re are a few pet peacocks at Suni, ture haystack'.
Bats 6 THE VILLAGE
Then male paradise flycatcher is ever so Residential Pattern charming and goes about fearlessly almost as Grown of a cluster of dwellings, the houses jf tamed. Invariably this gentlenwll hovers have come up in no regular way. There are around from tree to tree and stays on indefi no proper lanes and these cluster of houses nitely without being disturbed by a man's are linked with each other through rough and gaze. We arc no ornithologists but we see ill marked passages and very often one has eagles, fakons, baz, or shikra and any num to cross some fields water channels to get ber of sparrow battles. AU these birds in the ?'r area made our tour so captivating. We can from one housE' to the other. Previously Raj claim friendship with the koeis and crows, hera and Berh on the eastern part of the vil pheasants and the seven ststers. lage were a residential area. Rajputs and Brah mans lived in Rajhera and Berh respectively. Animals-During September.October after noons or evenings, one can hear the barking Hearsay goes that Brahmans came to Raj deer going down from Basantp,ur or between hera fr~m Rajooi and other villages in the Shakrori and Seoni. We have also seen leo sub-tehsil. Before that the story goes tha.t two pards. We have been told of Raa!s, porcupine, Brahman-brothers had come from Sirmur and wild rabbit, and even ghurals whIch are found settled in Rajooi. They quarrelled with each at slightly higher elevations. With these ani other and one of them moved to Rajhera seve mals most of the villagers are very familiar. ral generations ago. At present it is the 5th Besides the cornman goh or Manito! reptile or 6th generation of the Brahman families there are chameleon and a number of lizards. which are ~til1 residing in this village. Be Then there are a variety of frogs. wakes an~ cause of their distant relationship and kin, the mongoose. Among the fish in the Sutle] ship tlle Brahmans do not inter-marry in the there is the Mahseer, Himalayan Barbel, and village. As the family started growing, they gfd. shifted to the dogris or farm houses which The fauna found near Shakrori is given in had been built up earlier. These dogris were later repaired and by making some additions table II. and alterations in many of them, they were TABLE IT converted into permanent residences. Name Zoologk>a Nam" Rajputs also give the same reason for their Birds shifting from Berh to' Shakrori. Some of them The Gray Qusil Coturnix Communi, came here, more tban 3 generations ago, from The Quail Turn;'" the adjoining villages. The oommml wild Goose Anser Cinorons The PintW Duck Dafila scuta. Lohars of GauIlu came from Karsog tehsil Tho Rock :Pigeon Carpopb.aga. Sylvl1tic Vatica a few generations ago. Some nautor lands .have The Green Pigeon Crocopus PhoonioopteruB been given since 1948 and many of them are .Mammal« broadly tucked upon the river beds. It is Ma.caoos dwsus Th«>M«>nkoy gathered that at one time the land at Gau11u The Himalayan Longoor 'Ih& LooPMG. Felis pa.rdU5 was left unattended Ul the name of the devta. The Jungle Cat Felis Chans Only three generations ago, it was given to a 'Ib.EI Civet Cat l'Ilivorra Zibetha Lohar from Suket as a gift, because he had The Jaclrol Cauw Aurelia won favour of the ruler. Another version of Tho Goral this is quite plausible. A Harijan was brought The PorcupinE> Rystrix leu{):m~ from Suket to serve as a menial because the Tb.e Eispid haro Lepus hispiduB Rusa. ariatotclis local Harijans could not cope witi] the work. Tho Sambhar The Lahar family of Gaullu was the richest The barking deor CervuluB auroUB at one time. There ruay be a number of Pe~t8 The Rat reasons for this. The family may be well ac The common Mouse complished~ there may be tremendous demand The Bat of their labour; the expenses of the family Reptiles may be to the bare minimulU and lastly, it Shankchur Naja T:ripudians C(}bra may be because of economic farming. Be Dhaomiu Pit'Uas lllUCQB\lS Water-make • Dinnu Hydro phis Gras sides the Lohars, a Chamar f~mi1y also lives sicoIlis in Gaullu. THE VILLAGE 7 8 THE VILLAGE
Inter Village Relationship visit. the head works at Chaba which The village has social and econo_mic rela lie near the Sutiej about twenty miles tionships with all the near about vIllages. It from Simla. The road thereto is by no has been dependent on Zedwin (2 miles) across means uninteresting as it leads in the the river in Karsoe tehsil-for weaving; Kan first place to Mashobra, thence to Nalderq., the site of the golf Jinks, and !Iri (2 miies)-for p~ottery; Basantpur (3t miles) ind Seoni (2!- miles)-for trade and market- then descends about ten miles .down a 'picturesque slope which is quite ing. . well wooded with the ordi.nary Hima Socially, the villagers hav~ ~atrimon~al al layan scrub and brushwood. The liances in all the villages wlthm a radms of Nauti river has been trained for two 5 miles. Purohits from Shakra and Madhor and a half miles in a concrete flume generally come here for perfo~ming religious along the open hill side. through rites. Thus purohit-jajman relations have been tunnels, one of which is 400 yards established with these villages. in length, and at one point across a Adjoining Villages and Places of Interest nallah, until it finally runs into a large reservoir about 450 feet long The most interesting place nearby is Cha~a by 120 feet wide and 12 feet in because' it has one of the oldest Hydro-electnc depth. Power Houses in India. This was opened in the year 1913. An extract from 'Simla Past This reservoir which cost a lakh and a half to construct holds nearly seven and Present' (page 116) by Sir Edward Buck million gallons of water and is situat is reproduced here:- ed on the top of a spur over looking Scarcely any visitor of Simla has an idea both the Nauti khudQund the Sutlej as to how the station procures her river, and viewed froUl the opposite electric light, so a few words on the side of the river looks a very remark Hydro-Electric Scheme will not be able lake indeed. When the water out of place. About fifteen years ago is not required it escapes down the Captain, now Colonel B. C. Batlye, side of a rock and flows into the R.E .