1871.] 
Bihar Legends and Ballads. 
141 
who claim to be descended from that race, but even these are not 
recognized as coming from the genuine stock. 
In accordance with the above legend, Bhairan is considered as 
only second to the great Baijnath at Deoghar. His servant Raju 
Khawas, who is said to have committed suicide on the death-bed 
of his master, is equally worshipped with him. The animal sacri¬ 
fices which Bhairan, as a Brahman, would not accept, are offered 
to his servant, while rice and sweetmeats are the share of the 
master. 
At Dadrf, where the officiating priest invokes the demon, the 
the latter is supposed to take possession of him, and he speaks 
like one inspired. The power of nominating this priest rests in 
the family of Teknarain Sing, the present zammdar of Ch’hat’har. 
The reason is, his ancestor and Dube Bhairan emigrated to these 
parts from the same locality in the Upper Provinces, and according 
to the good old custom which prevailed in the mother-country, the 
former, though a Bajput, performed the funeral obsequies of 
the latter who was a Brahman. In consequence of this, the ghost 
used to take possession of him, and, as usual with evil spirits, to 
commit many depredations at his house. He thought it therefore 
more convenient to transfer the unenvied privilege to a Brahman. 
II.—The Ballad of Lurih. 
There is a Gwala, or milkman, deified in the district of Bhagal- 
pur. He is particularly worshipped by the people of his caste, 
but generally occupies a high place in the veneration of all the 
lower classes in the district. They make him offerings of rice and 
milk for the recovery of cattle they may happen to lose. There 
is a temple dedicated to him at Hardi in the Madhepdra 
sub-division, where he is believed to have reigned for twelve years. 
He is the subject of a long ballad which is sung throughout the 
length and breadth of Bihar. The ballad is important as throwing 
some light on the belief, manners, and customs of the age to which 
it relates, and as shewing the large number of small independent 
principalities into which the country was divided at the time,—a 
circumstance which made it an easy prey to the Muhammadan in¬ 
vaders. These little kingdoms or principalities appear to have 
