and feed the crows in Kunwar (September-October)
as representing the spirits of their ancestors. This custom is based
on the superstition that a crow does not die of old age or disease,
but only when it is killed. To cure a patient of fever they tie a
blue thread, irregularly knotted, round his wrist. They believe that
thunder-bolts are the arrows shot by Indra to kill his enemies in the
lower world, and that the rainbow is Indra's bow; any one pointing at
it will feel pain in his finger. The dead are mourned for ten days,
and during that time a burning lamp is placed on the ground at some
distance from the house, while on the tenth day a tooth-stick and water
and food are set out for the soul of the dead. They will not throw the
first teeth of a child on to a tiled roof, because they believe that if
this is done his next teeth will be wide and ugly like the tiles. But
it is a common practice to throw the first teeth on to the thatched
roof of the house. The Chadars will admit members of most castes of
good standing into the community, and they eat flesh, including pork
and fowls, and drink liquor, and will take cooked food from most of the
good castes and from Kalars, Khangars and Kumhars. The social status
of the caste is very low, but they rank above the impure castes and
are of cleanly habits, bathing daily and cleaning their kitchens
before taking food. They are employed as village watchmen and as
farmservants and field-labourers, and also weave coarse country cloth.

Chamar

List of Paragraphs

1. _General notice of the caste._
2. _Endogamous divisions._
3. _Subcastes continued._
4. _Exogamous divisions._
5. _Marriage._
6. _Widow-marriage and divorce._
7. _Funeral customs._
8. _Childbirth._
9. _Religion._
10. _Occupation._
11. _The tanning process._
12. _Shoes._
13. _Other articles made of leather._
14. _Customs connected with shoes._
15. _The Chamar as general village drudge._
16. _Social status._
17. _Character._

1. General notice of the caste.

_Chamar, Chambhar._ [440]--The caste of tanners and menial labourers
of northern India. In the Central Provinces the Chamars numbered about
900,000 persons in 1911. They are the third caste in the Province in
numerical strength, being exceeded by the Gonds and Kunbis. About
600,000 persons, or two-thirds of the total strength of the caste
in the Province, belong to