The caste commonly bury the dead and erect memorial stones at the
heads of graves which they worship in the month of Chait (April),
smearing them with vermilion and making an offering of flowers. This
may either be a Dravidian usage or have been adopted by imitation
from the Muhammadans. The caste worship the ordinary Hindu deities,
but each family has a _Kul-devi_ or household god, Mr. Korke remarks,
to which they pay special reverence. The offerings made to the Kul-devi
must be consumed by the family alone, but married daughters are allowed
to participate. They employ Nimari Brahmans as their priests, and also
have _gurus_ or spiritual preceptors, who are Gosains or Bairagis. They
will take food cooked with water from Brahmans, Rajputs, Munda Gujars
and Tirole Kunbis. The last two groups are principal agricultural
castes of the locality and the Bhilalas are probably employed by them
as farmservants, and hence accept cooked food from their masters in
accordance with a common custom. The local Brahmans of the Nagar,
Naramdeo, Baisa and other subcastes will take water from the hand of
a Bhilala. Temporary excommunication from caste is imposed for the
usual offences, such as going to jail, getting maggots in a wound,
killing a cow, a dog or a squirrel, committing homicide, being beaten
by a man of low caste, selling shoes at a profit, committing adultery,
and allowing a cow to die with a rope round its neck; and further, for
touching the corpses of a cow, cat or horse, or a Barhai (carpenter) or
Chamar (tanner). They will not swear by a dog, a cat or a squirrel, and
if either of the first two animals dies in a house, it is considered to
be impure for a month and a quarter. The head of the caste committee
has the designation of Mandloi, which is a territorial title borne
by several families in Nimar. He receives a share of the fine levied
for the _Sarni_ or purification ceremony, when a person temporarily
expelled is readmitted into caste. Under the Mandloi is the Kotwal
whose business is to summon the members to the caste assemblies;
he also is paid out of the fines and his office is hereditary.