Golar, [34] Gollam, Golla, Gola, Golkar.--The great shepherd caste
of the Telugu country, which numbers nearly 1 1/2 million of persons
in Madras and Hyderabad. In the Central Provinces there were under
3000 Golars in 1901, and they were returned principally from the
Balaghat and Seoni Districts. But 2500 Golkars, who belonged to
Chanda and were classified under Ahirs in 1901, may, in view of
the information now available, be considered to belong to the Golar
caste. Some 2000 Golars were enumerated in Berar. They are a nomadic
people and frequent Balaghat, owing to the large area of grazing
land found in the District. The caste come from the south and speak
a dialect of Canarese. Hindus liken the conversation of two Golars to
two cocks crowing at each other. [35] They seem to have no subcastes
except that in Chanda the Yera and Nana, or black and white Golkars,
are distinguished. Marriage is regulated by the ordinary system
of exogamous groups, but no meaning can be assigned to the names
of these. In Seoni they say that their group-names are the same as
those of the Gonds, and that they are related to this great tribe;
but though both are no doubt of the same Dravidian stock, there is no
reason for supposing any closer affinity to exist, and the statement
may be explained by the fact that Golars frequently reside in Gond
villages in the forest; and in accordance with a practice commonly
found among village communities the fiction of relationship has grown
up. The children of brothers and sisters are allowed to marry, but not
those of two sisters, the reason stated for this prohibition being that
during the absence of the mother her sister nurses her children; the
children of sisters are therefore often foster brothers and sisters,
and this is considered as equivalent to the real relationship. But
the marriage of a brother's son to a sister's daughter is held,
as among the Gonds, to be a most suitable union. The adult marriage
of girls involves no stigma, and the practice of serving for a wife
is sometimes followed. Weddings may not be held during the months of
Shrawan, Bhadon, Kunwar and Pus. The marriage altar is made of dried
cowdung plastered over with mud, in honour perhaps of the animal which
affords the Golars their livelihood. The clothes of the bridegroom
and bride are knotted together and they walk five times round the
altar. In Bhandara the marriages of Golars are celebrated both at
the bride's house and the bridegroom's. The bridegroom rides on a
horse, and on arrival at the marriage-shed is presented by his future
mother-in-law with a cup of milk. The bride and bridegroom sit on a
platform together, and each gets up and sits down nine times, whoever
accomplishes this first being considered to have won. The bridegroom
then takes the bride's little finger in his hand and they walk nine
times round the platform. He afterwards falls at the girl's feet, and
standing up carries her inside the house, where they eat together out
of one dish. After three days the party proceeds to the bridegroom's
house, where the same ceremonies are gone through. Here the family
barbers of the bride and bridegroom take the couple up in their arms
and dance, holding them, and all the party dance too. The remarriage of
widows is permitted, a sum of Rs. 25 being usually paid to the parents
of the woman by her second husband. Divorce may be effected at the
option of either party, and documents are usually drawn up on both
sides. The Golars worship Mahadeo and have a special deity, Hularia,
who protects their cattle from disease and wild beasts. A clay image
of Hularia is erected outside the village every five or ten years and
goats are offered to it. Each head of a family is supposed to offer
on the first occasion two goats, and on the second and subsequent
ones, five, seven, nine and twelve goats respectively. But when a
man dies his son starts afresh with an offering of two. The flesh
of the animals offered is consumed by the caste-fellows. The name
Hularia Deo has some connection with the Holias, a low Telugu caste
of leather-workers to whom the Golars appear to be related, as they
have the same family names. When a Golar dies a plate of cooked rice
is laid on his body and then carried to the burning-ghat. The Holias
belonging to the same section go with it, and before arrival the plate
of rice is laid on the ground and the Holias eat it. The Golars have
various superstitions, and on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays they
will not give salt, fire, milk or water to any one. They usually burn
the dead, the corpse being laid with the head to the south, though
in some localities the Hindu custom of placing the head to the north
has been adopted. They employ Brahmans for religious and ceremonial
purposes. The occupation of the caste is to breed and tend buffaloes
and cattle, and they also deal in live-stock, and sell milk, curds and
ghi. They were formerly addicted to dacoity and cattle-theft. They have
a caste panchayat, the head of which is designated as Mokasi. Formerly
the Mokasi received Rs. 15 on the marriage of a widow, and Rs. 5 when
a person temporarily outcasted was readmitted to social intercourse,
but these payments are now only occasionally made. The caste drink
liquor and eat flesh, including pigs and fowls, but not beef. They
employ Brahmans for ceremonial purposes, but their social status is
low and they are practically on a level with the Dravidian tribes. The
dialect of Canarese spoken by the Golars is known as Golari, Holia
or Komtau, and is closely related to the form which that language
assumes in Bijapur; [36] but to outsiders they now speak Hindi.