1837.] 



An Account of ike Tribe of Mhadeo Kolies. 



239 



The Dhallia is a member of the Shesha division; his designation 

 partly explains the nature of his office, for Dhallia* means a branch. 

 Therefore when a person, charged with having offended against the 

 rules of the caste, refused in the first instance to obey the summons of 

 the Ruggutwan, or he subsequently remonstrated against the decision 

 of the Punchavit, and declared his determination of not submitting to 

 it — measures were taken by the members of the Punchaiut to excom- 

 municate him from his caste. The Dhallia therefore was directed to 

 proceed to the village where the delinquent resided ; upon his arrival 

 there he announced to the inhabitants the intention of the Punchaiut to 

 denounce the accused, for that he was about enforcing the preparatory 

 measures for expelling him from his caste, unless he showed symptoms 

 of repentance ; otherwise it would be necessary for them to be on their 

 guard and hold no communication with him : the Dhallia then taking a 

 bough of the oombre or jambool tree, or of any other, if one of these 

 was not procurable, he walked round the offender's house and after- 

 wards placed the branch on the roof above the door. 



The Hurkia is a member of the Shesha Kool or division, and his 

 duty consisted in fastening the hurky, or bone of a dead cow, over the 

 door of the offender's house; this proceeding constitutes the formal act 

 of expulsion from his caste ; for it completely debars him, and such of 

 his family as may have remained in the house with him, from holding 

 any intercourse with his other relations and friends ; for such persons 

 as dared to communicate with him, became involved in the same misery 

 and were considered contaminated and no better than the most infamous 

 and lowest outcast of the Hindoo community. As no more terrible cala- 

 mity can well befall the Hindoo, than having the ban of excommunica- 

 tion fulminated against him, he will throw himself on the mercy of the 

 Punchaiut to avoid it, or to remove it, if he has been placed under it, un- 

 less he is an inveterate rogue, or become desperately attached to some 

 siren, who has persuaded him to abandon his family and kindred for 

 her society. 



The Murkiah is a member of the Shesha division or Kool — he forms 

 one of the Punchaiut, and when a person has been readmitted into his 

 caste, or a man's house and family have been polluted by some trans- 

 gression against the rules of their caste, the Murkiah has to attend to see 

 the place cleared out and the ceremony of purification performed. The 

 Murkiah is entitled to take away with him ail the murkees or earthen 

 pots piledf up in the corner of the house, probably containing a small 



* Dhallia— the branch of a bush or tree. 



+ All classes of natives invariably keep a small quantity of fine or i*are grains, onions, 

 salt, turmeric, spices, &c. in earthen pots of various sizes, piled up one over the other in 

 the corners of their houses, most commonly in the apartment allotted for cooking or near 

 it. The largest pot is at the bottom and as they successively decrease iu size, the one forms 



