the caste of Telis or oil-pressers. In the
Punjab Sir D. Ibbetson says [81] that the Penja or cotton-scutcher is
an occupational name applied to Telis who follow this profession; and
that the Penja, Kasai and Teli are all of the same caste. Similarly
in Nasik the Telis and Pinjaras are said to form one community,
under the government of a single _panchayat_. In cases of dispute
or misconduct the usual penalty is temporary excommunication, which
is known as the stopping of food and water. [82] The Telis are an
enterprising community of very low status, and would therefore be
naturally inclined to take to other occupations; many of them are
shopkeepers, cultivators and landholders, and it is quite probable
that in past times they took up the Bahna's profession and changed
their religion with the hope of improving their social status. The
Telis are generally considered to be quarrelsome and talkative,
and the Bahnas or Dhunias have the same characteristics. If one man
abusing another lapses into Billingsgate, the other will say to him,
'_Hamko Julaha Dhunia neh jano_,' or 'Don't talk to me as if I was
a Julaha or a Dhunia.'

2. Marriage.

Some Bahnas have exogamous sections with Hindu names, while others
are without these, and simply regulate their marriages by rules of
relationship. They have the primitive Hindu custom of allowing a
sister's son to marry a brother's daughter, but not _vice versa_. A
man cannot marry his wife's younger sister during her lifetime, nor
her elder sister at any time. Children of the same foster-mother are
also not allowed to marry. Their marriages are performed by a Kazi
with an imitation of the Nikah rite. The bridegroom's party sit under
the marriage-shed, and the bride with the women of her party inside
the house. The Kazi selects two men, one from the bride's party, who
is known as the Nikahi Bap or 'Marriage Father,' and the other from
the bridegroom's, who is called the Gowah or 'Witness.' These two
men go to the bride and ask her whether she accepts the bridegroom,
whose name is stated, for her husband. She answers in the affirmative,
and mentions the amount of the dowry which she is to receive. The
bridegroom, who has hitherto had a veil (_mukhna_) over his face, now
takes it off, and the men go to him and ask him whether he accepts the
bride. He replies that he does, and agrees to pay the dowry demanded
by her. The Kazi reads some texts and the guests are given a meal
of ric