some
women and after this the Gonds did not know who should be appointed
to serve the deity. While they were thus perplexed, a _kingri_ (or
rude wooden lyre) fell from heaven on to the lap of one of them,
and, in accordance with this plain indication of the divine will,
he became the priest, and was the ancestor of the Raj Pardhans; and
since this _contretemps_ the priests are permitted to marry, while
women are no longer allowed to attend the worship of Bura Deo. The
Thothia subtribe are said to be the descendants of illicit unions,
the word Thothia meaning 'maimed'; while the Gandas are the offspring
of intermarriages between the Pardhans and members of that degraded
caste. Other groups are the Mades or those of the Mad country in
Chanda and Bastar, the Khalotias or those of the Chhattisgarh plain,
and the Deogarhias of Deogarh in Chhindwara; and there are also some
occupational divisions, as the Kandres or bamboo-workers, the Gaitas
who act as priests in Chhattisgarh, and the Arakhs who engage in
service and sell old clothes. A curious grouping is found in Chanda,
where the tribe are divided into the Gond Patharis and Chor or
'Thief' Patharis. The latter have obtained their name from their
criminal propensities, but they are said to be proud of it and to
refuse to intermarry with any families not having the designation of
Chor Pathari. In Raipur the Patharis are said to be the offspring of
Gonds by women of other castes, and the descendants of such unions. The
exogamous divisions of the Pardhans are the same as those of the Gonds,
and like them they are split up into groups worshipping different
numbers of gods whose members may not marry with one another.

3. Marriage

A Pardhan wedding is usually held in the bridegroom's village
in some public place, such as the market or cross-roads. The boy
wears a blanket and carries a dagger in his hand. The couple walk
five times round in a circle, after which the boy catches hold of
the girl's hand. He tries to open her fist which she keeps closed,
and when he succeeds in this he places an iron ring on her little
finger and puts his right toe over that of the girl's. The officiating
priest then ties the ends of their clothes together and five chickens
are killed. The customary bride-price is Rs. 12, but it varies in
different localities. A widower taking a girl bride has, as a rule,
to pay a double price. A widow is usually taken in marriage by her
deceased husband'