24 An account of the Maun Bhows. [Jan. 



About sixty years ago, a Brahmin named Annund Rooshy 

 an inhabitant of Pytun on the Godavery, maltreated a Maun 

 Bhovv who came to ask for alms at his door. The Maun 

 Bhow after being beaten proceeded to his friends in the vici*- 

 nity, they collected a large number of the brethren and w$nt 

 to the Brahmin to demand satisfaction, Annund Rooshy as- 

 sembled a number of Goossynes and his friends and pursued 

 and attacked the Maun Bho-ws who fled and asked Aylla 

 Baie to protect them ; she endeavoured to pacify Annund 

 Rooshy, by telling him that the Maun Bhows were her Goo- 

 roos, he said they were Mangs* however he then declared 

 that if they agreed to his proposals that he would forgive 

 them, — one of them was that they were not to go to a Brah- 

 min's house to ask alms, and another was, that if any Brahr 

 nun repeated Annund Rooshy's name and drew a line across 

 the road when a Maun Bhow was advancing, that the Maun 

 Bhow without saying a word must return the road he came, 

 notwithstanding this attempt to prevent their approaching a 

 Brahmin's house, they continue to ask alms of the Brahmins 

 and some Brahmins make a point of supplying them with 

 provisions. 



The sect of Maun Bhows have hitherto in general been 

 much noticed by the Holkur family. The famous Aylla Baie 

 was always very kind to them, and bestowed several villages 

 in jageer on members of their community. The village of 

 Oosswar now Chandore, continues to be held in jageerf by a 



* Every Maun Bhow male and female is furnished with a rosary. The beads 

 about the size of a cherry stone, are made of the toolsy (ocimum sanctum) sacred 

 to Vishnoo. The chundun or sandalwood (satalum alburn) the looraty (the cytisus 

 cajan) and chappa (the michelia champacca) sacred to Krishen. 



f About 122 years ago a Maun Bhow Mhunth named Krishen Bowa, had at- 

 tained great celebrity on account of his knowledge of medicine ; and, being con- 

 sidered deserving of some reward, the Neeballkur chieftain of Kurmuila who 

 held the town of Jowur, in jageer, pi-esented him with sixteen Begahs of ground^ 

 in enam (freehold gift). The farmer who held the ground on the meerassy 

 (hereditary) tenure, continued to cultivate it, (which the descendants do to this 

 clay) presenting the Maun Bhow with half the annual produce of the field. 

 Krishen Bowa's successors for a length of time were his own disciples, however 

 one of these eventually became a Ghurbar (lay brother) so that the present pos- 

 sessor has got a family. Before the ground was granted in enam, the rent paid to 

 Government, was twenty Rupees yearly, but one of the Maun Bhows improved 

 his little property by digging a well, which enabled them to convert about twelve 

 Begahs of it into garden ground, which has so greatly increased its value that the 

 Maun Bhow receives now fifty rupees income yearly. 



