Page:The Indian Antiquary Vol 1.pdf/73

 Feb. 2, 1872.]

THE GONDS.

claims his descent from a deity. It is said that while a Rājput prince was once out hunting, he espied a goddess perched on a rock enjoying the wild scenery of the country. They became ena

55

-

sends out its men and women in procession, the

men ahead beating their drums, and the women behind singing—the former Iustily carolling totally different airs. When they reach Khand a rāo

moured of each other, and were blessed with a son.

and his wife, the men sit down in a ring and keep

From this man the G on dis are supposed to be de scended, and since he claimed his origin from a goddess and a Rājput prince, they style them

chaunting on, while the women form their usual are of a circle and gyrate round the pole. The birth ceremonies of the Gonds and Kirkus are alike, both give a dinner; but in their death

selves Raj-G on d s and G on d-T h a kurs. Both

the men and women, especially the latter, have

ceremonies they differ. I can best draw the distinc

a peculiar cast of countenance, which is broad and high-cheeked, with oblique eyes and a rather flat.

tion by describing each. The G on d s burn their

tish nose. They appear to be of a very lively dis

they offer up to their memory a bull or cow, which

position, and are honest and well-behaved to us. During the Holi festival, the women throw off all reserve, and do not scruple to detain for bakshish any one going through their villages or encamped near them ; they will surround him and keep danc ing and singing in a ring till their claims are com plied with. On a moonlight night both men and

they place right over the threshold and knock over with a blow from the blunt end of a hatchet. This they call the Pat. The widows are not allowed to

women assemble round their village fires and enjoy themselves by discoursing music. The B hum k as are the constituted priests of the Gonds and Kirkus, and preside at all their reli gious ceremonies. Each village has its Bhumka. These men have their special Lares and Penates, which are called the Bhum ka and Ph at a k D e

v a s—the latter being the gods they place in a road over which visitors to shrines pass, and through these tutelar deities, they levy a sort of black-mail on all who go that way. The chief gods of the people appear to be B a r a Deo, Maha deo, Näräy and e o, M at à, and Khan da r a o ; in fact, almost every hill-top has on it the stone individuality of some one of their many mythological powers. To them are offered up the narial, khajur, sindur, pach-khaja, chandal, incense, eggs, limes, and fowls. The last named god plays a prominent part during the Holi festival. He is to be seen in almost every village, represented by a long red-coloured pole, which is driven verti cally into the ground. A ladder leads to the top of the pole, a few feet below which is a platform made of bambu work, on which two men can take their places. On the extremity of the pole is placed a cross-piece which revolves round: to the ends of it men and women allow themselves to be attached

and swung round—fanatics submitting to the hook. This is what they call the G 3. l. At the foot of this pole are placed stone or earthen images, which are call ed Kham and Kham i, the former being the male, the latter the female representation. As I said before, it is during the Holi this god calls his votaries in large numbers, when they bring their offerings, which are alway cocks and hens—men presenting the for mer and

women the latter. The Bhum k a deca

pitates them ; the offerertakes the trunk and sprinkles the posts and stones with the warm blood, when, from a basket, little pieces of cake are broken and

put before the deities. On the G & 1 day each village

adults and bury their children. After a few days

marry without the consent of the P a tia, who is the high priest of the B a r a de va, and one is attached to every Got [gotra], which I shall here after describe. The Patia, in technical language, sells the widow for five rupees to the man seeking her hand : in other words, five rupees are used in the ceremony. The Kirkus, like the Gonds, burn their adults and

bury their children.

They offer goats and fowls to

their G at a-Peris—which are their Lares and are

made of wood—supposed representations of the de ceased, who are thusincorporated into theirpolytheis tic category. The ceremony itself is called Sido lior

Phuljh a ri. On the day appointed, friends are invited, a great deal of eating, drinking, dancing, and merry-making is gone through. From the cross beam of the roof a thread is suspended, and its lower end hangs directly over a small cup of brass

or clay, and to the upper end a finger-ring is at tached so as to run down at the slightest oscillation ; after a short time it begins to move and drops into the receptacle below, with a clanging sound, then the wandering spirit is supposed to have returned to his former haunts, and ceases to molest any one: for so long as his relations do not propitiate him, the restless spirit, they say, will annoy them —either sickness, want, or ravages by wild animals on their cattle will keep afflicting them. When Gonds marry, a dinner is given, and the food consists of dal and kutki. The bride gets, as a present, a cloth and a pair of anklets. When a man makes his overtures and is accepted, if able, he gives the bride's parents 9 rupees, 160 sers of

kutki, 40 sers dal, 160 sers kodo; if not able to supply these, he makes terms of servitude for a period of 5, 7 or 12 years, and though he may soon get married afterwards, still he goes on working at his

father-in-law's house.

This is called

lam

jhana. When among the Kirkus a marriage is settled on, the asker gives a good supply of liquor to the bride-elect's father ; this binds the contract. If he cannot give 20 rupees or their value (if he be a widower Rs. 40, or their equivalent), he is obliged