idered to be impure, and the hair is wrapped
up in dough and thrown into a river.

8. Names

A child is named on the seventh or twelfth day after its birth, the
name being chosen by the Mohturia or caste headman. The ordinary Hindu
names of deities for men and sacred rivers or pious and faithful wives
for women are employed; instances of the latter being Ganga, Godavari,
Jamuna, Sita, Laxmi and Radha. Opprobrious names are sometimes given
to avert ill-luck, as Damdya (purchased for eight cowries), Kauria
(a cowrie), Bhikaria (a beggar), Ghusia (from _ghus_, a mallet for
stamping earth), Harchatt (refuse), Akali (born in famine-time),
Langra (lame), Lula (having an arm useless); or the name of another
low caste is given, as Bhangi (sweeper), Domari (Dom sweeper), Chamra
(tanner), Basori (basket-maker). Not infrequently children are named
after the month or day when they were born, as Pusau, born in Pus
(December), Chaitu, born in Chait (March), Manglu (born on Tuesday),
Buddhi (born on Wednesday), Sukka (born on Friday), Sanichra (born
on Saturday). One boy was called Mulua or 'Sold' (_mol-dena_). His
mother had no other children, so sold him for one pice (farthing)
to a Gond woman. After five or six months, as he did not get fat,
his name was changed to Jhuma or 'lean,' probably as an additional
means of averting ill-luck. Another boy was named Ghurka, from the
noise he made when being suckled. A child born in the absence of its
father is called Sonwa, or one born in an empty house.

9. Religion

The great body of the caste worship the ordinary deities Devi,
Hanuman, Dulha Deo, and others, though of course they are not allowed
to enter Hindu temples. They principally observe the Holi and Dasahra
festivals and the days of the new and full moon. On the festival of
Nag-Panchmi they make an image of a snake with flour and sugar and
eat it. At the sacred Ambala tank at Ramtek the Mahars have a special
bathing-ghat set apart for them, and they may enter the citadel and
go as far as the lowest step leading up to the temples; here they
worship the god and think that he accepts their offerings. They are
thus permitted to traverse the outer enclosures of the citadel, which
are also sacred. In Wardha the Mahars may not touch the shrines of
Mahadeo, but must stand before them with their hands joined. They may
sometimes deposit offerings with their own hands on those of Bhimsen,
originally a Gond god, and Mata Devi,