• who will always be remember Sutlej below forming a beautiful ed as one of Simla's greatest bene waterfall. The wate·r for the purpm.e factors, was placed on special. duty of driving the turbines is carried in to work out the technical detaIls of a vertical fall in five great iron pipes a scheme proposed by Major General 540 feet down the mountain side to Beresfrord Lovett, R.E. The neces the power house, where can be seen sary power was eventu.ally found by the wonderful electrical plant which damming up the NauU khud. s~ream was all imported from England, tra~s beyond Mashobra, and prov!dmg a ported from Simla over the mountam heavy fall near the Sutlcj river. The road, and erected in this far away cost of scheme was approximately valley. The power house is most pic thirteen lakhs-'of rupees, At one time turesquely situated, only a few feet about 2,000 men were engaged on above the Sutlej, and .t~e eJ?-ginee~s the works, the labour being mainly incharge are most obhgmg 1ll thelf supplied by gangs of Pathans from efforts to explain generators, voltage, the frontier, men from Busha?r transformers kilowatts and other State, and Baltis from the lake dIS mysteries to the intelligent visitors: trict. The ordinary hillman of the Whatever may be said of the cost of Simla district was toO busy with his the scheme: the engineering feat fields to work in anything but a fit which has been accomplished is a ful manner. Coal strikes and booms very remarkable on~, fLohri-a seasonal festival, held on the Ist of bourhood hardly a mile away. God Mahadev Magh every year. who is the god of Shakrori also belongs' to the people of Makarchha and is broug~t here and Table III contains a list of institutions and kept in the temJ?le of Pa~as .Ram)1 . .~fakol a temples located in Shakro~i and other adj?in. lucal white washmg matenal IS found 111 abun~ ing villages as also the vanous crafts practised dance here and the villagers from Shakron there. 10 TIm VILLAGE
TABLE III
Institutions Temples Builuings Crafts
1. Shakrori (The village under Survey) 1. Government Primary School (Opened 1. Shiva Temple. . Primary School Building 1. Carpentry, l\Iaking of ban in 1961). 2. Mahadev's Temple • from Jfunj gI'aSS, Mats from palm leaves etc. 2. Tailoring centre 2. Shoe making. 3. Blaoksmithy. 2. Seeni 1. Post Office 1. Kali Temple 1. Gramsewak hut 1. Tailoring. 2. Telegraph Office 2. Narain Temple • 2. Patwarkha1l8 2. Carpentry. 3. Higher Secondary School 3. Dano Dev Temple 3. Rest Houso . . 3. Shoe making. 4. Tailoring Centre 4. Blacksmithy. 5. Carpentry Centre 5. Goldsmithy. 6. Mid.wifery Training Centre 7. Government Library 8. Civil Hospital 9. Health Centre 10. Veterinary Hospital 11. Key Village Centre 12. Bull Breeding Centre 13. Seed Multiplication Farm 14. Progeny Orchard 15. Bhakra Project Institution 3. Basan/pur 1. Post Office 1. Bhagwati Temple • 1. Patwarkhanna 1. 'Vcaving. 2. Primary School 2. Rest House 2. Carpentry. 3. Health Centre 3. Pottery. 4. Bhakra Project Centre 4. Makarchlla Nil 1. Devi Temple Nil 5. Chuba 1. Post Office • Nil 1. Rest House (M.C. 1, Carpentry 2. Telephone Office Simla) 3. Primary School (M. C. Simla) 4. Civil Dispensary (M. C. Simla) (Villages across thc river) 1. Jeora Tatapani 1. Post Office 1. Lami Temple • 1. Rest House 1. Tailoring 2. Middle School 2. Thakurdwara . 2. Dharamshala .' 2. Carpentry 3. Library 3. Tatapani (Place of 3. Gramsewak hut tourist interest) 4. Tatapani M/P Co.op., Society 4. Patwarkhana 5. Panchayat Office 2. Bhakra 1. Primary School Ni~ Nil 1. Tailoring 2. Carpentry 3. Goldsmithy 4. Weaving of woollen cloth in h;tndloom. 2 The'People THE main communities are Brahmans, Rajputs and Lohars. The original settlers are said to be the Brahmans. Rajputs came next. They brought some persons belonging to Scheduled Castes from outside, for menial services with them. The castewise village composition is given in table V. The Sood family belonging to the Va ish caste is non-agriculturist and runs a shop here. Every household possesses land which they cultivate. The Scheduled Caste families have small holdings. Inspite of the difference in social status people belonging to different castes live in harmony. although SCheduled Castes do still observe some of the inhibitions imposed upon them since times gone by. Old customs die hard. PopUlation The village population comprises of 342 persons 73 percent of which are below 34 years of age-(58 boys and 81 girls in the age group of 0-14, and 54 each in 15-34). In the age group of 35-59 there are 42 men and 34 women which form 21 per cent of the total popUlation. There are only 9 men and 8 women above sixty, constituting 6 per cent of the village popu lation, besides two elderly women who could not state their age. The per centages of the popUlation when compared with those in the District and the Pradesh reveal that the percentage of children in the age group of 0-14 in the village is the largest and that of the aged people is tne lowest, as com pared with the District and Pradesh figures. The percentage popUlation in the age group of 15-34 and 35-59 in the village almost conforms to the District and Pradesh averages. I
~ Larger number of children in the age group of 0-14 gives an indica tion towards more than average increase in the village. But there is another factor for the increase of population, that is, there should be more of males than the females so that they bring more women in the village than what they marry away since marriages are generally held outside the vil lage. There are more girls than the boys in this age group. Information col lected snows that for every 58 girls married away only 42 would be brought to Shakrori by marriage. As compared to this the District and the Pradesh have more boys than girls. Inter Caste Relationship Rajputs, Brahmans, Kumliars and Soods mix freely and inter-dine witli each other. There was a stage when the Brahmans used to observe chauka strfctly by changing their clothes and sitting for a meal in the kitchen and would only eat particular type of meal, whenever, they were asked out. This practice is not strictly followed now. They, however, do not at all inter marry and the frame of the caste system is observed. *Sir Danziel Ibbetson has classified the Cultivating Class of Rajputs, in the Punjab Hill States as Kanets. 12 THE PEOPLE
The Scheduled Castes are also invited by ments like nagara, dholak or shahnai are also these swarns on occasions of marriages and seldom used. A Lohar widow, however, posses other festivals or rejoicings but they are served ses several items of furniture which even the meals separately and invariably last of all. swarns do not possess and recently when her Due to caste taboos which are prevalent in the daughter was married. she was sent off in a village from olden times all the Scheduled palanquin and the nagara, local shahnai and Castes will have odd simple single storeyed other local musical instruments formed the houses. They generally do not use a palki orchestra. Nobody in the village seemed to (palanquin) for marriages. Musical instru- mind.
