The Kirs have no endogamous divisions. For the purpose of marriage
the caste is divided into 12 1/2 gotras or sections. A man must not
marry within his own gotra or in that to which his mother belonged. The
names of the 12 gotras are as follows: Namchuria, Daima, Bania, Baman,
Nayar, Jat, Huwad, Gadri, Loharia, Hekdya, Mochi and Mali, while the
half-gotra contains the Bhats or genealogists of the caste, who are
not allowed to marry with the other subdivisions and have now formed
one of their own. Of the twelve names of gotras at least seven--Baman
(Brahman), Bania, Mali, Mochi, Gadri (Gadaria), Loharia and Jat--are
derived from other castes, and this fact is sufficient to show that
the origin of the Kirs is occupational, and that they are made up of
recruits from different castes. Infant-marriage is customary, but no
penalty is incurred if a girl remains unmarried after puberty. Only the
poorest members of the caste, however, fail to marry their daughters at
an early age. For the marriage of girls who are left unprovided for,
a subscription is raised among the caste-fellows in accordance with
the usual Hindu practice, the giving of money for this purpose being
considered to be an especially pious act. At the time of the betrothal
a bride-price called chari, varying between Rs. 14 and Rs. 20, is paid
by the boy's father, and the deed of betrothal, called lagan, is then
drawn up in the presence of the caste panchayat who are regaled with
liquor purchased out of the bride-price. A peculiarity of the marriage
ceremony is that the bridegroom is taken to the bride's house riding
on a buffalo. This custom is noteworthy, since other Hindus will
not usually ride on a buffalo, as being the animal on which Yama,
the god of death, rides. After the marriage the bride returns to
the bridegroom's house with the wedding party and stays there for
eight days, during which period she worships the family gods of her
father-in-law's house. The cost of the marriage is usually Rs. 60
for the boy's party and Rs. 40 for the girl's. But a widower on his
remarriage has to spend double this sum. The ceremonies called Gauna
and Rauna are both performed after the marriage. The former generally
takes place within a year, the bride being dressed in special new
clothes called bes, and sent with ceremony to her husband's house on
an auspicious day fixed by a Brahman. She remains there for two months
and the marriage is consummated, when she returns to her father's
house. Four months afterwards the bridegroom again goes to fetch
her and takes her away permanently, this being the Rauna ceremony. No
social stigma attaches to polygamy, and divorce is allowed on the usual
grounds. Widow-marriage is permitted, the ceremony consisting in giving
new clothes and ornaments to the widow and feeding the Panch for a day.