96 MR. 0. A. SHEERING ON 



and Marchas freely intermarry with the Shokas (or Sokpas), otherwise known as 

 Rawats of Johar. Tolchas go so far as to give their daughters to the Rawats, but 

 refuse to take the daughters of the Rawats for themselves, as they consider themselves as 

 superior. The Niti valley is inhabited by Marchas and Tolchas, and the Mana valley by 

 Marchas only. Malari village is the lowest village in which any Marchas are to be found. 

 Below it and up the Rini valley the inhabitants are all Tolchas. The Marchas of Mana 

 are divided as follows : — 



(i) Malphas, who are really Tibetans, and have others of their clan living North 

 of Torling near the Bogola ; but they do not intermarry in Tibet now. 



(2) Badwals, said to have come from Barahat near Gangotri in Tihri-Garhwal. 



(3) Bhatrajias, supposed to have come from the Girthi river. 



(4) Dharkolis, alleged to have come from Malla Nagpur. 



(5) The original inhabitants of Mana. 



These live clans intermarry. They are connected with the famous Badrinath temple, 

 being part of the Panch Dimris, viz., Rawal, Dimri, Duryal, Joshyal and Marcha. As 

 the Badrinath temple is on Bhotia land the Marchas of Mana receive an annual payment 

 of fifty rupees in cash, twenty seers of chana (gram), and one pagari. This is a fixed 

 payment and is conditional on the fact that at the Janam Ashtmi festival, when the idol 

 is carried through Mana to be bathed at the waterfall and fed at the Mata Murati, the 

 women of Mana, led by the Malpa women, clothed in festival attire, shall sing hymns in 

 honour of the god. 



Passing to the Almora District we find that the Tolchas to be met with in Johar 

 never marry the Johari Shokas, and that only the Garhwal Tolchas part with their daugh- 

 ters to the above. 



Shokas or Rawats. 



In Johar there are many divisions of the Shokas, or Rawats : in fact in each village 

 there is a caste which derives its name from the name of the village. No such caste can 

 marry within itself: it must marry outside. Thus there are: — 



Pangtiyas, Uhamsaktus, Nikhurpas, Nitwals (or Tolchas), Milamwals, Jang-pangis, 

 Burphwals, Biljwals, Martoliyas, Tolias, Laspals, Paspals, Mapwals, Sumdyals, Pachh- 

 pals, Rilkutiyals, and Khinchyals. Some of these affirm that they come from Garhwal ; 

 others from Doti in Nepal, or Benares, or Tibet. 



The Rawat ancestor of the Milamwals obtained permission from the Gartok Garphan 

 to establish himself in trade, and built Milam and Burphu, and received a grant of Chun- 

 pal from the Huniyas. The connection with Tibet is still kept up, in that the headman 

 (padhan) of Milam has a so-called Jagir at Khiunglung in Tibet, which entitles him to 

 receive annually as a gift five goats and two rupees worth of ghi (clarified butter), and as 

 many beasts of burden or coolies as are necessary for the carriage of his effects, whenever 

 he goes to, or returns from, Missar in Tibet. 



The Rawats of Johar are earnestly striving to follow all the ordinances of the Hindu 

 religion, and invariably speak of themselves as Hindus ; in fact, so far has their progress 



