Outsiders are not usually admitted, but if a Bhaina forms a connection
with a woman of another tribe, they will admit the children of such
a union, though not the woman herself. For they say: 'The seed is
ours and what matters the field on which it was sown.' But a man
of the Kawar tribe having intimacy with a Bhaina woman may be taken
into the community. He must wait for three or four months after the
matter becomes known and will beg for admission and offer to give
the penalty feast. A day is fixed for this and invitations are sent
to members of the caste. On the appointed day the women of the tribe
cook rice, pulse, goat's flesh and urad cakes fried in oil, and in
the evening the people assemble and drink liquor and then go to take
their food. The candidate for admission serves water to the men and
his prospective wife to the women, both being then permitted to take
food with the tribe. Next morning the people come again and the woman
is dressed in a white cloth with bangles. The couple stand together
supported by their brother-in-law and sister-in-law respectively,
and turmeric dissolved in water is poured over their heads. They
are now considered to be married and go round together and give the
salutation or Johar to the people, touching the feet of those who
are entitled to this mark of respect, and kissing the others. Among
the offences for which a man is temporarily put out of caste is
getting the ear torn either accidentally or otherwise, being beaten
by a man of very low caste, growing san-hemp (_Crotalaria juncea_),
rearing tasar silk-worms or getting maggots in a wound. This last is
almost as serious an offence as killing a cow, and, in both cases,
before an offender can be reinstated he must kill a fowl and swallow
a drop or two of its blood with turmeric. Women commonly get the lobe
of the ear torn through the heavy ear-rings which they wear; and in
a squabble another woman will often seize the ear-ring maliciously
in order to tear the ear. A woman injured in this way is put out of
caste for a year in Janjgir. To grow turmeric or garlic is also an
offence against caste, but a man is permitted to do this for his own
use and not for sale. A man who gets leprosy is said to be permanently
expelled from caste. The purification of delinquents is conducted
by members of the Sonwani (gold-water) and Patel (headman) septs,
whose business it is to give the offender water to drink in which
gold has been dipped and to take over the burden of his sins by first
eating food with him. But others say that the Hathi or elephant sept
is the highest, and to its members are delegated these duties. And
in Janjgir again the president of the committee gives the gold-water,
and is hence known as Sonwan; and this office must always be held by
a man of the Bandar or monkey sept.