1837.] 



An Account of the Tribe of Mhadeo Kolies. 



107 



expend from 40 to 60, while a few of the Patells and Naiks will disburse 

 a hundred rupees and upwards. Many of them too often involve them- 

 selves inextricably in debt when their children are married. 



It is a common practice among the Kolies for their widows to enter 

 into the matrimonial state a second time, conforming to the pot or 

 mhotur ceremony. 



When a woman abandons her husband, and takes refuge with a man 

 of a different caste, the husband performs the kreea kurm, or breaks the 

 murkhy (pot) ; that is, he performs all the funeral rites, as if she had 

 died a natural death, after which he is at liberty to marry again. Bat 

 if the woman leaves her husband to live with another Koly, the kreea 

 kurm is not then performed. A woman eloping seldom marries her 

 paramour, according to the mhotur ceremony, until after her first 

 husband's death. Should a Koly die, who had been very much attach- 

 ed to his wife, and she marry again, and she or her husband be attacked 

 by severe sickness, or any unpleasant occurrence befall them, a 

 Bhuggut is immediately consulted, to ascertain what is best to be done 

 to restore health and peace to the family. The Bhuggut will most pro- 

 bably declare that the woman's first husband has caused the affliction, 

 but, if suitable peace offerings are made by way of atonement, the dis- 

 tress and vexation complained of will be removed. She will consequently 

 entertain some of her friends, and bestow some trifle in charity, besides 

 having a small silver image (of the value of a rupee) made up, which 

 ought to be a likeness of frer first husband ; this is cased in copper, and 

 it is necessary, she should wear it suspended from her neck, or place it 

 with the household gods. 



When a man dies who was never married, which among the Kolies 

 seldom happens, they say an Attwor (unmarried) has died, and, unless 

 offerings are made to his manes, previous to a marriage being celebrat- 

 ed in the family, it is said some great calamity will befall the bride- 

 groom or bride ; that they will be greatly tormented with sickness, have 

 no offspring, or, in the event of their having children, that they will not 

 be long-lived. Therefore to ensure happiness to the parties, a sheep or 

 fowl is sacrificed as a peace offering, and a few friends are invited to 

 partake of the feast. Should years have elapsed, and the family have 

 removed to a village distant from that where the Attwor was buried, 

 the party will go out into an adjoining field, to perform the ceremonial 

 worship, before any stone (a substitute for the grave of the deceased), 

 upon which some bhundar and koonkoo, &c. have been rubbed, and 

 some jowary and a soopary nut placed. These articles and a burning 

 lamp had previously been put into a flat brass dish, and carried to 

 the spot by a female, over whose head four men held a stretched sheet 

 by way of canopy ; a boy holding a naked sword in his hand, and 

 sitting upon a man's shoulders, follows the female, and he is made to 

 shout and scream during the time the procession is moving. 



