The sweeper stands at the very bottom of the social ladder of
Hinduism. He is considered to be the representative of the Chandala
of Manu, [243] who was said to be descended of a Sudra father and a
Brahman woman. "It was ordained that the Chandala should live without
the town; his sole wealth should be dogs and asses; his clothes should
consist of the cerecloths of the dead; his dishes should be broken pots
and his ornaments rusty iron. No one who regarded his duties should
hold intercourse with the Chandalas and they should marry only among
themselves. By day they might roam about for the purposes of work,
but should be distinguished by the badges of the Raja, and should
carry out the corpse of any one who died without kindred. They should
always be employed to slay those who by the law were sentenced to be
put to death, and they might take the clothes of the slain, their
beds and their ornaments." Elsewhere the Chandala is said to rank
in impurity with the town boar, the dog, a woman during her monthly
illness and a eunuch, none of whom must a Brahman allow to see him
when eating. [244] Like the Chandala, the sweeper cannot be touched,
and he himself acquiesces in this and walks apart. In large towns
he sometimes carries a kite's wing in his turban to show his caste,
or goes aloof saying _pois_, which is equivalent to a warning. When
the sweeper is in company he will efface himself as far as possible
behind other people. He is known by his basket and broom, and men
of other castes will not carry these articles lest they should
be mistaken for a sweeper. The sweeper's broom is made of bamboo,
whereas the ordinary house-broom is made of date-palm leaves. The
house-broom is considered sacred as the implement of Lakshmi used
in cleaning the house. No one should tread upon or touch it with
his foot. The sweeper's broom is a powerful agent for curing the
evil eye, and mothers get him to come and wave it up and down in
front of a sick child for this purpose. Nevertheless it is lucky
to see a sweeper in the morning, especially if he has his basket
with him. In Gujarat Mr. Bhimbhai Kirparam writes of him: "Though
he is held to be lower and more unclean, the Bhangia is viewed with
kindlier feelings than the Dhed (Mahar). To meet the basket-bearing
Bhangia is lucky, and the Bhangia's blessing is valued. Even now if
a Government officer goes into a Bhangia hamlet the men with hands
raised in blessing say: 'May your rule last for ever.'" A sweeper
will eat the leavings of other people, but he will not eat in their
houses; he will take the food away to his own house. It is related
that on one occasion a sweeper accompanied a marriage party of Lodhis
(cultivators), and the Lodhi who was the host was anxious that all
should share his hospitality and asked the sweeper to eat in his house;
[245] but he repeatedly refused, until finally the Lodhi gave him a
she-buffalo to induce him to eat, so that it might not be said that
any one had declined to share in his feast. No other caste, of course,
will accept food or water from a sweeper, and only a Chamar (tanner)
will take a _chilam_ or clay pipe-bowl from his hand. The sweeper will
eat carrion and the flesh of almost all animals, including snakes,
lizards, crocodiles and tigers, and also the leavings of food of almost
any caste. Mr. Greeven remarks: [246] "Only Lalbegis and Rawats eat
food left by Europeans, but all eat food left either by Hindus or
Muhammadans; the Sheikh Mehtars as Muhammadans alone are circumcised
and reject pig's flesh. Each subcaste eats uncooked food with all the
others, but cooked food alone." From Betul it is reported that the
Mehtars there will not accept food, water or tobacco from a Kayasth,
and will not allow one to enter their houses.