Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c48.s6.23.7

c48.s6.23.7

The principal object of their worship is Durgā, who was enthroned in place of the numerous evil spirits to whom the tribe paid homage before their conversion. Even now, the services of Brāhmans are not called for, and the sacrifices are performed by the Dēōrī and his assistants. The more Mongoloidic appearance of the remnants of the Dēōrī clan seem to indicate that they have kept themselves freer from intercourse with the Bōdo and Āhōm than the rest of the Cūtiyā. One of their social peculiarities worth mentioning is the habit of lodging a whole family under one roof, enlarging the building as the numbers increase, until sometimes more than a hundred persons are thus sheltered. Their professed Brāhmanism sits very lightly upon both priest and layman, and is almost confined indeed to the observance of the initiatory injunction of offering prayers, keeping secret the instructions of the Gōsāī and paying their annual fee to that functionary.