_Naoda._ [336]--A small caste found in the Nimar District and in
Central India. The name means a rower and is derived from _nao_,
a boat. The caste are closely connected with the Mallahs or Kewats,
but have a slightly distinctive position, as they are employed to
row pilgrims over the Nerbudda at the great fair held at Siva's
temple on the island of Mandhata. They say that their ancestors were
Rajputs, and some of their family names, as Solanki, Rawat and Mori,
are derived from those of Rajput septs. But these have probably been
adopted in imitation of their Kshatriya overlords. The caste is an
occupational one. They have a tradition that in former times a Naoda
boatman recovered the corpse of a king's daughter, who had drowned
herself in the river wearing costly jewels, and the king as a reward
granted them the right of ferrying pilgrims at Mandhata, which they
still continue to enjoy, keeping their earnings for themselves. They
have a division of impure blood called the Gate or bastard Naodas, who
marry among themselves, and any girl who reaches the age of puberty
without being married is relegated to this. In the case of a caste
whose numbers are so small, irregular connections with outsiders must
probably be not infrequent. Another report states that adult unmarried
girls are not expelled but are married to a pipal tree. But girls are
sought after, and it is customary to pay a bride-price, the average
amount of which is Rs. 25. Before the bridegroom starts for his wedding
his mother takes and passes in front of him, successively from his
head to his feet, a pestle, some stalks of _rusa_ grass, a churning
rod and a winnowing-fan. This is done with the object of keeping off
evil spirits, and it is said that by her action she threatens to pound
the spirits with the pestle, to tie them up with the grass, to churn
and mash them with the churning-rod, and to scatter them to the winds
with the winnowing-fan. When a man wishes to divorce his wife he simply
turns her out of the house in the presence of four or five respectable
men of the caste. The marriage of a widow is celebrated on a Sunday
or Tuesday, the clothes of the couple being tied together by another
widow at night. The following day they spend together in a garden,
and in the evening are escorted home by their relatives with torches
and music. Next morning the woman goes to the well and draws water,
and her husband, accompanying her, helps her to lift the water-pots
on to her shoulder.
The caste worship the ordinary Hindu deities and especially Bhairon,
the guardian of the gate of Mahadeo's temple. They have a nail driven
into the bow of their boat which is called 'Bhairon's nail,' and at the
Dasahra festival they offer to this a white pumpkin with cocoanuts,
vermilion, incense and liquor. The caste hold in special reverence
the cow, the dog and the tamarind tree. The dog is sacred as being the
animal on which Bhairava rides, and their most solemn oaths are sworn
by a dog or a cow. They will on no account cut or burn the tamarind
tree, and the women veil their faces before it. They cannot explain
this sentiment, which is probably due to some forgotten belief of
the nature of totemism. To kill a cow or a cat intentionally involves
permanent exclusion from the caste, while the slaughter of a squirrel,
dog, horse, buffalo or monkey is punished by temporary exclusion,
it being equally sinful to allow any of these animals to die with
a rope round its neck. The Naodas eat the flesh of pigs and fowls,
but they occupy a fairly good social position and Brahmans will take
water from their hands.