Note 100 — G

Religion. 11. In religion they appear to be usually Saivas or Sâktas, and are particularly careful in the worship of Sîtala Bhawâni, the small-pox goddess. Among minor gods they worship Châmar, but their real tribal worship is that of Pyârêji100 and Bâba Sabha Râm. The temple of Pyârêji is at Randewa, the parent (thîka) village of the Dâpu Gûjars, equidistant between Nakur and Ambahta, in the Sahâranpur District. His father, Râmji Padârath, born in Sambat 1545, at Durjanpur, in Pargana Burhâna, of the Muzaffarnagar District, disappeared suddenly after his birth. The consternation of the infant’s father, Sajan, a rope-seller (bâdhfarosh) was, as may be imagined, great. In six days he mysteriously reappeared. After this he was put to herd cattle. One day the herd strayed into a sugarcane field, and the owner made a complaint. Before the official sent to make an investigation could reach the spot, the crop was miraculously restored. The lad then gained many disciples, and he married a daughter of Bhawâni Dâs, rope-seller of Khudi-Shikârpur. Their son was Raghu Nâth, and his son, the famous Pyârêji. About this time there was a feud between the Gûjars and Brâhmans of Sadarpur, in the course of which the Gûjars, having invited the Brâhmans to a feast, treacherously murdered several of them. Their ghosts avenged themselves in the form of terrible Râkshasas, and the Gûjars were in such evil plight that hearing of the fame of Pyârêji, they invited him to take them under his protection. He expelled the demons, and Sadarpur regained its former prosperity, so that its name was changed to Annadeva, “lord of grain,” of which Randeva is said to be a corruption. Pyârêji died there, and prayers are said and offerings made before his cenotaph. His son, Lâlji, having no male issue bequeathed everything to his wife. Jada Bairâgi managed her affairs, and the people elected one of his disciples, Hargovind, to succeed him. Ever since the appointment has been in the hands of the people of the Bâdhfarosh clan, descended from Madâri, brother of Pyârêji, and the brothers of his son’s widow. They own one-third of the village; the Mahants two-thirds. The Saint’s followers are Vaishnavas, and wear black necklaces. His holiday is on the sixth of the dark fortnight of Chait. Bâba Sabha Râm, another tribal worthy, has a shrine on the banks of the Jumna, in the Ambâla District, where the Gûjars make occasional pilgrimages.