Kolhati, Dandewala, Bansberia, Kabutari. [563]--The name by which
the Beria caste of Northern and Central India is known in Berar. The
Berias themselves, in Central India at any rate, are a branch of the
Sansias, a vagrant and criminal class, whose traditional occupation
was that of acting as bards and genealogists to the Jat caste. The
main difference between the Sansias and Berias is that the latter
prostitute their women, or those of them who are not married. [564]
The Kolhatis of Berar, who also do this, appear to be a branch of
the Beria caste who have settled in the Deccan and now have customs
differing in several respects from those of the parent caste. It
is therefore desirable to reproduce briefly the main heads of the
information given about them in the works cited above. In 1901 the
Kolhatis numbered 1300 persons in Berar. In the Central Provinces
they were not shown separately, but were included with the Nats. But
in 1891 a total of 250 Kolhatis were returned. The word Kolhati is
said to be derived from the long bamboo poles which they use for
jumping, known as Kolhat. The other names, Dandewala and Bansberia,
meaning those who perform feats with a stick or bamboo, also have
reference to this pole. Kabutari as applied to the women signifies
that their dancing resembles the flight of a pigeon (kabutar). They
say that once on a time a demon had captured some Kunbis and shut
them up in a cavern. But the Kunbis besought Mahadeo to save them,
and he created a man and a woman who danced before the demon and
so pleased him that he promised them whatever they should ask;
and they thus obtained the freedom of the Kunbis. The man and woman
were named Kabutar and Kabutari on account of their skilful dancing,
and were the ancestors of the Kolhatis. The Kolhatis of the Central
Provinces appear to differ in several respects from those of Berar,
with whom the following article is mainly concerned.