_Dangri._ [508]--A small caste of melon and vegetable growers, whose
name is derived from _dangar_ or _dangra_, a water-melon. They reside
in the Wardha and Bhandara Districts, and numbered about 1800 persons
in 1911. The caste is a mixed one of functional origin, and appears to
be an offshoot from the Kunbis with additions from other sources. In
Wardha they say that their ancestor was one of two brothers to whom
Mahadeo gave the seeds of a juari plant and a water-melon respectively
for sowing. The former became the ancestor of the Kunbis and the latter
of the Dangris. On one occasion when Mahadeo, assuming the guise of a
beggar, asked the Dangri brother for a water-melon, he refused to give
it, and on this account his descendants were condemned to perpetual
poverty. In fact, the Dangris, like the other market-gardening castes,
are badly off, possibly on account of their common habit of marrying
a number of wives, whom they utilise as labourers in their vegetable
gardens; for though a wife is better than a hired labourer for their
particular method of cultivation, where supervision is difficult
and the master may be put to serious loss from bad work and petty
pilfering, while there is also much scope for women workers; yet on
the other hand polygamy tends to the breeding of family quarrels and
to excessive subdivision of property. The close personal supervision
which is requisite perhaps also renders it especially difficult to
carry on the business of market-gardening on a large scale. In any
case the agricultural holdings of the Malis and Dangris are as a
rule very small. The conclusion indicated by the above story that the
Dangris are an offshoot from the Kunbi caste of cultivators appears
to be correct; and it is supported by the fact that they will accept
food cooked with water from the Baone Kunbis. But their subcastes
show that even this small body is of very heterogeneous composition;
for they are divided into the Teli, the Kalar, the Kunbi and the
Gadiwan Dangris, thus showing that the caste has received recruits
from the Telis or oilmen and the Kalars or liquor-sellers. The
Gadiwan, as their name denotes, are a separate section who have
adopted the comparatively novel occupation of cart-driving for a
livelihood. In Wardha there is also a small class of Panibhar or
waterman Dangris who are employed as water-bearers, this occupation
arising not unnaturally from that of growing melons and other crops
in river-beds. And a few members of the caste have taken to working
in iron. The bulk of the Dangris, however, grow melons, chillies and
brinjals on the banks or in the beds of rivers; but as the melon crop
is raised in a period of six weeks during the hot season, they can
also undertake some ordinary cultivation. When the melons ripen the
first fruits are offered to Mahadeo and given to a Brahman to ensure
the success of the crop. When the melon plants are in flower, a woman
must not enter the field during the period of her monthly impurity,
as it is believed that she would cause the crop to wither. While it
may safely be assumed that the Dangris originated from the great Kunbi
caste, it may be noted that some of them tell a story to the effect
that their original home was Benares, and that they came from there
into the Central Provinces; hence they call themselves Kashi Dangri,
Kashi being the classical name for Benares. This legend appears to
be entirely without foundation, as their family names, speech and
customs are alike of purely Marathi origin. But it is found among
other castes also that they like to pretend that they came from
Benares, the most sacred centre of Hinduism. The social customs of
the Dangris resemble those of the Kunbis, and it is unnecessary to
describe them in detail. Before their weddings they have a curious
ceremony known as Dewat Puja. The father of the bridegroom, with an
axe over his shoulder and accompanied by his wife, goes to a well
or a stream. Here they clean a small space with cow-dung and make
an offering of rice, flowers, turmeric and incense, after which
the man, breaking his bangle from off his wrist, throws it into the
water, apparently as a propitiatory offering for the success of the
marriage. It is not stated what the bangle is made of, but it may be
assumed that a valuable one would not thus be thrown away. As among
some of the other Maratha castes, the bridegroom must be wrapped in a
blanket on his journey to the bride's village. If a bachelor desires
to espouse a widow he must first go through the ceremony of marriage
with a swallow-wort plant. Polygamy is freely permitted, and some
Dangris are known to have as many as five wives. As already stated,
wives are of great assistance in gardening work, which demands much
hand-labour. Divorce and the remarriage of widows are allowed. The
Dangris commonly bury the dead, and they place cotton leaves over the
eyes and ears of the corpse. In Bhandara they say that this is done
when it is believed the dead person was possessed by an evil spirit,
and there is possibly some idea of preventing the escape of the spirit
from the body. In Wardha the Dangris have rather a bad reputation,
and a saying current about them is '_Dangri beta puha chor_,' or
'A Dangri will steal even a shred of cotton'; but this may be a libel.