[Religion.] 17. Chamârs in the main conform to the popular type of village Hinduism. To the east of the Province all, except the richer and more advanced members of the caste, dispense with the services of Brâhmans, except in so far as they usually consult them about the marriage auspices. To the west their marriage ceremonies are performed under the guidance of the low Gurra or Chamarwa Brâhmans. To the east, as they become rich and influential, they employ Sarwariya or Kanaujiya Brâhmans of a degraded type. To the west the mourners accompanying the corpse address the Creator in the words—Tûhi hai; tain ne paida kiya, aur tain ne mâr liya. “Thou art He; Thou hast created and then destroyed.” In Rohilkhand their clan deities are Bhawâni, Jagiswâr or “the lord of the world,” Kâla Deo, Gaja Dewat, Zâhir Pîr, and Nagarsen. In Agra they call themselves of the Gorakhi sect, and worship Devi, Chamara, and Kuânwâla, “he of the well.” In Ballia they usually worship a deity whom they call Parameswar or “the Supreme Being.” The godling is supposed to dwell in a mound of earth erected in a room of the house. On the day of the Dasahra festival seven wheaten cakes and some halwa are offered, and some cloves and cardamoms are ground up and mixed in water, which is poured on the ground. This is known as chhâk. Sometimes the offering consists of a young pig and some spirits. When a person is absent from home, he does not erect any mound or oratory (deokuri) until he returns. In Mirzapur they have a special deity known as Terha Deva or “the crooked one;” they also worship the Vindhyabâsini Devi, of Bindhâchal; Bânru Bîr, a demon of whom they know nothing but the name; Sairi Devi, Birtiya, and the sainted dead (purkha log). All these deities are worshipped in times of trouble with the sacrifice of a young pig, the meat of which is eaten by the worshippers and with a libation of spirits. On the Pachainyân festival milk and parched grain are offered at the hole occupied by the domestic snake. Those who have no children fast and worship the sun godling, Sûraj Nârâyan, in the hope of offspring. Fire and the moon are also occasionally worshipped. To the east their chief festivals are the snake feast at the Pachainyân; the Kajari, which is a sort of saturnalia held in the rainy season, when women drink and the rules of modesty are held in abeyance; the Tîj, on which women fast for the welfare of their husbands and sons, and next day eat cakes (pûri); the Phagua or Holi. A second wife wears an image representing the deceased, known as sirajna, round the neck, and when she puts on fresh clothes or jewelry she touches them first with the image as a sign that they have been offered to the spirit of her predecessor. If this be not done, it is believed that the offended spirit of the first wife will bring disease or death.