th-day. Their only observance is that on some
day between the twelfth day after a death and the end of a year,
the caste-people are treated to a dinner of sweetmeats and the dead
'are then forgotten.' [163] The Oswals will take food cooked with
water (_katchi_) only from Brahmans, and that cooked without water
(_pakki_) from Agarwala and Maheshri Banias. In the Central Provinces
the principal deity of the Oswals is the Jain Tirthakar Parasnath,
and they spend large sums in the erection of splendid temples. The
Oswals are the most prominent trading caste in Rajputana; and they
have also frequently held high offices, such as Diwan or minister,
and paymaster in Rajput States. [164]

Bania, Parwar

1. Origin.

_Bania, Parwar._ [165]--This Jain subcaste numbered nearly 29,000
persons in 1911. They belong almost entirely to the Jubbulpore
and Nerbudda Divisions, and the great bulk are found in the Saugor,
Damoh and Jubbulpore Districts. The origin of the Parwars and of their
name is not known, but there is some reason to suppose that they are
from Rajputana. Their women wear on the head the _bij_, a Rajputana
ornament, and use the _charu_, a deep brass plate for drinking, which
also belongs there. Their songs are said to be in the Rajasthani
dialect. It seems likely that the Parwars may be identical with the
Porawal subcaste found in other Provinces, which, judging from the
name, may belong to Rajputana. In the northern Districts the Parwars
speak Bundeli, but in the south their language is said to be Marwari.

2. Subdivisions.

Among the Parwars the Samaiya or Channagri form a separate sectarian
Jain group. They do not worship the images of the Jain Tirthakars,
but enshrine the sacred books of the Jains in their temples, and
worship these. The Parwars will take daughters in marriage from the
Channagris, and sometimes give their daughters in consideration of
a substantial bride-price. Among the Parwars themselves there is a
social division between the Ath Sake and the Chao Sake; the former
will not permit the marriage of persons related more nearly than
eight degrees, while the latter permit it after four degrees. The
Ath Sake have the higher position, and if one of them marries a Chao
Sake he is degraded to that group. Besides this the Parwars have an
inferior division called Benaikia, which consists of the offspring of
irregular unions and of widows who have remarried. Persons who have
committed a cas