ceiver, and then accompany him home with it and
the stolen property, which is artfully concealed in it.

Patwa

_Patwa, Patwi, Patra, Ilakelband._--The occupational caste of weavers
of fancy silk braid and thread. In 1911 the Patwas numbered nearly
6000 persons in the Central Provinces, being returned principally
from the Narsinghpur, Raipur, Saugor, Jubbulpore and Hoshangabad
Districts. About 800 were resident in Berar. The name is derived from
the Sanskrit _pata_, woven cloth, or Hindi _pat_, silk. The principal
subcastes of the Patwas are the Naraina; the Kanaujia, also known as
Chhipi, because they sew marriage robes; the Deobansi or 'descendants
of a god,' who sell lac and glass bangles; the Lakhera, who prepare
lac bangles; the Kachera, who make glass bangles; and others. Three
of the above groups are thus functional in character. They have also
Rajput and Kayastha subcastes, who may consist of refugees from those
castes received into the Patwa community. In the Central Provinces
the Patwas and Lakheras are in many localities considered to be the
same caste, as they both deal in lac and sell articles made of it;
and the account of the occupations of the Lakhera caste also applies
largely to the Patwas. The exogamous groups of the caste are named
after villages, or titles or nicknames borne by the reputed founder
of the group. They indicate that the Patwas of the Central Provinces
are generally descended from immigrants from northern India. The Patwa
usually purchases silk and colours it himself. He makes silk strings
for pyjamas and coats, armlets and other articles. Among these are
the silk threads called _rakhis_, used on the Rakshabandhan festival,
[435] when the Brahmans go round in the morning tying them on to
the wrists of all Hindus as a protection against evil spirits. For
this the Brahman receives a present of one or two pice. The _rakhi_
is made of pieces of raw silk fibre twisted together, with a knot at
one end and a loop at the other. It goes round the wrist, and the knot
is passed through the loop. Sisters also tie it round their brothers'
wrists and are given a present. The Patwas make the _phundri_ threads
for tying up the hair of women, whether of silk or cotton, and various
threads used as amulets, such as the _janjira_, worn by men round the
neck, and the _ganda_ or wizard's thread, which is tied round the
arm after incantations have been said over it; and the necklets of
silk or cotton thre