506 Report on the Turan Mall Hill. [No. 6. 



The Bheels residing on Turan Mall boast of being descended from a 

 Rajpoot ancestry, and style themselves " Simli." Altogether there are 

 not more than 40 families located on the hill, and their hots are dispersed 

 far and wide in all directions. They do not bear any general peculiar- 

 ity of features in their physiognomy, and I have noticed that, saving 

 perhaps the bearing and impress of a persecuted race, there is nothing 

 to distinguish them from the men of the plains. They are slight and 

 spare in their limbs and body, but this only conduces to that great 

 power which they all have in common of undergoing fatigue and exer- 

 tion when called upon to do so. With all this endurance they have a 

 thorough contempt and dislike to labour as understood by us. Gaining 

 at best but a precarious subsistence from the fruits of the jungle the 

 generality of Bheels do not interdict themselves from any description of 

 animal food when they have it in their power to indulge in it, and the 

 flesh of the cow, buffalo, sheep, goat, boar and deer are equally prized. 

 Their religion is generally of a most simple and primitive description, 

 I remark generally, as their notions on such subjects are variable and 

 not imbued with any deep feeling. The chief deities worshipped on 

 Turan Mall are named, Sudal Deo, Kumbeh Deo, Mamma Danip 

 and Goracknath. The first is invoked in conjunction with the sun 

 and moon, and is supposed to have the elements under his controul. 

 Kumbeh Deo is worshipped at the Dewali and may be another form 

 of Kali, Mamnia Dunip is evidently the " Ceres" of these moun- 

 taineers. The first fruits of the season are offered at her shrine, and 

 she is the dispenser of the bounties of mother earth. Gorucknath is 

 a deity of the Hindus and, I fancy, lately introduced. His devotees 

 are not numerous amongst the Bheels, who are rather lukewarm in his 

 adoration. 



The customs pertaining to the three great events in a man's existence 

 are very simple and void of display. On the birth of a child, his or 

 her advent into the world is not ushered in by any loud acclamations 

 or discharge of fire arms so common to the inhabitants of India. The 

 father merely collecting a few friends together, over the discussion of 

 a jar of spirits, mentions the name by which he wishes his child to be 

 designated. When a Bheel is desirous of joining himself to the object 

 of his regard and no objections are shown by the family of the girl, 

 the friends of the engaging parties are called to witness the ceremony 



