Note 125 — Volume II. (continued 2)

Social rules. 11. They believe in the usual omens and demonology, and practice sorcery through the Ojha. The women wear palm leaf ornaments (tarki) in the ears, nose-rings, wristlets (dharkauwa), anklets (pairi). They tattoo themselves on the breast and arms, and it is believed that if they do not come into the next world with these marks, Bhagwân will pitch them out of heaven. They give children two names, one fixed by the Pandit, and the other selected by the parents. They will not touch a Chamâr, Dom, or Dharkâr, nor the wife of the younger brother, nor the mother-in-law of their children. They will not mention by name the dead, nor their wives, nor their religious preceptors (guru). After the close of the agricultural year they worship Hariyâri Devi, “the goddess of greenness,” with an offering of sweetmeats. In Bihâr the Binds eat crocodiles and field rats like the Musahars, and are very fond of pork when they can get it.125 In Mirzapur they certainly eat field rats, but not the crocodile, at least publicly; and they pretend to have given up pork and fowls. They now do not eat beef, and rank higher in the social scale than Chamârs for this reason. They use fish largely except in the fortnight (pitri paksha) sacred to the dead in the month of Kuâr. They are certainly higher in the social grade than the Binds of Bihâr, as described by Mr. Risley, and it appears that even Brâhmans and Chhatris will drink water from their hands. They will not eat food cooked in water (kachchi) except from Brâhmans. According to another account they will not eat kachchi or pakki cooked by any other caste but their own. They salute in the pâêlagi form, and receive in return the blessing (asîs) from strangers. They salute the father-in-law of their sons or daughters in the form Râm! Râm! Women are fairly well treated, but hard worked. When a stranger comes into the house the wife falls on his feet and gives him tobacco. This is known as bhentna.