1 the Ldlhegis and Chuhras, 23
2 superior to and distinct from the Dhiiuak,* and followers of Bdlmik do
3 not eat food touched by a Dlidnak.
4 The Ldlbogis of the Siirsud got are said to bo the original inhabitants
5 of iiewari, and besides Lalbeg they affect the Devi. Early marrla«^e
6 IS the 1 ule 8^d the weddiii^ i itcs are performed by a Brahman. Never-
7 theless the Sdrsud, though they observe Hindu customs, bury their
8 dead, because, they say, their ancestors once worshipped the goddess
9 Bai.
10 The Hindu Chuhras in Sirmur appear to be mainly Balinikis, They arc dinded into the
11 following septs : —
12 Dhalla or Dhaukta, Ilawat, Haled, Uauiig, Dhanak, Megh, llari, ilazbi, Balniiki, of which
13 the latter are found in Nahan tahsil. Four gots arc avoided in iiuiniagc. Weddings are
14 solemnised by their own j/uriis, who form a distinct, I.C., P/ii'rfca called Meora, resembling
15 the pddhuH of the Hindus, but are said to take food {kachchi roii and pakki) and water
16 from all Chuhras. Tlio Balmiki's and Mazbis intermarry on equal terms. Balmik and Gurii
17 Uiim Kai are worshipped, but not Lalbeg. Balmik has a makdn {pukka or kachcha) in
18 front of wliich a fire is lighted, and on this ghi is poured. Offerings made to it are given
19 to Bhangi/ugtVs who are taken from the ranks of the Chuhids. The Balmikis do not marry,
20 eat or drink with the other groups, as they regard them as inferior. At weddings the
21 chhaman fulfills the functions of a Brahman, and conducts the 7 pheras. Girls, or sdd/wn
22 of their own, are fed in lieu of Brahmans, If a Bhangi marrj' a woman of another caste he
23 is fined, but his children are regarded as legitimate. The dead are both burnt or buried, ac-
24 cording to the means of the family, burial being cheaper. Daughters may inherit in default
25 of sons, if their father bequeaths or gives his property to them. A wife can be divorced
26 but a panchdyat can award her maintenance. In Nahan town each mohalla (and there are
27 seven) has its punch. A chaudhri is appointed by the State and he nominates the punch.
28 In Paonta tahsil the Chuhras do not intermarry with the Char.gars. They have their
29 own Brahmans who solemnise marriages. The latter do not drink water from the hands
30 of, or accept food from, the Chuhras, but they may take dita and ddl and cook it for them-
31 selves. Any man can enter the Chuhra caste. Ho is struck five times on the waist with a
32 broom in the name of Balmik and made to pay a fine. Then the Chuhras cat with him and
33 ho is free of the caste.
34 Funeral ceremonies.
35 They carry their dead on a bier. On a place midway between their house and the
36 burial ground they place the bier and offer pi »Kia (e) or funeral cakes to the manes of the
37 dead, 'i he bier is then carried to the burial ground where a grave is dug and the dead
38 body is laid in it with its face turned towards the Gflnges. The grave is then filled up and
39 in the way everybody breaks a straw. Some say that this means that all connections with
40 the deceased are now broken up. On the third day all persons who carried ih: bier aie
41 feasted. If the party be a rich man, the whole burddri is fed.
42 The Lalbegi may be regarded as a llinduised Chuhra, just as the Mazbi or Rangrela is a
43 Sikh convert, and the ilu-salli, Ilalalkhor or KuUua a Chuhra convert to Islam.
44 The Chuhras have Br>ihmaus of their own, who do not, however, w'ork as Chuhras, but
45 live on the gifts and fees paid to them by their patrons. These Hrahmiuis do not e.'it
46 food cooked by Chuhras, or smoke with them (except in Kangra where, it is said, tliey do
47 smoke with Chuhras) ; though they do not avoid contact [chhdt) with them like other
48 Brahmans. These Brahmsua marry among themselves and burn their dead. Their gotra
49 is said to bo Ratn Bhardwaji and they wear rosaries of rudrdksh beads and the tiku on
50 their foreheads like regular Brahmans. Once a year the Brahman guru celebrates a
51 bhanddra or feast at wtiich all the sweepers assemble and offer him gifts in cash or kind.
52 * An account from
53 passion for her son.
54 same account assigns 55 gots
55 z Dibla.
56 Dhanak pofs ],vtka7.‘
57 C Dagal.
58 C Parcha.
59 BAlmiki gots j Dumra.
60 CChauhan
61 f Chhapparbaud
62 Sausi gots \ Punna.
63 C, Dadri,
64 ( Jhunjhat.
65 Lalbegi gots ^ Kangre.
66 CBdth.
67 Karual ascribes the origin of the Dhanaks to a woman’s incestuous
68 Balmik declared the pair impure and named them Dhanak. The
69 to the Chuhras thus : —
70 ( Kalyuni.
71 Sultani gots j Bignar.
72 ( Barasbal,