Marwadi-Mesri: Deccan
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Marwadi-Mesri
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 |
Mesri or Mahesari — profess to trace their descent from the Rajputs of the Chauchan, Panwar and Salunki clans and owe their name to the following legend : — A Rajput prince of the Chauchan clan went out one day on a hunting excursion accompanied by seventy-two followers. While wandering in the jungles, they saw some Rishis performing a sacrifice and, under the influence of intoxication, disturbed the sacrificial rites. The enraged sages pronounced a curse upon them and turned the whole party into stones. At the entreaty of Parwati. Mahesha (Mahadeo) restored them to life and enjoined them, under the name of Mahesari (devotees of Mahesha), to follow in future the occupation of Vaishyas, or traders.
Internal. Structure
The Mahesaris are divided into 72 exo- gamous sections or 'Khamps' each being founded by one of the fol- lowers of, the Rajput prince. These sections are said to be further divided and subdivided into 989 sub-sections or 'Nakhas.'
The following is the list of the 22 'Khamps' : —
Marriage
Girls are married both as infants and as adults between the ages of 9 and 16. Immediately after the 'ceremony, an adult girl is sent to her husband's house. If married as an infant, the girl has to wait until the performance of a ceremony, which may be deferred till the girl attains the age of maturity, but which is gene- rally performed one year, three years, or five years after the marriage ceremony. If a girl goes wrong before marriage she is turned out of the caste. Polygamy is permitted to any extent theoretically, but is rarely practised in actual life and is resorted to only if the first wife is barren or incurably diseased. It is not unusual for girls to be mcrried to boys who are younger than themselves. The Mahesaris are said to pay prices for brides which sometimes amount to Rs. 5,000. The marriage ceremony is celebrated on the model of that of Marwadi Brahmins and comprises many and complicated rites. The family priest, with a barber, is employed as match-maker and his first care is to see if the horoscopes of the couple agree, so that their matrimonial union may prove fruitful and happy. The marriage ceremony begins with Haidi, or the ceremonial besmearing of the bridal , pair with turmeric paste and oil. Earthen pots are next brought in procession from the potter's house by each party separately and placed near the household deities. Previous to the wedding, the guzu-dian and village deities, the nine planets and the souls of departed ancestors are pro- pitiated and invoked to attend the ceremony. On the wedding morning bridal presents, consisting of the bride's clothes, ornaments and other articles are conveyed to her house. The wedding takes place at night. Towards evening the bridegroom, dressed in a costly robe wearing two Bashingams and holding a sword in his right hand, is seated on a richly caparisoned mare. Before the procession starts to the bride's house the bridegroom's mother feeds the mare, washes her feet and bedaubs them with Kunkum.
On the arrival of the procession at the bride's house, a festoon of mango leaves (toran) and a wooden sparrow are hung at the entrance door and are struck by the bridegroom with the sword in his hand or with a twig of Nim (Melia indica). After the bride's mother has washed the mare's feet and smeared the bridegroom's eyes with lamp black, he is made to dismount and stand on a wooden stool outside the entrance door. The bride is brought by her maternal uncle in his arms and ca.«ried three times round tiie bridegroom. She is then made to stand to the right of the bridegroom and their garments are knotted by the officiating priest. This over, the bridal pair enter the house, the bride leading the way, and are seated side by side before the marriage deity (deWak), the bride to the right of her husband. After the deity has been worshipped, the lucky string (mangahutra) is tied about the bride,' s neck, and ivory bracelets are put on her wrist, by the officiating Brahmin. Homa, or sacrificial fire, is kindled and ^e bride's parents perform Kmyadan, or the formal entrusting of their daughter to the care of her husband. The bride, followed by the bridegroom, walks six times round the sacred fire, and resumes her seat, the bridegroom being seated on her left. Here, in the presence of all the relatives, the bridegroom offers to take the bride to his left side on condition that she promises to be ever faithful, obedient and loving to him. The bride, on exacting a like promise from the bride- groom, gives her consent and the happy couple circumambulate the fire the 7th time, the bridegroom on this occasion leading the way. This last roun^ is deemed the essential or binding portion of the ceremony and cements their alliance, the bride in future being pri- vileged to sit to the left of her husband. Neither widow marriage nor divorce is recognised by the caste.
Religion
The majority t)f the Mahesaris are Vaishnawas both of the Vallabhacharya and the Ramanand sects. A few belong to the Digamber sect of Jains. These sectarian differences, however, offer no bar to intermarriages and the girl after marriage is ad- mitted to the sect of her husband. The special deity of the Vaish- navas is Balaji, or the juvenile form of Shri Krishna worshipped in the month of Aswin (October-November). Those who are Jains worship the 24 Tirthankars, among whom prominence is given to the last Tirthankars, Parasnath and Mahabir. Channyati Brahmins are employed as priests. Besides these, they worship all the Hindu deities and keep all Hindu festivals. Their special festival, however, is Holi, celebrated on the 1 5th of Falgun (March-April). On this occa- sion men and women give themselves up to devilish mirth, abandoning all ideas of modesty and decency. An obscene figure of Nalhuram is set up and its worship forms the order of the day. Women, wish- ing to be fertile, are said to strip themselves naked ■, and embrace the figure.
Disposal of the Dead
The dead are burnt in a lying position. The ashes are thrown into the river Ganges. Daily Shradh is per- formed in honour of the deceased from the 3rd to the 12th day after death and on the 1 3th a grand feast is given to which all the caste people are invited. Children dying under five years of age are buried. When a Mahesari dies all the male members of his family are required to shave their heads and moustaches. ^
Occupation
Whatever may have been their original occupa- tion they are now engaged as shop-keepers, money-lenders and in other commercial pursuits. None of them are Zamindars; and their relation to land extends to mortgages of lands and jagirs.
Social Status
Socially the Marwadi Baniyas rank next to Brahmins and all the inferior castes accept food from their hands. Brahmins eat pakkf prepared by these people. The members of the sub-caste abstain from eating flesh or drinking wine. They are even said to abstain from the use of garlic, carrots ,and onions.
