Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c48.s4.5

c48.s4.5

employing Brāhmans as priests and Brāhmanist barbers in daily life, thus showing a considerable laxity in their faith. The Maṇihār is strictly the maker of spangles for the adornment of glass bangles, but in some places, as in the Panjāb, the caste make the bangles themselves. The Cūṛihār, who follows the same trade, is a separate community, but both travel about with their goods and do not keep shop. Both, too, are for the most part Muslim. The Kāncār, who also works in glass, takes the place of these castes in the Dekkan and west, and the Lākhērā, a northern caste, makes the same sort of ornaments in lac. In the Dravidian region, the corresponding caste is the Gāzula, a sub-caste of the Balija, of low position. In the Tamil country it is called Vaḷaiyal, and is taken as a subdivision of the Kavaṛai, the Balija colony of those parts. The Cūḍigār, generally a Muslim, is probably the Cūṛihār of the north settled in the Dekkan. On the Orissa coast is a caste called Pātrā, or Patōr, which peddles silken necklets and cords, like the Paṭvā in other parts. Finally, under this head may be included the makers of conch armlets, who are a caste only in Bengal, where they are called S'ankhārī. It appears that through the Subarṇabaṇik they have some connection with the goldsmith castes; but they deal exclusively in the armlets made from the conchs brought from the Gulf of Manar. Similar armlets are used in other parts of India, but they do not seem to be made by a special caste.