TABLE IV
No. of Population Caste/Community households r- ., Remarks P lVI F
Brahman 15 99 47 /)2 Rajput 27 163 78 85 Sood 1 7 4 3 Chamar 2 9 5 4 Scheduled Caste Lohar 12 55 24 31 Scheduled Caste Kumhar 3 9 5 4
TABLE V
Type of household No. of Persons Males Females households
Single member (very small) 5 5 4 2-3 members (small) 11 30 17 13 4--6 members (medium) 23 118 59 59 7-9 members (large) 16 130 55 75 10 members and above (very large) . 5 59 31 28
Total 60 342 163 179
TNBLE VI
No. of households Type of family r- Brahman Rajput Lohar Kumhar Sood Chamar Total
Simple (consisting of married couple and un· married children) 6 9 0 1 2 2:' Intermediate (consisting of married couple and unmarried brothers or sisters; or one of the parents) 1 4 4 1 10 Joint (married couple living with married children or married brothers) 7 6 14 Others (single members or unmap:ied brothers and sisters; or one parent living with unmarried sons or daughters) 8 2 2 13
Total 15 27 12 3 1 2 09 THE PEOPLE 13
Table V indicates that 65 per cent of the besides Keonthal State, from where this langu households have four to six members and less age .get~ its nam.e, it is ~lso spoken in Theog, and that every fourth household in the village KotI, SImla, Pahala, (Snnagar Thana), Dhami consists of a family of three or less. This is and Bhajji States. As many as 12,167 per a pointer to the fact that there is a tendency sons spoke keonthali in Bhajji. towards the splitting up of the complex house holds into simple ones. This is, because when Although the language of Bhajji has been younger members grow up they start earning, dec1ar~d by Grierson as keonthali yet it has from n<;m-agricultural sources like service in bee.n I~ftuenced by the suketi language, Government or private offices or as labourers whIch IS spoken across the river Sutlej and on the road. They develop a sort of indivi also by the languages spoken in adjoining duality and thus wanes the authority of the States. head of the household who was at one time, The villagers of Shakrori also speak this all in aU, as -he was the proprietor of the language. We have given some folk songs household land-the only source of income to which give an idea of the words and phrases the family. Table VI also reveals the same used by the villagers_ Apart from keonthali fact that the families in the village are split ~ome punjabi phrases are also used and slan~ ting up. There are only 14 out of 60 house IS common. holds in the village which have joint families. as against 36 households having simple and . A f~w passages from Ramayan (their trans single member families. ltteratIOn and translation) will serve as speci men. Forms of Greetings Sita ra Chharna Different forms of greetings in vogue in Sita's Divorce Shakrori are- J ai Deva M aharaj-When greeting a Rama re raja banane re kuchh dinan bad ruler or some other important per Rama's king becoming some days after son. eki dinan Rame apne aur Sita re bareda Ram Ram-When greeting a purohit. one day ~ama himself and Sita about Ashirvad-Purohit's reply to Ram Ram. k~chh galan shuni. Ishi gallin koi Sada Suhagan-Elders bless their marri- some rum our heard. Such rumour some ed daughters and daughter-in-law when the latter bow and touch their dhobi Jane lagi re the Rime eki feet with their dupattas. washerman spreading were. Rama one Namaskar-When a Brahman greets a Brahman. dinan besh-badli-ro ghumne lage re the day incognito roaming about was Pairi paunna-When a Harijan greets a swarn. The swarns in reply say Tiniye apnf jwansa re bare da kasi k~i era Raji Reha. " he his wife about someone this Bandgi, Jai Hind, Jai Ram-ji-ki--When greeting a babu (a literate person bolde shuna. "Badmash, nikal ja etba, wearing good clothes). saying heard, "Rascal, get out from here, N amastay-When greeting an equal. Han Rama sahi nahin so .iuniye apni jwansa I Rama like not am who his wife Languages paraye gharan rakhi-ro tain apne ghare According to Grierson. keonthali is a principal dialect of Simla Hill States, and other's house kept even-then his house . 14 THE PEOPLE nikhi lai. Rama ini galan shuni- ra maye-Mva praja aur gharale brought. Rama this conversation to hear parents subjects and members of the family Shinvar hoi-goye. Tine aisa galan pande sabhf-ke bani-dukh-hona. Tau tu stunned was. He this matter all will be very sad. Therefore you bara socha bchara aur ipne sabhi bhai ethi-ro aur sabhi-re-dhiraj-denda-ro. gave much thought and his all brothers remain here and solace every body. kale-da shade aur bolda-Iaga, "Han Je-era-na-ho tau bani-pap-hoi-jana in-privacy called and said, "I If it is not so then big sin will result
jenu-je Sfta bilkul nirdosh so." jasre nija da praja dukhi-o se know-that Sita quite innocent is." Whose (raja's) people are-not happy that -, Lachhmami-ke Rama-rf shiksha nija jarur-hi narke-jao. Aini-shani-ro To Lakshman Rama's advice ruler sure goes to hell. Hearing, this J au Bhagwan Ram wanwasa-ke bana de When Lord Ram on exile to forests went Lachhmami ke bara-dukh-hoa Bhagwan Lakshman was much pained Lord tau Lachhamami-ke bolde-lage, "Bhai, tu then to-Lakshman said. "Brother, you Ramari eri-galan shuni-ro aire~hoye jere Rama's this advice hearing such became as maMn-sathi na-a kuye-je jine with me don't come because those pale parne ka kaunl shuko because of frost lotus becomes (fades) manuven apne maye-bciva aur guru ra persons their mother father and greceptor's Houses Generally the houses are kacha, having an bolna mana tine hi jamne-ra phal attractive mud plaster and built on a rectangu ordus obeyed only those of birth fwit lar plan using mud and stone. More than half of the houses are two storeyed, and the paya. Tau tu bhi bh:ii men! shuni-lo rest are single storeyed. There are 12 houses got. Then you also please listen to me of the Scheduled Castes, most of which have grass 'roofs. The houses of the swarns have aur maye-Mva-karya-kar. roofs of slates, iron sheets, bamboos and and parents serve. kacha stones. These houses have started having glass windows and ventilators. The Bharat aur Shatrughana ghare nahin uso obras or the cattle sheds have straw roofs. Bharat and Shatrughana at home not are During the last decade slates and iron sheets have come up for more use. There is dearth MaMraj jf siyane-hoi-goye aur timin of timber in the village. The timber and sla Maharaj has grown old. and to him tes have to be brought from far off places at market rates when one has to build a good mera bani dukh-so. Ais-bakhte je house. Timber is brought from Badmahan (10 about me is much grief. At this time if miles) and slates from Kufri (20 miles) where there are slate quarries or from Pangna an tain apf-Sathi lai-jau tau Ayodhya in Karsog Tehsil (22 miles). The farmers pre I you with me take then Ayodhya pare windows and doors mostly from tuni and kikar trees growing' in their own lands. The sabhi-tarpM-ka shuni oi-jani Guru rafters for the roofs sometimes have to be of from all sides will be deserted. Preceptor bamboos. ..c '"<> ~ ~ ,;-= .. £ .. w =i i ~ .
