Vol, ap No. 9.] Ethnography of the Bashahr State. 533 
[W.S.] 
The Ram-naumi is called Dharm-kothi! in Bashahr, and is 
the occasion for general rejoicings, the thdkurs’ thrones being 
decorated with heaps of flowers, and many thousands of rupees 
spent. 
In Bashéhr the Baisikhi is called Lahdl, and the girls who 
marry their dolls in Parbati’s name are given money by the 
State or from the bazar. 
Caste-—The Brdhmans of.Bashdhr are divided into three 
grades :— 
(i) Uttam, who do not plough. 
(ii) Acharaj, who receive the ashubh dan or impure alms 
of the other Brahmans and Rajputs. They take 
daughters in marriage from 
(iii) Krishana, who plough. 
Like the other two twice-born castes most of the Brahmans 
in Bashdahr are sirtords and not of pure descent. Those that are 
of pure blood may be divided into two grades :— 
(a) The State purohits, who intermarry, and eat kachhi 
with the Raiiwi? purohits and Brahmans as well 
as with those of Dwarch and Singra. 
(6) Bazar purohits. 
All the twice-born castes will eat pakki with one another, 
and even from the Khash and Karadn Kanets ; but they never 
do so with the Krishna group. 
The Kanets appear to be divided into two hypergamous sub- 
castes (groups) :— 
(i) The Khash. 
(ii) The Karan, or Réhu, from whom the Khash take 
daughters but do not give them brides in return, and 
(iii) The Ganeshas, so called because they adore the deity 
Ganesh. The Kanets were originally Thakurs, but lost status 
by adopting widow re-marriage. a 
If a part of a field is left while being sown, worship is made 
on the spot and a he-goat sacrificed because it is unlucky to leave 
a bit bejindir (banjar, uncultivated). 
As in the Simla Hills, generally, the abandonment of land is 
called sog or mandokri. When a house or field is believed to be 
occupied by a demon it is regained by sacrificing a he-goat in the 
name of his mane. But even pe ‘ ott meet so regained 
cannot be ploughed, and must 0 used for pasture. 
met oat in Bashahr is seciniat dib.2 It is administered when 
1 It is so called because on this occasion the Dharm-kothi or ‘ store- 
house of charity ’ remains open to all, and everyone is given food from it 
ener “Raiet a the name of a village of Brahmans who are priest to the 
Raja. 
3 Sanskrit divya, divine pronouncement. 
