Indian Antiquary Vol 03

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 90

76
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MARCH, 1874.
as smiths in the G. I. P. Railway Company's workshops.
21. There are two divisions of Telis, or oilmen: the Maratha Telîs (not to be confounded with pure Marathas); and Jeshvar Telis. Of the latter I know little. The former live by expressing and selling vegetable oils, and will have nothing to do with animal or mineral oils. In the north of the Fuņa district they often live by keeping pack-bullocks and carrying goods up and down the Ghâts. Their press is a sort of wooden pestle weighted with stones, which revolves in a huge stone mortar by the power of one bullock or buffalo.
22. There are Hindustani and Maharashtra Nah â vîsur barbers, the latter said to be divided into three; besides which, as no Nahivi will shave a Parwåri, these have bar- bers of their own caste. They are absurdly like their European brothers in trade, in their garrulous gossiping ways; and the connection of barbering and surgery, so familiar to ancient Europe, exists in the Dekhan, more particularly when a woman cannot be delivered ;-the Nahâvî is summoned, and with his shears he cuts the child to pieces in, I am told, a wonderfully skilful manner, all things considered. One curious duty of the village barber is to run before travellers of rank at night with a torch. In Taluka Sowda, Zilla Khandesh, there are several villages of which the Pâtils and most of the cultivators are Nahavis. Some Nahậvis hold it infra dig. to shave beasts, and others do not. This, so far as I can find, is a matter less of caste than of taste.
23. Of Weavers there are the Koshtis and Salis:t the former are the higher caste, and make finer stuffs.
24. The Jinagars are saddlers, some are whitesmiths; but they all eat and intermarry together, and are apt to be great rogues. They are said to have come originally from Dekhan Haidaraibad.
25. The Kumbh års are potters. There are said to be four divisions of them; viz. one of Hindustanîs, and three of Dekhanis, who are (a.) Tile- and brick-makers, (6) Pot-makers, (c) Image-makers, but I am not aware of the distinc
tion between these. They make no fine china : the highest form of their art is to put a rough black or yellow glaze upon pots, and they have little idea of variety in form, though what patterns they do use are not wanting in utility and grace. In the Bhimthadi Tâluka of Pana they sometimes make temples, or rather shrines, of one piece about five feet high, which are considered objects of high art, and great additions to the beauty of the field or garden whose tutelary deity they protect. Other castes sometimes make their own bricks, but never their tiles or pots.
26. The Kachis are an immigrant race from Bundelkhand, employed in the manufacture of flower-garlands for festivals and for the service of the gods. Notwithstanding their idyllic occupation, they are a bad lot, and when subordinate magistrate of the city of Puņi, I had more cases of assault, abusive language, and adultery from among the Kachis than from any other caste, relatively to their number. They are not often found in small villages.
27. The Hala wais are confectioners. There are Hindustani and Dekhani Halawais. Hindustani Brahmans sometimes exercise this trade at railway stations and in public places, having this advantage that almost any one can take food from their hands.
28. The Bhadab hunjyas are a caste from Hindustan who parch grain, and also prepare the black sand used in our offices for drying manuscript.
29. Hióda Bhistis, or water-bearers, are usually of the caste of Kolîs, which has four divisions, viz. :(n.) Hillor Konkani Kolis, who will be
treated of under the head of wild tribes; (6.) Coast or fishing Kolis, who are
not known in the Dekhan; (c.) Khandesh Kolis (subdivided again,
but not known in the Dekhan); (a.) and the caste now under consideration It is considered low among Marathâs to draw one's own water-that should be done by the Koli; and accordingly he and his buffalo, laden with a pair of huge dripping water-skins, are very important characters in every Dekban village. He is one of the Bârî Baluted år,
*"The lower section shave the bair from all parts of the body, and apply the turbadi (cupping-horn) and leeches; in the Karnataka others cut off the hair of camels and buf. faloes, and some act as mursals."-Trans. Med. f. Phys. Socy. ut supra, p. 233.
+ "They are weavers of white or undyed cloth: they are not allowed to eat animal food or drink spirituous liquors."-Trans. Med. Phys. Socy. ut supra, p. 239.