_Brahman, Sanadhya, Sanaurhia._--The Sanadhyas are considered in the
Central Provinces to be a branch of the Kanaujia division. Their
home is in the Ganges-Jumna Doab and Rohilkhand, between the Gaur
Brahmans to the north-west and the Kanaujias to the east. Mr. Crooke
states that in some localities the Sanadhyas intermarry with both
the Kanaujia and Gaur divisions. But formerly both Kanaujias and
Gaurs practised hypergamy with the Sanadhyas, taking daughters from
them in marriage but not giving their daughters to them. [434] This
fact indicates the inferiority of the Sanadhya group, but marriage
is now becoming reciprocal. In Bengal the Sanadhyas account for their
inferiority to the other Kanaujias by saying that their ancestors on
one occasion at the bidding of a Raja partook of a sacrificial feast
with all their clothes on, instead of only their loin-cloths according
to the rule among Brahmans, and were hence degraded. The Sanadhyas
themselves have two divisions, the _Sarhe-tin ghar_ and _Dasghar_,
or Three-and-a-half houses and Ten houses, of whom the former are
superior, and practise hypergamy with the latter. Further, it is said
that the Three-and-a-half group were once made to intermarry with the
degraded Kataha or Maha-Brahmans, who are funeral priests. [435] This
further indicates the inferior status of the Sanadhyas. The Sanaurhia
criminal caste of pickpockets are supposed to be made up of a nucleus
of Sanadhya Brahmans with recruits from all other castes, but this is
not certain. In the Central Provinces a number of Sanadhyas took to
carrying grain and merchandise on pack-bullocks, and are hence known
as Belwar. They form a separate subcaste, ranking below the other
Sanadhyas and marrying among themselves. Mr. Crooke notes that at
their weddings the Sanadhyas worship a potter's wheel. Some make an
image of it on the wall of the house, while others go to the potter's
house and worship his wheel there. In the Central Provinces after
the wedding they get a bed newly made with _newar_ tape and seat the
bride and bridegroom on it, and put a large plate at their feet, in
which presents are placed. The Sanadhyas differ from the Kanaujias in
that they smoke tobacco but do not eat meat, while the Kanaujias eat
meat but do not smoke. They greet each other with the word Dandawat,
adding Maharaj to an equal or superior.