Girls appear to be somewhat scarce in the caste and a bride-price is
usually paid, which is given as Rs. 9 in Chanda, Rs. 35 in Bilaspur,
and Rs. 60 or more in Hoshangabad and Saugor. If a girl should be
seduced by a man of the caste she would be united to him by the
ceremony of a widow's marriage: but her family will require a bride
from her husband's family in exchange for the girl whose value he has
destroyed. Even if led astray by an outsider a girl may be readmitted
into the caste; and in the extreme case of her being debauched
by her brother, she may still be married to one of the community,
but no one will take food from her hands during her lifetime, though
her children will be recognised as proper Pardhis. A special fine of
Rs. 100 is imposed on a brother who commits this crime. The ceremony
of marriage varies according to the locality in which they reside;
usually the couple walk seven times round a _tanda_ or collection of
their small mat tents. In Berar a cloth is held up by four poles as
a canopy over them and they are preceded by a married woman carrying
five pitchers of water. Divorce and the marriage of widows are freely
permitted. The caste commonly bury their dead, placing the head to
the north. They do not shave their heads in token of mourning.