Another class of local subdivisions consists of those Brahmans who
live on the banks of the various sacred rivers or at famous shrines,
and earn their livelihood by conducting pilgrims through the series
of ceremonies and acts of worship which are performed on a visit to
such places; they receive presents from the pilgrims and the offerings
made at the shrines. The most prominent among these are the Gayawals of
Gaya, the Prayagwals of Allahabad (Prayag), the Chaubes of Mathura, the
Gangaputras (Sons of the Ganges) of Benares, the Pandarams of southern
India and the Naramdeo Brahmans who hold charge of the many temples on
the Nerbudda. As such men accept gifts from pilgrims they are generally
looked down on by good Brahmans and marry among themselves. Many of
them have a character for extortion and for fleecing their clients,
a propensity commonly developed in a profession of this kind. Such
a reputation particularly attaches to the Chaubes of Mathura and
Brindaban, the holy places of the god Krishna. They are strong and
finely built men, but gluttonous, idle and dissolute. Some of the
Benares Brahmans are known as Sawalakhi, or having one and a quarter
lakhs, apparently on account of the wealth they amass from pilgrims. A
much lower group are the Maha-Brahmans (great Brahmans), who are also
known as Patit (degraded) or Katia. These accept the gifts offered by
the relatives after a death for the use of the dead man in the next
world during the period of mourning; they also eat food which it is
supposed will benefit the dead man, and are considered to represent
him. Probably on this account they share in the impurity attaching to
the dead, and are despised by all castes and sometimes not permitted to
live in the village. Other Brahmans are degraded on account of their
having partly adopted Muhammadan practices. The Husaini Brahmans of
western India are so called as they combine Muhammadan with Hindu
rites. They are principally beggars. And the Kalanki Brahmans of
Wardha and other Districts are looked down upon because, it is said,
that at the bidding of a Muhammadan governor they make a figure of
a cow from sugar and eat it up. Probably they may have really acted
as priests to Muhammadans who were inclined to adopt certain Hindu
rites on the principle of imitation, and with a view to please their
disciples conformed to some extent to Islam.