The caste have also a number of exogamous groups, generally named
after plants or animals, or bearing some nickname given to the reputed
founder. Instances of the first class are Tuma, a gourd, Karsayal,
a deer, Bhalwa, a bear, Ghughu, an owl, and so on. Members of such a
sept abstain from injuring the animal after which the sept is named or
eating its flesh; those of the Tuma sept worship a gourd with offerings
of milk and a cocoanut at the Holi festival. Instances of titular names
are Garhtod, one who destroyed a fort, Jhagarha quarrelsome, Dehri
priest, Kala black, and so on. One sept is named Rawat, its founder
having probably belonged to the grazier caste. Members of this sept
must not visit the temple of Mahadeo at Rajim during the annual fair,
but give no explanation of the prohibition. Others are the Ahira,
also from the Ahir (herdsman) caste; the Rautele, which is the name
of a subdivision of Kols and other tribes; and the Sonwani or 'gold
water' sept, which is often found among the primitive tribes. In some
localities these three have now developed into separate subcastes,
marrying among themselves; and if any of their members become
Kabirpanthis, the others refuse to eat and intermarry with them. The
marriage of members of the same sept is prohibited, and also the union
of first cousins. Girls are generally married under ten years of age,
but if a suitable husband cannot be found for a daughter, the parents
will make her over to any member of the caste who offers himself on
condition that he bears the expenses of the marriage. In Sambalpur she
is married to a flower. Sir H. Risley notes [466] the curious fact
that in Bihar it is deemed less material that the bridegroom should
be older than the bride than that he should be taller. "This point is
of the first importance, and is ascertained by actual measurement. If
the boy shorter than the girl, or if his height is exactly the same as
hers, it is believed that the union of the two would bring ill-luck,
and the match is at once broken off." The marriage is celebrated in
the customary manner by walking round the sacred pole, after which the
bridegroom marks the forehead of the bride seven times with vermilion,
parts her hair with a comb, and then draws her cloth over her head. The
last act signifies that the bride has become a married woman, as a
girl never covers her head. In Bengal [467] a drop of blood is drawn
from the fingers of the bride and bridegroom and mixed with rice, and
each eats the rice containing the blood of the other. The anointing
with vermilion is probably a substitute for this. Widow-remarriage
and divorce are permitted. In Sambalpur a girl who is left a widow
under ten years of age is remarried with full rites as a virgin.