'-u :.- " j; " : 0 ,0
I t ______...... ______1 ______~ ... ______..1
-t~------~------t+'" il -l-- ~ --+ ~ ~---~ ----+ ~ ~ ~ ~ 0 + ~ - =':__
z ~ COl ;: Z .. «II ~ ~ ~D ... ::r N ... .,~ '" a gl QI • ... ._-_._._" Q z Q Q i.~I- -- ('4-' ... •", ..QI Nell £ t--·~ .. --- Q Z ~ . <;I ill Q 0 g 0 ~ ~ 0 ; 0 li to 0
THE PEOPLE 17 Table VII classifies the households by num ber of rooms and by number of persons occu pying them. ~'\ (1;/IYJ TABLE VU
Households with one Households with Households with ~~-%1 ~~~1" room two rooms three rooms ,---'------, r----"------, No. of No. of No. of No. of No. of No. of housc· persons houso- persons house- persons holds holds holds
J 11 10 37 10 51
A typical house
IIouseholUs with four Households with Households wit h rooms five rooms more than 5 Ola-Portion of wall above the plinth. rooms Dwar-Door. ,-----"----, No. of No. of No. of No. of No. of No. of Bee or Akhli-Veranduh, in the lower house· persons house- persons huuse· persolls holrls holds holus storey. In this the staircase is locat ed. It also provides entrance to the 12 6J '2 13 23 166 rooms in the lower storey. Biyoon-Rooms in the lower storey. Pauri-Staircase made of stone. This shows that the villagers have ample ac Paura-Verandah above the Bee or commodation. The mud plaster is generally Akhli. bileous yellow, or light-brown, the colour of Dwari-Window. the local matti. Kothri-Rooms in the upper storey. The ground floor portion of the house can MerlI-Floor. be divided into two parts, viz., biyoon and akhal. Chhallall (Attic)-Spare room between roof and ceiling. Biyooll~These are the rooms on the back Chhaper-Roof. and are used for sleeping during hot summer months; or for use by the women during their Sharota-A wooden log with notches cut unclean days; or else, for keeping foodgrains in it providing steps, used as a lad and other things. In some houses, one of the der. rooms in the biyooll is also used as an obra and in this cattle are kept. Child I)irth also Before, constructing a house the owner con takes place in biyoon. sults a priest about the site and the auspicious day when the construction is to be started. A khal-This is a big room at the entrance and is used by women for stitching, se~ing Havan is performed in the beginning and and spinning purposes. then foundations are dug to a depth of 3 to 4 fect. These are filled -with rubbles and stones Paura and kothris .... arc the rooms above but no mortar is used. The plinth is raised aHal and biyoon. While one of the kothris is about two feet above the ground. used as a rasoi or kitchen, rest are used as bed rooms. Entrance to the upper storey is Then the process for erecting walls is taken through aklzal where a pauri (staircase) con in hand. The wall in the local dialect is called nects it to the paura. bhit or matkanda. The villagers have local names for different Construction parts of the house- No big stones or bricks are used while erec Thani (Courtyard)-Portion of land fac ting the walls. A wooden frame 1t ft. wide ing the front of the house. is prepared and laid on the spot where the wall 18 THE PEOPLE is to be erected. A mixture of moist sand, they have now been converted into' regular small stones and clay is poured into the frame dwelling houses. This was necessitated be to the top level. The filling is beaten W.: .. ll cause of the increase in size of some families wooden beaters by the members of the family Who found it difficult to live in their old house and relatives till it becomes hard and com together. They have their meals from the com pressed. This is left to dry for a day or so mon produce of crops though their kitchens and in the meantime the other portion is pre in the dogris. where they now live regularly, pared. The wooden frame is again fixed on are split up. the dry portion of the wall and filled with the mixture referred to above and beaten with the Khatr Katthia House-Recently a Lahar wooden beaters. The walls of the house or has constructed a house of bamboo strips and the rooms are raised to the roof level. Doors, date palm leaves. It has a thatched roof that windows and ventilators are marked, as the cost the Lahar only his labour. He managed to construction progresses, and a portion of the get the material free. This type of house is bhit is scouped out after the filling is beaten generally used by kattha con~actors and the and levelled. Sometimes, bamboo sticks, Lohar picked up the construction technique split horizontally, are also inserted and these from them. serve against possible burglaries. Thus the construction of the bhit is akin to the construction of the concrete wall, where the latter is poured in the frame, with the only difference, that the concrete is allowed to set by itself while the moist mixture of sand, peb bles and clay here is made to set by manual labour. The rafters are laid lengthwise and tin, slate or thatched roofs in two to four slopes are constructed. In case a second storey is required flat wooden planks are used which serve as the floor of the second storey. No pucca cemented roofs are laid. Just about 2 to 3 feet below the roof a sort of ceil ing locally called chhanan is constructed. This provides ample space for storing household A Thatched hOllse things. The house is plastered with a mixture of clay and cow-dung from inside and outside Obra-It is a cattle shed built on a rect and in some cases mud wash or whitewash angular plan. The entrance to' the obra is is done by local mitti known as makol. The through a small door in the front. No other carpenters and masons are paid daily wages ventilator is provided to this structure except of Rs. 2 to 3 plus meals and tea. that some air passes in from the small open An auspicious day is fixed fat griha-pra ings near the thatched roofing. The roofs are vesh, when lzavan is performed and navgrehas thatched with grass brought from Moongna (Nine Planets are worshipped. This cere (neighbouring village-5 miles). Sometimes mony is known as grehasni and a feast is given these are also thatched with wheat straw. The to friends and relatives. It is after grehasni roofing is generally replaced every 3rd or 4th that the family moves into the new house. year. The wall construction process 'of the obra is the same as used for regular dwelling Dogris-Some villagers, whose lands are far houses. Khunte are dug on the floor for tying off from main abadi. have built farm houses cattle. or dogris near their fields. They live there during the working season as they find it con Furniture venient to work more and also keep a watch The homes of the villagers are simply fur ful eye on their growing crops. Dogris are nished and they possess small items of furni alike in structure, to the dwelling houses in ture. Mostly hinnas and manjris of parai the main abadi. except that the accommoda (rice straw) are spread over as mats. Some tion in the former is rather small. In 3 or 4 possess klwrchas made of goat hair. Well-to cases, the purpose behind constructing the do zamindars possess one to two charpoys, dogris was the same as mentioned above, but one to two tables and some chairs for guests. THE PEOPLE 19
TABLE VIII
Oasto Charpoys Chairs ::I.'ables Mirrors Stools Wall Shelf Alntirah
Brahman 14 11 2 I) I) 6 Rajput 16 8 4 8 8 10 Lohar 1 2 2 1 1 Chamar Sood 1 1 1 KUlllhar 2 1 1 2 1 3
Total 34 22 7 18 15 21
