Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 2 of 7Thurston, Edgar
History
Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 2 of 7
Thurston, Edgar
Caste -- India, South; Ethnology -- India, South; India, South -- Social life and customs; Tribes -- India, South
Of the sub-division noted above, Behara is apparently a title
only. Bolodiya is the name of a section of the Tellis, who
use pack-bullocks (bolodi, a bull) for carrying grain about the
country. Pattilia must be a mistake for Pachilia. The sections among
the Gaudos which are recognised by all castes in the Ganjam district
are Sollokhondia, Bhatta, Gopopuriya, Madhurapuriya, Mogotho,
Apoto, and Pachilia. These, with the exception of Gopopuriya and
Madhurapuriya, seem to be endogamous sub-divisions. The Bhatta Gaudos
go by the name of Gopopuriya in some places and Madhurapuriya in
others, both these names being connected with the legendary history
of the origin of the caste. The Apoto and Bhatta Gaudos are sometimes
employed as palanquin-bearers. The Mogotho Gaudos, who live on the
hills, are regarded as an inferior section, because they do not abstain
from eating fowls. The Sollokhondia section is regarded as superior,
and consequently all Oriya castes, Brahman and non-Brahman, will accept
water at the hands of members thereof. An orthodox Oriya non-Brahman,
and all Oriya Brahmans, will not receive water from Telugu or Tamil
Brahmans, whom they call Komma Brahmans, Komma being a corrupt form
of karma, i.e., Brahmans who are strict in the observance of the
various karmas (ceremonial rites).
The Sollokhondia Gaudos are agriculturists, rear cattle and sheep,
and sometimes earn a living by driving carts. They have gotras,
among which the most common are Moiro (peacock), Nagasiro (cobra),
and Kochimo (tortoise). Their caste council is presided over by a
hereditary headman called Mahankudo, who is assisted by a Bhollobaya,
Desiya, and Khorsodha or Dhondia. The Khorsodha is the caste servant,
and the Desiya eats with a delinquent who is received back into the
fold after he has been tried by the council. The Sollokhondias are for
the most part Paramarthos, i.e., followers of the Chaitanya form of
Vaishnavism. They show a partiality for the worship of Jagannathaswami,
and various Takuranis (village deities) are also reverenced. Bairagis
are the caste priests.
The marriage prohibitions among the Sollokhondias are those which hold
good among many Oriya castes, but marriage with the maternal uncle's
daughter (menarikam) is sometimes practiced. On the evening preceding
the marriage day (bibha), after a feast, the bride and bridegroom's
parties go to a temple, taking with them all the articles which are
to be used in connection with the marriage ceremonial. On their way
back, seven married girls, carrying seven vessels, go to seven houses,
and beg water, which is used by the bridal couple for their baths on
the following day. Either on the day before the wedding day, or on
the bibha day, the bridegroom is shaved, and the bride's nails are
pared. Sometimes a little of the hair of her forehead is also cut
off. The marriage rites do not materially differ from those of the
Bhondaris (q.v.).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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