Marwadi-Lakheri: Deccan

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Marwadi-Lakheri

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 with the contents of this article. Secondly, this has been scanned from a book. You can help by sending the corrected version/ additional information to the Facebook page, Indpaedia.com. All information used will be duly acknowledged.

The Lakheris are so called because they deal in lac and make lac bangles. They appear to have originally been Rajputs, who were degraded for following the. low occupation of bangle making. This view derives support from their worship of the Rajput deities and from their exogamous divisions, which bear the Rajput names of Panwar, Rathod, Chavan, Hattada, Bagdi, Padyar. Regarding their origin a legend says that the first Lakhera was produced by Mahadeo at Parwati's desire from the dirt off his body in order to make bangles. Mahadeo cut his finger and sprinkled the blood oozing from the wound on a Pipal tree. The blood immediately changed into lac and thus supplied materials for the bangles. The Lakhera women never use glass or ivory bangles, but only those made of lac, or sealing wax. They do not wear nose rings nor are their noses bored. In their customs and usages the Lcikheris resemble the Marwadi lower castes. Widows are allowed to marry again. Divorce prevails. Their profession is to make lac bangles, which they em- bellish with ornamental designs. Many have taken to agriculture. They use animal food, eating fowl, fish, mutton, etc. They do not eat the leavings of other people. Married women wear bodices with laced borders which distinguishes them from widows.