Are Katika: Deccan
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Are Katika
This article is an extract from THE CASTES AND TRIBES OF H. E. H. THE NIZAM'S DOMINIONS BY SYED SIRAJ UL HASSAN Of Merton College, Oxford, Trinity College, Dublin, and Middle Temple, London. One of the Judges of H. E. H. the Nizam's High Court of Judicature : Lately Director of Public Instruction. BOMBAY THE TlMES PRESS 1920 Indpaedia is an archive. It neither agrees nor disagrees |
Origin
Katika, Lad Kasab, Kasai, Suryachelad, Arewaru, — a small Marathi-speaking caste of butchers fouud in almost all the districts of Telingana. Katika,' in Telugu, means cruel and refers probably to the profession of the caste as bfttcheu, while the prefix Are (Sansk. Arya ) is the generic name by which all the Maratha castes are known to the Telugu people. Some derive the name Katika from the Sanskrit word kartak, a knife. Arekatikas are also called Lad Kasebs or Lad Butchers, the term ' Lad ' being a variant of ' Lat ', the ancient name of a portion of Modern Gujarath, from which these people are supposed to have come original lyV The members of the caste dignify themselves with the title o Suryache Lad' (Lads descended from the sun), claiming Surya, or the sun, as their progenitor.
Regarding the origin of the caste a variety of legends are current. According to one, they trace their descent from Dharma Vyadha,' who, in some Pouranic time, supplied meat and mutton to the people. Another legend makes them the offspring of one Vithoba, who was ordered by the gods to kill a sheep which had sprung from a mole-hill and caused annoyance to the Sun god. Vithoba carried out the orders immediately and was rewarded for the act with a knife, a wooden block, and a tripod. Vithoba cut the throat of the sheep and found in it a shaligmm (fossil ammonite), which he used for a weight.
Internal Structure
The caste has two endogamous divisions— (1) Sajjanam Katika, or Suryache Lad, (2) Barki, or Adjath Katika, who are illegitimate descendants of the Sajjaeam Katikas. The members of these swb-castes neither take food together nor intermarry. Besides these, there is one more division called Kurma Katika, who are doubtless men of the Kurma caste, following the batcher's calling. the Katikas say they have only one gotra, 'Ramashata Rana,' which is obviously inoperative in th<; regulation of their marriages. Their section names show a curious mixture of wo types ; the one borrowed from the Maratha Kunbis before their immigration into Telingana, and the other adopted from the Telugu castes after their immigration.
The are tree (Bauhinia racemosa) is regarded with great reverence and a branch of it is worshipped as deoak (marriage guard- ian) in Jharriages. A man is prohibited from marrying into the se2tion, or outside the sub-caste, to which he belongs. He may marry the daughter of his maternal uncle, paternal aunt, or elder sister. He may also marry two sisters, but two brothers cannot marry two sisters. Outsiders are not admitted into the caste.
Marriage
Infant marriage is practised by the caste. A girl attaining puberty before marriage is excommunicated. Girls are not offered to temples or trees. Polygamy is permitted to the extent of two wives. The maniage ceremony resembles that of the Telugu castes in general. Some of the rites, however, deserve notice. Two branches, one of the saundad or shami tree {Prosopis spicigera) and the other of the are (Bauhinia racemosa), are tied, each with a sweet cake, to the western corners of the booth and on its top a winnowing fan is placed. Previous to the wedding, a picture of the goddess Bhavani of Tuljapur is painted on a wall, and a lamp, made of a piece of cocoanut kernel filled with oil, is placed, before it, the wick in the lamp being re-trimmed by a stalk of jawari (Indian millet). This ceremony is called Tel Chadhai. At the time of the wedding, the girl only is dressed in new clothes, while the boy appears in his old clothes, except for a new head-dress. After Nagvell}}, the bridegroom is made to' slay a sheep an4 the bride to gather green herbs in which she finds a nose-ring previously Ridden.
Widows are allowed to re-marry and divorce is permitted. They follow the Hindu law of inheritance. In default of male issue, females inherit.
Religion
The Are Katikas are all Vibhutidharis (Saivaits) and mark their foreheads with round spots of red aniline powder. Ellamma is worshipped on Sundays and Tuesdays, when they observe a fast. Pochamma, and other malignant deities, are appeased in the month of Ashadha (July- August)' with offerings of sheep and fowls. A man of the Kummara caste 1% engaged as priest at the worship of these goddesses, while the sacrificial animals are killed by a Muhammadan butcher and not by a member of the caste. Narsinha and Mahadeva are also held in great reverence. Brahmans are employed in marriages and Jangams at funerals.
Disposal of the Dead
The dead are either buried in a sitting posture, facing the east, or burnt in a lying pasture with the feet to the north, according to the custom of the family of the deceased. In cases of cremation, the ashes are collected on the third day after death and thrown into a river. Ten days' mourning is observed for the married and three days for others. On the 3rd, 5th and 10th days after death, birds are fed for the benefit of the soul of the deceased and Brahmans and Jangams are given rice.
Social Status and Occupation
The occupation of the caste is that of selling the flesh of sheep and goats. They also manufacture liquor and sell it. Some have taken io agriculture. They eat the flesh of sheep, deer, hare, fish of two kinds and drink liquor and shendi. They do not eat the leavings of any caste. They have a caste Panchayat with a chowdhari at its head. Social disputes are referred to this council for decision.
They eat from the hands of Brahmans, Komtis, Baljas, Kapus and Munnurs, while Balijas, Kurmas and Goundalas eat kachi from them
