home by their relatives with torches
and music. Next morning the woman goes to the well and draws water,
and her husband, accompanying her, helps her to lift the water-pots
on to her shoulder.

The caste worship the ordinary Hindu deities and especially Bhairon,
the guardian of the gate of Mahadeo's temple. They have a nail driven
into the bow of their boat which is called 'Bhairon's nail,' and at the
Dasahra festival they offer to this a white pumpkin with cocoanuts,
vermilion, incense and liquor. The caste hold in special reverence
the cow, the dog and the tamarind tree. The dog is sacred as being the
animal on which Bhairava rides, and their most solemn oaths are sworn
by a dog or a cow. They will on no account cut or burn the tamarind
tree, and the women veil their faces before it. They cannot explain
this sentiment, which is probably due to some forgotten belief of
the nature of totemism. To kill a cow or a cat intentionally involves
permanent exclusion from the caste, while the slaughter of a squirrel,
dog, horse, buffalo or monkey is punished by temporary exclusion,
it being equally sinful to allow any of these animals to die with
a rope round its neck. The Naodas eat the flesh of pigs and fowls,
but they occupy a fairly good social position and Brahmans will take
water from their hands.

Nat

List of Paragraphs

1. _The Nats not a proper caste_.
2. _Muhammadan Nats_.
3. _Social customs of the Nats_. _Their low status_.
4. _Acrobatic performances_.
5. _Sliding or walking on ropes as a charm for the crops_.
6. _Snake-charmers_.

1. The Nats not a proper caste

_Nat, [337] Badi, Dang-Charha, Karnati, Bazigar, Sapera._--The term
Nat (Sanskrit Nata--a dancer) appears to be applied indefinitely
to a number of groups of vagrant acrobats and showmen, especially
those who make it their business to do feats on the tight-rope or with
poles, and those who train and exhibit snakes. Badi and Bazigar mean a
rope-walker, Dang-Charha a rope-climber, and Sapera a snake-charmer. In
the Central Provinces the Garudis or snake-charmers, and the Kolhatis,
a class of gipsy acrobats akin to the Berias, are also known as Nat,
and these are treated in separate articles. It is almost certain that
a considerable section, if not the majority, of the Nats really belong
to the Kanjar or Beria gipsy castes, who themselves maybe sprung from
the Doms. [338] Sir D. Ibbetson says: "They wander abo