Gauria. [21]--A small caste of snake-charmers and jugglers who are
an offshoot of the Gond tribe. They number about 500 persons and
are found only in Chhattisgarh. They have the same exogamous septs
as the Gonds, as Markam, Marai, Netam, Chhedaiha, Jagat, Purteti,
Chichura and others. But they are no doubt of very mixed origin, as is
shown by the fact that they do not eat together at their feasts, but
the guests all cook their own food and eat it separately. And after
a daughter has been married her own family even will not take food
from her hand because they are doubtful of her husband's status. It
is said that the Gaurias were accustomed formerly to beg only from
the Kewat caste, though this restriction is no longer maintained. The
fact may indicate that they are partly descended from the unions of
Kewats with Gond women.
Adult marriage is the general rule of the caste and a fixed bride-price
of sixteen rupees is paid. The couple go away together at once and six
months afterwards return to visit the bride's parents, when they are
treated as outsiders and not allowed to touch the food cooked for the
family, while they reciprocally insist on preparing their own. Male
Gaurias will take food from any of the higher castes, but the women
will eat only from Gaurias. They will admit outsiders belonging to
any caste from whom they can take food into the community. And if
a Gauria woman goes wrong with a member of any of these castes they
overlook the matter and inflict only a feast as a penalty.
Their marriage ceremony consists merely in the placing of bangles
on the woman's wrists, which is the form by which a widow is married
among other castes. If a widow marries a man other than her husband's
younger brother, the new husband must pay twelve rupees to her first
husband's family, or to her parents if she has returned to them. If
she takes with her a child born of her first husband with permission
to keep it, the second husband must pay eight rupees to the first
husband's family as the price of the child. But if the child is to be
returned as soon as it is able to shift for itself the second husband
receives eight rupees instead of paying it, as remuneration for his
trouble in rearing the baby. The caste bury their dead with the feet
to the south, like the Hindus. The principal business of the Gaurias
is to catch and exhibit snakes, and they carry a damru or rattle in
the shape of an hour-glass, which is considered to be a distinctive
badge of the caste. If a Gauria saw an Ojha snake-charmer carrying
a damru he would consider himself entitled to take it from the Ojha
forcibly if he could. A Gauria is forbidden to exhibit monkeys under
penalty of being put out of caste. Their principal festival is the
Nag-Panchmi, when the cobra is worshipped. They also profess to know
charms for curing persons bitten by snakes. The following incantation
is cried by a Gauria snake-doctor three times into the ears of his
patient in a loud voice:
"The bel tree and the bel leaves are on the other side of the
river. All the Gaurias are drowned in it. The breast of the koil;
over it is a net. Eight snakes went to the forest. They tamed rats
on the green tree. The snakes are flying, causing the parrots to
fly. They want to play, but who can make them play? After finishing
their play they stood up; arise thou also, thou sword. I am waking you
(the patient) up by crying in your ear, I conjure you by the name of
Dhanvantari [22] to rise carefully."
Similar meaningless charms are employed for curing the bites of
scorpions and for exorcising bad spirits and the influence of the
evil eye.
The Gaurias will eat almost all kinds of flesh, including pigs, rats,
fowls and jackals, but they abstain from beef. Their social status is
so low that practically no caste will take food or water from them,
but they are not considered as impure. They are great drunkards,
and are easily known by their damrus or rattles and the baskets in
which they carry their snakes.