Lohait
Lohait
This section has been extracted from THE TRIBES and CASTES of BENGAL. Ethnographic Glossary. Printed at the Bengal Secretariat Press. 1891. . |
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Luri a small caste found along the banks o£ the Meghua, who represent themselves as the descendants of a Kaibartta fisherboy, bought during a season of famine by a Kuri, or parcher of grains, who took this means of securing a husband for his daughter. The caste has separated into two subdivisions, those following the father's profession of fisherman having repudiated connection with the maternal branch, who parch grain. The Lobait Kuri at present associates neither wit.h the Kaibarttas nor with the Kuri or Mayara. The majority are fishermen, who will not cast a net or fish from the hore, but ang1e with a rod from boats drifting with the stream.
The name Lohait-Klll'i is said to come from their using large rectangular iron hooks, with a shank nearly two inches long. Iron sinkers are preferred to leaden ones, and the only bait used is a small fish. A Patit Brahman ministers to them, and the sraddha is kept n.t the expiry of a lunar month. Like other fishermen, they observe the Jal.palani for seven days. A heavy fee is paid for a wife, as the caste is a small one, and one hundred rupees is not an unusual bridepriae, while a widower may have to pay as muoh as two hundred. The Lohait-Kuris carryon a considerable trade with their own boats, but will not accept service with any other caste.
Notes
A small caste of Hindus known by this name is found along the banks of the Meghna, who represent themselves to be the descendants of a Kaibartta fisherman, bought during a season of famine by a "Kuri,"3 or parcher of grain, who, in want of a caste, made that now known as Lohait-Kuri. This insignificant body has already separated into two subdivisions, those following the father's profession of fisherman having repudiated connection with the maternal branch, who parch grain.
The caste at present neither associates with the Kaibarttas nor the caste Kuri, or Madhu-Napit. The majority are fishermen, who will not cast a net, or fish from the shore, but angle with a rod from boats drifting with the stream. They manufacture large rectangular iron (Lola) hooks, with a shank nearly two inches long (hence the origin of the first part of their name), as well as cotton lines. Iron sinkers are preferred to leaden ones, and the only bait used is a small fish.
A Patit Brahman ministers to them, and the Sraddha is kept at the expiry of a lunar month. Like other fishermen they observe the "Jal-palani" for seven days. A heavy fee is paid for a wife, as the caste is a small one, and one hundred rupees are often invested in a suitable helpmate, but a widower has generally to expend two hundred. The Lohait-Koris carry on a considerable trade with their own boats; but will not accept service with any other caste.
1 Sherring, "Hindu Tribes of Benares," p. 397.
2 There is a possible connection between Lal Beg and Babu Lal, the founder of a Unitarian sect. "Religious Sects," i, 347.
3 Buchanan found in Puraniya a tribe of fishermen called "Kuri," some of whom spoke Bengali, others Hindi.