Table Vin shows that most of the swarn silver buttons instead of the ordinary households possess articles of furniture like ones with it. The shirts are stitched charpoys and chairs. -mirrors and stools while by a local tailor and the cloth may only one household of Lahars possesses a char be hand woven or coarse mill made poy. almirah and a stool and two of them one. possess chairs and mirrors. Chamars possess Sadri-It is a waist coat and may be of only binnas and manjris. cotton or woollen cloth depending on the season. It is still very com Dress mon with the older people though The male dress consists of- some young mel~ also wear it during the winter months. UPPER GARMENTS Band gale ka Coat and ChllOta Coat Ambll Topi--Made of cotton cloth it These coats are either close necked covers only the top portion of the or the open necked type with 3 but head. It may be called a skull cap. tons. Generally they are made of Kishti Topi-May be woollen or cotton. patti or some rough tweeds. Some times. the villagers also purchase Bushahri Topi-A head dress of Bushahr. ready made coats from the second People purchase it either from hand garments-shop at Simla or at Simla or from Rampur Bushahr. Seoni where a stall is opened during Baaldar T opi-A sort of fur cap and some important fairs like Baisakhi resembles the kishti !opi. or Dussehra. Topa-A woollen ~ap which may be opened to cover the/neck also. in ad LOWER GARMENTS dition to the head and ears. Only Pajamas, . Rebdar Pajama, Churidar the face is left uncovered. In Simla Pajama and Khllli mohri-ka-pajama it is known as monkey cap. -The pajamas are made of cotton Saafa-Some older people also wear cloth. In winter some villagers wear pajamas of patti. The woollen paja saafa or muslin turbany In State times the wearing of saafa was very -mas are rather baggy upto their common when the villagers had to knees while the lower portion cover go to darbar. Now the use of saafa ing the legs is a little narrow. The is disappe,aring fast. Young men do difference between the rebdar paja not Pllt on any head dress. ma and the churidar pajama is that the latter is tighter at the legs. Kameej-A shirt with collars and sleeves The cotton pajamas worn may be either with cuffs. There are generally two white or coloured ones. Striped pockets. one in the front and the pajamas are also worn. other on the right side of the waist. Knickers-The school boys sometimes Kur!a-A collar-less and cuff-less shirt wear Khaki knickers (shorts) as a slightly longer than the ordinary Kameej. People sometimes use part of their uniform. 20 THE PEOPLE
Women's dress consists of:- Sal war-It is popular among the young women and school going girls. The UPPER GARMENTS school going girls wear white sal Dhatu and Chadtu-It is a sort of a wars. scarf tied to the head. Chadtu is FOOT WEAR bigger in size than a dhatu. They are both tied round the head while Men-Derby Shoe and Full Slipper- working in the fields. They are Both are made in the village' by local made of cotton cloth in different artisan and cost from Rs. 6 to 15 de shades. Chadtu is 4·r x 3t' piece of pending on the size of the shoe and cloth and is more common a head the material used. dress than dhatu which is restricted Chamba Chappals, Fleets and other to only, some women, especially ready made shoes are also bought those, who have been brought here from shops at Simla and Seoni. by marriages from dhatll wearing Women-Pump Shoe and Do phite ki villages. gurgabi-Both are prepared by the Dupatta-Dupatta is worn by all women village shoe maker. Ladies shoes are during festive occasions when they purch'ased from the shops at Simla go Qut of the village. The school and SeonL girls also wear white dupattas. There is a variety of shoes worn, depending Chaddar-Older women wear chaddar on what is available at "Seoni and Simla and which covers their heads and the the money they want to spend. The women upper part of their bodies. White do not wear shoes while going to the fields or chaddai"s are common. . WoolIen for roaming about in the village. They move chaddars are also used. about bare footed. Shawl and Pattu-SJwwl may be of push mina or wool, and may have . bor Ornaments ders of black, blue or red colour. Silver ornaments were very common a gene Some women wear pauus of ' dark ration ago. The ornaments worn, used to be shades having check designs during heavy. Now leaving aside tilli for nose and the winter more often, during the clwk for head which are used by married evenings at home. women as suhaag ornaments, no other golden Kurta-A shirt with collars and sleeves or silver ornaments are worn. Older women, like men's shirts. It has buttons in however, still adorn themselves with silver on the front and a side pocket. The occasions like marriages. ladies' shirts having big borders of 3" width which may be of the same cloth or of a different cloth-a print. Young women and sch~ol girls ~~ar shirts like those worn 10 the Cltles. These shirts are grayish, brownish. blackish or bluish. Printed material is also used for suits consisting of a shirt and a· salwar or pajama. Sadri-A waist coat. It may be of cotton or woollen material and is worn by some women during the winter.
LOWER GARMENTS Some ornaments Rebdar Pajama and Salwar-Reb!lar The ornaments worn by the village ladies Pajamas are generally blackIsh. on festive occasions are- Sometimes gray, blue and other dark colours are used. They look to be ORNAMENTS FOR THE HEAD something like a loose churidar Chak-A hemispherical hollow ornament pajama. made of silver with designs carved THE PEOPLE 21
all around it. It is worn by all mar times older ladies wea; silver collars ried ladies, young or old, at the top also. of the head, and weighs between 80 to 100 grams. ORNAMENTS FOR THE WRISTS Clips-These are either made of silver or K anglloo-A bracelet· of silver weighs gold and are wo.t;n on both sides of about 100 to 110 grams each. the head for keeping the hair in Gajroo-A flexible bracelet made of place. rectangular silver studs linked with each other through pins. ORNAMENTS FOR THE EARS Chhalkangan-A bracelet with pendants Dandis-Made of silver each weighs attached to it, made of silver. it about 5 to 6 grams. Older women weighs about 50 grams. wear them. Four to six dandis are Cizoori-A bracelet of silver, with designs worn on each ear for which separate carved in it. is worn by the bride. holes are pierced already. Bangles-Glass bangles, and sometimes Bragars-A pair weighs about 15 to 20 plastic bangles are also worn by grams, and is fringed with pearls. It ladies. is made of silver and is worn on spe cial occasions by old and young ORNAMENTS FOR THE ANKLES ladies alike. Panjeb-A common name for different Kanta-A bell shaped piece, fringed type of ornaments made of silver with metal suspended from the ear, chains tied round the ankles. The by a hook. These are made of gold chains clink together when one and are used by young ladies. walks. Tops-A star shaped jewelled earring Tora-A type of panjeb with a clasp. made of gold or silver. Silver buttons are also used by some men and women for their shirts. ORNAMENTS FQR THE NOSE The ornaments of gold and silver are pre· Laung-A small golden stud set with a pared by a goldsmith of Seoni. Women do pearl or turquoise, weighs about 6 not put on many ornaments. The silver orna grams. ments which are rather heavy, used to be put Tilli~Miniature laung weighing 2 grams on by the older ladies. They also do not wear is used by almost aU married ladies them except on some festive occasions like regularly.' marriages. Baltl~A small golden pendant attacheti Unmarried girls only wear bangles while to the nose. worn at the time of mar the married women put on only a laung or a riages or while attending fairs and filii in the nose. festivals. Dandi was very common among the older Besar_:_A big pendant of gold or silver generation in the past and they used to wear attached to the nose and supported as many as 4 or 5 dan dis according to the by a chain hooked in thehead. number of holes pierced in the ears. Kanta, Bragar or tops are also worn by them. ORNAMENTS FOR THE NECK Cheap immitation ornaments such as a Haar~A silv!!'r' necklace consisting of Kanthi of brass is very commonly used by the large .... number of chains, weighs women. about 400 grams and old women Utensils wear this. The utensils commonly used for preparing Champa Kali-A necklace bearing pen food are made of brass, bronze, aluminium. dants which look like the bands of iron, wood and clay. All the metallic utensils champa flower. Sometimes the pen are purchased from outside the village, most dants are set with stones. ly from Simla. The earthep utensils are pur Kanthi-A brass collar which may be chased from the kumlzar in the neighbouring jewel1ed with brass studs. Some- village and batti (two seers) of food grains is 22 THE PEOPLE
