tree which is his Devak. At
their weddings the branches of several trees are consecrated as Devaks
or guardians of the wedding. A Gurao cuts the leafy branches of the
mango, _umar_, [587] _jamun_ [588] and of the _rui_ [589] and _shami_
[590] shrubs and a few stalks of grass and sets them in Hanuman's
temple. From here the bridegroom's parents, after worshipping Hanuman
with a betel-leaf and five areca-nuts, take them home and fasten
them to the front post of the marriage-shed. When the bridegroom is
taken before the family gods of the bride, he steals one of them in
token of his profession, but afterwards restores it in return for a
payment of money. In social position the Ramosis rank a little above
the Mahars and Mangs, not being impure. They speak Marathi but have
also a separate thieves' jargon of their own, of which a vocabulary
is given in the account of Captain Mackintosh. When a Ramosi child
is seven or eight years old he must steal something. If he is caught
and goes to prison the people are delighted, fall at his feet when he
comes out and try to obtain him as a husband for their daughters. [591]
It is doubtful whether these practices obtain in the Central Provinces,
and as the Ramosis are not usually reckoned here among the notorious
criminal tribes they may probably have taken to more honest pursuits.

Rangrez

_Rangrez._--The Muhammadan caste of dyers. The caste is found
generally in the northern Districts, and in 1901 its members were
included with the Chhipas, from whom, however, they should be
distinguished as having a different religion and also because they
practise a separate branch of the dyeing industry. The strength of
the caste in the Central Provinces does not exceed a few hundred
persons. The Rangrez is nominally a Muhammadan of the Sunni sect,
but the community forms an endogamous group after the Hindu fashion,
marrying only among themselves. Good-class Muhammadans will neither
intermarry with nor even take food from members of the Rangrez
community. In Sohagpur town of Hoshangabad this is divided into two
branches, the Kheralawalas or immigrants from Kherala in Malwa and the
local Rangrezes. These two groups will take food together but will
not intermarry. Kheralawala women commonly wear a skirt like Hindu
women and not Muhammadan pyjamas. In Jubbulpore the Rangrez community
employ Brahmans to conduct their marriage and other ceremonies. Long
association with Hindus has as usual cause