: OR CUTTACIC. 105" 



. The four great tribes into which the Hindu part of the population is casts, Man- 

 divided, are of course the same in Orissa as elsewhere, and have the same uon ' £cc°. P " a ° 

 origin ascribed to them. The ordinary casts and professions of the pro- 

 vince are known, by the name of the thirty-six Pathaks " Chatlis Pdt- 

 hale" the individuals composing which are all either Sudras, or of what is 

 called the " Sankara Verna," that is, a mixed impure race, proceeding from 

 the promiscuous intercourse of some of the four tribes in the first instance, 

 and again from their commerce with the descendants of such a connec- 

 tion, or the indiscriminate cohabitation of those descendants amongst 

 one another. Pathak signifies literally a learner, it being the duty of the 

 whole of these casts either to perform service to the three higher tribes, 

 or if they cannot gain a livelihood in that way, to learn the various arts 

 and trades which are useful to Society. 



Of the Utcala Brahmins, I shall speak more particularly below. The 

 proper, genuine Khetris, are I believe considered to be extinct, and those 

 who'represent them are by the learned held to be only Sudras. There 



are eight classes or families who claim to represent the military and re- 

 gal tribe, known by the aflSxes or titles of Dhir, Dhalj Towang, Mai/ 

 Bhanj, Rai, Rawat, and Khandait. The only professions of the pure 

 .Vaisya or Byse tribe, in Cuttack, are the two classes of Baniyas called the 

 Gandha Baniya or druggist, and Swerna Baniya or money changer. The 

 following are considered apparently genuine Sudras, viz. The Gowala 

 (Gopa) milkman ; Bhandari (napita) barber ; Gowria (Gourakara) vender 

 of sugar; the Chasa (Krishakara) or husbandman; and the Talica or seller 

 of Areca nut. The designation of Or or Oclra is applied as it were par 

 excellence to the class of husbandmen, who are commonly called Or Cha- 

 sa. Such of that tribe as perform the duties of Paiks in the hills, and of 

 sirdar village watchmen in the plains, are called Or Paik and Or Khandait 



The first set of the mixed casts or (Sankara Verna) springing from inter- 

 marriage of original tribes, chiefly Byse and Sooder, and which with excep- 



Y 2 