given to him. The utensils commonly used by the villagers are-
Name of Utensil Cost Use Nameof Utensil Cost Use
Re. uP. Rs. nP. Wooden Muradabadi Utensils Chakla·Belna 2·50 For preparing rolis. Lata 4·00 For serving lvater. Phulmala For blowing the fire. Glass (Tumbler) 1'12 For drinking water, milk and tea. Earthen- KauJi (Cup) O· 37 For serving vegetables to and pulses. Ghara l' 00 For preserving aCM,r and 0·50 churning milk for producing butter. Iron UtensilB Ghee is also st.orcd in them. Karahi (Pan) I) . 00 For frying purposes, Manghi O· 50 For keeping gltee, also for cooking sag, milk, achar, lassi and kheer and jhol etc., and jhol. for keeping sour dishe&. Manghu . 0·12 It is a miniature manghi Karahu l' 25 A small karahi. and is usod for ghee, Tawil. 2·00 For baking chapaties. milk and butter. Chimto • 0·37 For holding burning coal. Brass Utensils Tenth O· 37 For baking and ohanging Tolmu or Baltohu 22·00 For keeping water and si,lcs of loaves on a for cooking rice. taWa. Tokni 45·00 In marriages and 9thor Phuknala O· 50 For blowing into the occasiolls used for fire. cooking rice, pulses and Jharna 1· 00 For frying vegetables vegetables on a like ghandiali ann large scale. potatoes. Karchhi , 2·00 For serving meals. Lohdan 1· 50 For scrving the pur· Karchha 6·00 Generally used on pose of a hearth on occasions of feasts, for occasions of feasts etc. serving pulses and 0·50 For cutting vegetables. vegetables. Paryati Kadukash 1· 50 For gratiug pumpkins, Kungretha !J·OO ]'or stirring while to coooanuts etc. cooking rice. 2·00 5·00 For serving pulses and Bllati Praat 4·00 For kneading flour. vegetables, on occa· sions of feasts. Also Sansi 2·00 For grasping, tokn1l used for washing feet and bhadu while on with hot water. Cattle fire hearth. are also given dala to 3·75 For oarrying w",ter eat in it. . Baiti (Buoket) and for bathing pur· Dabru 6· 00 For serving all sorts poses etc. of preparations except Tokru 1· 25 For serving rice on ooca· rice on the occasions sions of feasts. of big feasts, on mar riages and at deaths. Dabra 18·00 For washing rice before 1I.1uminium UtensilB being cooked and kneading flour etc., Patila 5·00 1 Housewives keep sepa· on occasions of feasts. rate patila, thalu and I glass for taking meal, Prat 12·00 For kneading flour. ThaIn 1·25 1 when they are obaerv· Patila 12·00 For cooking rice, pulses, >- ing the unclean vegetables and meat. 1 (menstruation) period. Glass 0·37 Also used for 11 serving meals to Sche· Bronze Utensils- J duled Castes. Thalu 6·00 For serving meals. to Oopper Utellsils 8·00 Tambia 17·00 For heating water Bhadu 32·00 For cooking meat and for bathing and pulses. washing. TIlE PEOPLB 23
Utensils Besides these utensils some families also they might get eggs as well. The Harijans sel have tea sets. dom eat meat but they have chhachh daily. Practically every home has a cow, a bullock, Food Habits a sheep or a goat. For food consumption we may categorise The staple food grains grown here are the villagers firstly as land-owners. tenants and maize in the winter and wheat in summer. other castes who do the hard manual labour~ Paddy is also grown around and there are and secondly as non-agriculturists. Most of number of homes who prefer to have one prin the land-owners. field labourers and tenants cipal rice meal in the afternoon and _ their are vegetarians. Occasionally they eat meat favourite rice is basmati or begam. The meals if it is available and if they have poultry birds, and the items of food served are-
Breakfast (Nohari) 'Mid-Ilay (Gheli) Afternoon (Dopahri) Supper (Biali)
SUMrI'IER I. Loft-overs of roti of (wheat 1. Bhaturu with aalor khairll 1. Tea and left-overs of cheli 1. Bllaturu and rlal (urad, flour and vegetables, pulses or some vegetable grown ~8ar, (peas),grarn,?noonu of the night with tea. by the household. and leol) 2. BhatUT-U with phegru (figs) or -2. Satll, of maize taken with 2. Blwturu and chutney of 2. Bhaturu and vegetable anardana (groumled) or salt la8si. mango or anardana. potato leaves of garlic alone. and vegetable grown by the household or 3. Rice and pulsos (occasion· ally) meat goat, or fowl is also sometimes taken by tho non· vegetarian. /' WINTER I. Tea and left-oversofroti (maize 1. Makki-ki-roti with khairu. Tea and left-overs of eheU • 1. M akki-ki-roti and vegetables flour) and vegetallles of t.he (prepared with whey Ilnd of the seasons (methi, previous night. '" garhyali). dhania soya and sarson potatoes, and onion). 2. Makki-ki-roti with salt or 2. Rieo and pulses (urad,masar. 2. M akki-ki-roti with pulses. anardana (grounded) matar, "chane, moon!] or kol) 3. JJlakki-ki-roti and tea 3. Bl/atuTu of wheat flour 3. Ohutney is also relished. A and r seera-halwa prepared few households also some wi tl nasltashta (starch) fro rn times use pickI_es of wheat grain, ahee and sugar. mango, aalaal and lemon. (This is taken very Occa sionally.)-
l\IEAL TIMINGS Summer 5 to 6 A.M. 10 A.~r. 3 P.M. 8 P.lII. Winter 6 to 7 A.~r. IOto 11 A.M. 4 P.M. 7 P.lII. 24 THE PEOPLE
Case Studies Brahman Household
l\Ialc Female Total
Total No. of members 2 2 4 AboVll 50 years Between 30-50 years 1 2 Between 10-30 ye9-ril I I 2 Between 3-10 years Below 3 years
Relation to A Sex Age' M/S/W No. of Size & appro- Weight of Quantity Quantity Any other substance chapaties ximato weight of rice if of dal of milk consumed consumed each chapati consumed consumed consumed
Self :!If 40 1\1 4 2 chh. or 6· S" S chh. I ~ chIlo It seer Vegetables occa- in diameter sionally, meat, 1 egg daily.
A's wife F 42 1\1 2 Do. 4 chh. lchh. seer Vegetables occa- * sionally. A's daughter in-law F II) J\I 3 Do. 6chh. 1 chh. Vegetables occa· sionally.
A's Bon l\[ 23 S 4 Do. S chh. l~ chh. It seer Vegetables and meat occasionally.
Chamar Household
Male Femal9s Total
Total No. of members 4 3 7 Above 50 years Between 30-50 years 1 1 2 Between 10-30 years 1 2 Between 3-10 years 2 3 Below 3 years
Relation to 13 Sex Age l\I/S/W No. of Size & appro- Weight of Quantity Quantity Any other substance chapaties ximate weight of rice if of dal of milk consumed consumed each chapati consumed consumfid consumed
Self l\I 43 l\I 2 2 chh. 4 ehh. I ehh. i seer Vegeta.ble and meat occasionally.
U'R wife F 38 M 3 2 chh. r. chh. 1 chh. l seer Do. B's son 1\1 l,t S 3 2 chh. o chh. I chh. i seer Do. B's daughter F 11 S 2 2 chh. 4 chh. I chll. i seer Do. l\[ n'~ 81111 7 S 2 2 chh. 4 chh. chh. i seer Do. B'" son 1\1 5 S 2 2 chh. 4- chh. chh. i seer Do. 13's daughter F 3 S l!o 2 chh. I ~ chll. I chh. i scer Do.
