led Raj Dhuri and Cheorakuta, the Raj Dhuris
being the descendants of personal servants in the Raja's family and
ranking above the Cheorakutas or rice-pounders. In Bilaspur they are
called Badharia and Khawas, and in Raipur Badharia and Desha. The
Khawas and Desha subcastes do menial household service and rank
below the Badharias, who are perhaps later immigrants and refuse to
engage in this occupation. The names of their exogamous sections are
nearly all territorial, as Naugahia from Naogaon in Bilaspur District,
Agoria from Agori, a pargana in Mirzapur District, Kashi or Benares,
and a number of other names derived from villages in Bilaspur. But the
caste do not strictly enforce the rule forbidding marriage within the
_gotra_ or section, and are content with avoiding three generations
both on the father's and mother's side. They have probably been driven
to modify the rule on account of the paucity of their numbers and the
difficulty of arranging marriages. For the same reason perhaps they
look with indulgence on the practice, as a rule strictly prohibited,
of marriage with a woman of another caste of lower social rank, and
will admit the children of such a marriage into the caste, though
not the woman herself.

2. Marriage.

Infant-marriage is in vogue, and polygamy is permitted only if the
first wife be barren. The betrothal is cemented by an exchange of
betel-leaves and areca-nuts between the fathers of the engaged
couple. A bride-price of from ten to twenty rupees is usually
paid. Some rice, a pice coin, 21 cowries and 21 pieces of turmeric
are placed in the hole in which the marriage post is erected. When
the wedding procession arrives at the girl's house the bridegroom
goes to the marriage-shed and pulls out the festoons of mango
leaves, the bride's family trying to prevent him by offering him
a winnowing-fan. He then approaches the door of the house, behind
which his future mother-in-law is standing, and slips a piece of
cloth through the door for her. She takes this and retires without
being seen. The wedding consists of the _bhanwar_ ceremony or walking
round the sacred pole. During the proceedings the women tie a new
thread round the bridegroom's neck to avert the evil eye. After
the wedding the bride and bridegroom, in opposition to the usual
custom, must return to the latter's house on foot. In explanation
of this they tell a story to the effect that the married couple
were formerly carried in a p