Gangota
Contents |
Gangota
This section has been extracted from THE TRIBES and CASTES of BENGAL. Ethnographic Glossary. Printed at the Bengal Secretariat Press. 1891. . |
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Origin and Internal structure
Gangautci, a cultivating, landholding, and labouring . . . caste of Behar. Many of them live on the banks of the Ganges and this is said to be the origin of the name. Their customs give no clue to their descent, unless we may infer non-Aryan affinities from the fact that in some parts of the country they are known to eat pork and field-rats. Gangotas are divided into two sub•castes-Jethkar and Maghaya-and have two sections-Gangajhi and J€thnavi. A man may not marry a woman of his own section, nor a woman who comes within the formula c/wchera, mamera, etc., calculated to four generations in the descending line. He may not marry two sisters at the same time, but may marry his deceased wife's younger sister.
Marriages
Gangotas profess to marry their daughters as infants, but adult¬marriage is by no means unknown among the poorer classes. The ceremony is a meAgre version of the standard ritual, sinclurclcin being deemed the essential and binding portion. Polygamy is permitted in the sense that a man may take a second wife with the consent of his first wife if the latter is barren or suffers from an incurable disease. A widow may marry again, but she is expected to marry her deceased husband's younger brother if there is one. Divorce is not recognised.
Religion
The Religion of the caste presents no features of special interest. The small-pox goddess, JagadamM, is worshipped twice or three times a month with offerings of husked rice and incense. At weddings and on occasions of sickness Bhagavati is propitiated with kids, rice, ghee, tulsi leaves, and vermilion. The eatable portions of the sacrifice are consumed by the members of the household. Brahmans who serve the Gangotas are said to incur no degradation by doing so.
Social status and Occupation
Gangotas rank with Kurmis and Koiris, and Brahmans will take water from their hands. In Bhagalpur they eat pork, but at the same time profess to abstain from fermented and spirituous liquors. In Monghyr, on the other hand, their practice in the matter of diet is reported to be the same as that of respectable Hindus of similar social position. Agrioulture is their sole occupation. A few have risen to be small zamindars, but the bulk of the caste are occu¬pancy or non-occupancy raiyats and landless day-labourers paid in cash or kind.
The following statement shows the number and distribution of Gangotas in 1872 and 1881 :¬