Kheru, ta.ken &9 8~i>atitute of !lal, THE PEOPLE 25
Rajput HQUSe}lOld
Male Females Total
Total No. of members 3 6 9 Above 50 years Between 30-50 years, 2 3 Between 10-30 years 2 2 4 Between 3-10 years 2 2 I Below 3 years "_'
Relation to U Sox Age M/S/W No. of Size & approxi- Weight Quantity Quantity Any other substance ehapaties mate weight of rice if of dal of milk consumed consumed of each chapati consumed consumed consumed
Self 1\1 42 M 3 2 chh. or 6"-8" 6 ehh. I~ ehh. ! seer Vegetables occn- in diameter sionally
C's wife F 38 l\'[ 2i Do. 5 ehh. Ii ehh. 1 chh. Do.
C's wife F 38 l\'[ 2i Do •. 5 ehh. Ii ehh. 1 ehh. Do.
C's son M 16 S 2 Do. 6~ehh. Ii- chh. ! seer Do.
C's son l\{ 12 S Ii Do. 3 ehh. 1 ehh. Do. Do.
C's daugMer F 12 S Ii Do. 3 ehh. 1 chh. Do. Do. C's daughter . F 10 S li- Do. 3 chh. 1 ehh. Do. Do. C's daughter F 6 S Ii Do. 3 ehh. 1 chh. Do. Do. C's daughter F 6 S 1+ Do. 3 ehh. 1 ehh. Do. Do.
NOTE-M stands for males and F stands for females in Col. 2. M stands for married, S for separate amI W for widow in Col. 4. Special dish of kheru:is prepared as a substitute of dal, Tassi, turmeric, ahee and salt heated together whioh make kheru.
Festive Occasions-On ~ festive occasions The flour used is either of wheat -or food generally includes the use of ghee and of batlzu. shakkar. The following dishes and items of food are also prepared- A.~'kaloo-These are prepared of wheat flour and are baked in a form (a Rotku-Fried sweetened chapa ties of stone piece having small holes). wheat flour. /' Bhalla-Prepared of pithi (minced urad). Sanse-Prepared ' on a leaf of barh Patunda-Prepared with wheat flour thin Khatta Shikar-Meat prepared by ad ned with water. It is then baked on ding a lot of anardana from wild a tawa into thin chapaties; taken with pomegranate. ghee shakkar. The people well off and infants. all take Sour Pulses-(Khatti daD and sweet pul milk while others take it in the form of lassi ses (mithi daD prepared by adding or khairu. Butter and ghee are also common anardana and shakkar respectively in domestic use. Gur is consumed more in instead of salt. winter. Villagers like to make anardana out Berhi Roft-Berhi roti prepared of kolira of dam (wild pomegranates) and also make flour with a filling of kachalu is eaten some pickles of mango. lemon and galgal. during the manuring season called Use of chillies is also very common-chillies gabrain (December-January). of this area are very famous all over Himachal. Now they arc also getting used to vegetables Barhi-Prepared by grating thor (cac and grow lady-finger, tomatoes, bitter gourd. tus) locally called sarua which is brinjal, carrot, radish. turnip. onion, garlic and mixed with pithi (minced urad). into linda. Chapaties of maize flour are greatly a dough of thick consistency. Small relished with sag of mustard leaves and lassi. balls prepared from this dough are People also collect a lot of mangoes, jujufus dried in the sun. and ga/gal from wherever, they can lay their Sigra-Wheat flour is turned into dough hands on. Mangoes are found in abundance and is filled with till (Sesamum). Its in and around Shakrori and during the season, cakes are then steam cooked in a people generally take chapaties with raw tambia and eaten with ghee shak mangoes or else, they use them to sour prepa kar. rations which are very much relished.
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l._ 3 Birth, Marriage and Death Customs Birth N 0 prenatal ceremony seems to be performed and the expectant mother leads. a n~rmal life except that she does not exert herself much and is not permItted to carry loads. T~is. is a precaution against miscarriage or abortion and not because of any rehgIous or customary belief. The birth of a male child, is heralded with great joy accompanied by many religious ceremonies depending upon the social and economic status of the parents of the new born. The customary belitfs and practices observ ed in the village on this occasion are given in the following lines: The delivery takes place in biyooll-a room in the ground floor and is helped by mother-in-law assisted by some other elderly woman in the neigh bourhood. At the birth of a male child the materna] uncle presents a silver d/'ubba while others give bouquets of turf to the parents. This is considered equivalent to conveying congratulation. Time of birth is noted for prepar ing kundli (horoscope) of the child later. SUlak (unclean period) is observed for ten days in the family where birth takes place and during this period ladies daily sing behai in praise of the goddess of birth. On the 11th day shuddhi (purification) ceremony is performed with havan and puja. On this day, the house is cleaned and plastered. The mother is given a bath and gangaja/ and pancll-gavya are sprinkled to purify her and then she puts on new c1othes. The child's nam karan sanskar is also performed and all the nine planets (grehas) are worshipped, in which the purohit chants Vedic hymns. Offerings of foodgrains known as navgreh grant!zis are also made for the quietude of the grehas. Out of these, three granthis offered to Shani, Rahu and Ketu are given to a panda and the rest go to the purohit who performs the ceremony. Paddy, wheat, a few naya paisa and patundas offered to bellai (also known as Bhatiarka Devi) are given to the dai. She also gets· a suit of clothes, some foodgrains, ghee and sugar as a gift- for services rendered. Some people also perform Sat Narain's Katlla on this day. Gantriala is also celebrated and a feast is given to the relatives and bradri. On this occasion the maternal uncle and other near re latives of the child bring Kangnus (bracelets) of silver for the child and Clothes for the mother.. The maternal uncle also presents one seer of gJzee, some sugar or shakkar and about 4 seers of rice to the pafents. In the case of a baby girl these ceremonies are not observed on such an elaborate scale! as in the case of a boy. Purification ceremony of sprinkling of panchgavya, havan and quietude offerings to the navgrehas are, however, performed in case of a girl also. Information about her birth is given to the maternal unc1e only and no feast is given to the bradr; (kins folk). Maternal uncle of the child usually presents gifts of ghee, rice, sugar or shakkar to the parents of the child even in the case of a girl. 28 BIRTH, MARRIAGE AND DEATH CUSTOMS
Chhatto Chhatto ceremony is performed in case of both boys and girls when they are six months old. The purohit chants Vedic hymns, dan punya is performed and the child is given kheer. This cerel!1ony is also known as ann prashan, tasting of food by the child for the first time. In some cases when gantriala cere !TIony (a feast given to' friends and relatives on the 11th day of tl}.e birth of a male child) could not be performed earlier because of un favourable grehas, it is then performed at the time of chhatto ceremony and a feast is given Doli to the bradri and relatives. The maternal uncle ter this the ears of the boy are pierced with a gives rice and pulses (about one maund), ghee golden needle. This ceremony is called karan and spices on this occasion. He also presents vedh. It is believed that karan vedh immunises a suit of clothes to the mother. and silver against many diseases. kangnu to the child. During these ceremonies the ladies sing Mnndan and Karan Vedh mangal (auspicious) songs. A grand feast When a boy attains an age of 3, 5, 7 or 9 (dham) is given to the entire village and years his mundan and Karan vedh sanskars relatives. In case of the girls, the ceremony is are performed. Generally the ceremony is per restricted to piercing of the ears. No other formed