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Districts. | Number.
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Allahâbâd | 21
Benares | 590
Ghâzipur | 53
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Total | 664
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Gandhi (Sanskrit, gandhika, gandha “perfume”), the manufacturer of
incenses and perfumes.—“The tendency to supplant Hindustâni by Persian
words has given rise to the use of many other terms—’Itrfarosh,
Khushbusâz, ’Itrsâz, and ’Attâr used in a perverted sense.” [398] They
are both Shaikh and Sayyid Musalmâns, who marry only among themselves.
Some of the more advanced follow the Musalmân rules of exogamy, but
among those who live much with Hindus there is a tendency to revert to
the recognised Hindu formula, and they will not marry the daughter of
the uncles or aunts on both sides. The final Census Returns include a
number of sections which, however, do not appear to influence marriage.
These are among the Hindu branch, which is not separately marked off in
the returns, Dinâr: and among the Muhammadans Deswâli, Gandhikâr,
Jagbasa, Kapariya, Kanju, Shaikh, Sadîqi, Sikhri, and Unta. They
believe themselves to be descended from two ancient worthies, Shaikh
Sana and Shaikh Zainuddîn, to whom at various seasons of the year they
make offerings of food and sweetmeats. In the Eastern Districts they
look on Jaunpur as their head-quarters. Widow-marriage is forbidden.
Marriage is performed in the forms known as shâdi or charhauwa, and the
dola, but by the Musalmân ritual women of other castes are admitted by
reading passages of the Qurân over them and making them eat the
leavings of a Gandhi. Wives are divorced for adultery, but the custom
of wives divorcing their husbands is unknown.
[Religion.] 2. They principally venerate Imâm Husain, ‘Ali and Ghâzi
Miyân. To these are offered sweetmeats, cakes (malîda), and a special
kind of prepared rice called tinchâwali. On the ‘Îd, Shab-i-barât, and
Baqar ‘Îd they make offerings of food to the spirits of their dead
ancestors.
[Occupation and social status.] 3. The process of manufacture is
distillation as practised at liquor distilleries, but the still
(bhabka, bhapka) used in distilling perfumes is of peculiar
construction. “I can best describe it as a gigantic goblet (surâhi)
made of copper. In this is placed what is called the zâmin or mâwa of
all perfumes, viz., Sandal ‘Itr, which is made at Kanauj. The flowers
from which the perfume is to be extracted are thrown into water in the
cauldron on the fire, and then perfume comes off in steam and passes
through the worm into the copper bhapka and combines with the Sandal
‘Itr. When the bhapka is removed the perfumed oil is separated from the
water in the bhapka by skimming the surface with the hands.” [399] They
follow the Musalmân rules regarding food, but will not eat food cooked
by Muhammadan Mehtars.