in the temple of their goddess Bhawani. functions are performed nor is any feast given. The pandits find the auspicious moments for karan vedh after consulting the jantri and also Yagyo Pavit the child's kundli. Yagyo pavi! ceremony is contIlled to 15 First of all, oil is poured on the head of" the families of Brahmans. On this occasion toran boy after which it is shaved. leaving some hair mandua is fixed. Mustard oil and batna con on the top. The hair left are called shikha or sisting of nihani, wheat flour, turmet:ic and choti. Choti is a sign of purity and is believed chamukri is applied to the boy two or three to remin!i the boy of his duties towards his re times. Purohit then asks the boy to beg from ligion. This ceremony is called mundan. In his relatives and whatever he gets in alms, he case a child dies before his ceremony it is im gives it to the purohit in lieu of which the mersed in the river. It can be cremated only latter gives guru mantra and re1igious in after the mundan ceremony is performed. Af- structions alongwith a yagyo pavit (sacred thread) to wear. A dham is also given to friends and relatives. This ceremony is per formed in case of male children only and bet ween the age of 13 to 17 years. The Rajputs perform it at the time of their marriage. Marriage Table IX shows that there are 155 married persons (72 men and 83 women) in the village and that 11 men have more than one wife. Another fact revealed by this table is that marriage in the village is universal. All the women who are more than 25 are married and in the age-group of 15-24 there are 0!11y three unmarried girls. There are onl~ 5 men above 24 who are yet to marry. There is no widow or widower o~ young age, because widow marriage is prevalent here. Middle aged persons and those with children, how ever, do not get remarried after the death of their partners. There are no broken homes ex- BIRTH, MARRIAGE AND DEATH CUSTOMS
TA~LE IX
Divorced or Total Population Never :Married Ma,rl'icd Widowed Separated Age gronp ,-~ r---"----.. p M J!' P l\f J!' P 1\1 F P M F P M F
All ages. 34:! 163 170 171 88 1)3 155 7:2 83 15 3 12 0-14 13U 58 81 138 58 80 1 1 15-24 66 31 32 28 25 3 38 29 9 25-50 118 6;) 56 I) 5 104 56 48 8 1 7 1 ,1 60 fu u 10 12 7 5 6 2 4
l'=Persons . l\I=~Io.le F=Female cept one where husband and wife live apart twenty two. (At the time of survey one woman because of differences. below fourteen and twelve between the ages of 15-19 were found married). Marriage Customs-The different ways of entering matrimony are marriage by negotia Marriages in the village like marriages ac tion, marriage by reet and gharjawai. But the cording to Hindu rites are associated with marriage by negotiations between the parents many customs and ceremonies. First of all of the prospective bride and groom is most purohits of both parties go to the jeotshi (astro common in the village. The latter are not loger) who prepares lagan patrika, after going consulted in such matters. The negotiations through the kundli of both the boy and the are carried out by an elder or a purohit who girl. This patrika is prepared at least 15 days settles all the marriage ter,ms. Generally mar before the marriage date is fixed. All' the ce riages do not take place in the same gotra ex remonies connected with the marriages are cepting in stray cases. The main criterion in performed on the dates mentioned ,in the lagan selecting a match for the son or daughter is patrika. This also gives the details and timings that there should be no near or distant known when activities such as preparing of clothes, blood relationship between the couple. pounding of pulses and rice and plastering of Previously there used to be early marriages the house are to be performed. ' when the girl would be married before she ~TABLE X
Castewise age at marriage .A. 10-13 14-20 21-25 More than 25 Age not years stated ,--"--, ,.-----"---., ~ ~ r---.A.--, Caslcs :M l!' 111 l!' 1\1 F M l!' 1\1 F
Brahmans 5 !J 23 8 3 1 Raj puts 11 18 25 13 3 4 Kumhar 1 2 1 i 1 Soud 1 1 1 Lahar 4 G 0 2 i 1 1 Chamar 2 1 1
Total 21 34 62 25 10 7
Telalapan-At an auspicious moment mem van is also performed and dan is given ac bers of the family, relatives and villagers come cording to the financial capacity of the family up one by one and sprinkle oil with drub on after which the varyatra begins. The bride the head of the bride or bridegroom. Batna, groom carries a sword and a cocoanut with a paste prepared of barley flour flavoured with him and is accompanied by an escort called orange rinds and powdered turmeric is also ladsi. He goes in a palki (Palanquin) in case applied to soften their skin. The oil is he belongs to a swaran caste. Harijans either massaged for 5, 7 or 9 times according' to ride a horse or go on foot. what is written in the lagan patrika. These ceremonies take place in the bride's house When the bridegroom leaves for the bride's and the bride-groom's house separately an_d house a thali (bronze plate) of ghee and a cow the timings may also be different. or some ready cash representing its value are given in alms. The bridegroom's party con Kangnoo Bandhna-A mauli is tied round sists of bajantries (instrument players) who the wrists of both the boy and the girl and play on shehnai, karnals; narsinghas, dhol and many knots are given to it by relatives and naRaras and an attendant who carries suhag friends. A small iron ring, some grains of palairi on his back. The suhag palairi is a mustard seed, betel nut (supari) and a· cowrie round box containing clothes, ornaments. or two are tied to this kangnoo. This cere suhag pura, comb, mirror, dry fruits alld bindi mony also takes place separately in the homes for the bride. Whoever carries these articles of the bride and the groom. also takes with him till-tallai (a pot containing A Rajput bridegroom is given sacred thread left over ubtan and oil with pice and a ring (Yagyopavit) at this time. Brahmans acquire dipped in it). After suhag patairi next in the the right to wear this thread at an earlier age. procession is the most important person the After bath the bridegroom w!!ars-the yagyopa bridegroom accompanied by a ladsi. Both of viI and performs puja of all nakshatras, them are carried in a palanquin. Last of all naugrehas, Ganesh, Kshetrapal, Dwarpal, In are the relatives and friends of the bride dra, Brahma and Durga. He puts on clothes groom. given to him by his maternal uncle. These. During the survey a Rajput girl was married consist of a shirt, pyjamas or dhoti, sweater and the details here are based on the observa or a waist coat, choga (a long coat), turban tions made on the spot by the investigator. (red coloured) murkalis (ornament for the ears), and a sehra of tilIa which is. the most Toran-At bride's place toran (welcome important item of dress of the bndegroom. arches of bamboo sticks and decorated with The sehra resembles the crown or mukat colours) are erected one near the vedi and the which is the head dress of Lord Krishna. Ra- other at the entrance to the house. BIRTH, MARRIAGE AND DEAtH cUsToMs 31 Three or four days before the reception of Krishna and Naurang. The description of the the bara!, the ladies gathered at the girl's house path on which he comes is similar to the sing and dance giddhas. In these dances men paths which gods tread. do not disturb them when they are having a bit of fun and frolic. ~ ilfT:q-) am '-ft ~Bridegroom's falher has green turf and bride's father haS" kungoo From where did you get turf and from where the hungoo Green turf was brought from the fields Kungoo was purchased from the shop.
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