Lohara Adivasi
The Lohara is one of the Adivasi Groups of the Jharkhand. They are found in the districts of Ranchi, Singhbhum, Palamu, Hazaribag and Santhal Pargana of the Jharkhand State. The Lohara are associated with the preparation of iron tools. So they are known as artisan tribes. They supply iron-implements to agricultural tribes and castes of the villages where they because they have been associated with the occupation of iron-craft-making.
Culture
The Lohara erect their houses with mud, bamboo and branches of tree, leaves, khar grasses and tiles. They prepare tiles by their own labour. They get materials free of cost from the forest situated nearby. The houses are rectangular in shape. Each house has two rooms, a veranda, courtyard and a room for workshop. In some houses veranda is used for workshop. Houses do not have any window. They prepare door from the forest wood. Iron bolts are fitted in the door. They keep their houses closed with key, when the go out to work.
In their houses, one finds wooden cot, machia, and pidha. Mats, baskets, brooms and rope made articles are also found. Bamboo racks are also found in their houses. They have earthen pots, steel pots, aluminium pots, steel pots, iron pots, and brass or bronze made Lota and glass. They also have wooden Kathauta.
The iron implements of the Lohara are hammer, chimata, cheni, ari, Basula, rulhanni and bhanti. They have Lathi Bhala, Ber, Garasa, knife, sickle, khanti, Besawai, Gaiti etc. in their houses. They also have bow and arrow.
They supply plough, sickle, knife, khanti, kudal, Besawai nails etc. to their customer and Jajmans. From agricultural tribes and castes, they receive payment on annual basis. But from other tribes and castes, they sell took on cash.
The Lohara men wear half Dhoti and have a Gamachha on their head. They wear Ganji, Kurta, full Dhoti, Gamachha and shoe or slipper when they have to go out of the village. The old women wear Luga, Sata and Jhula. The young women sari , Saya, blouse bressiers etc. The girls wear paints, frock and Salwar suit. The boys wear paint, Ganji, Shirt, Paijama and Kurta. They purchase dresses from the local Haat.
The Lohara women are fond of ornaments. They wear ornaments in nose, ear, neck, hand, wrist, feet and fingers. The ornaments are made up of brass, bronze, steel, nickel, thread, shell, seeds, glass etc. Some ornaments are of silver and imitation of gold or silver. They purchase ornaments from the Haat.
Family
The family is the smallest form of the society in the Lohara. The family is nuclear in structure. The existence of joint family is rare. In nuclear family, one finds the family members like father mother and unmarried children. The married children establish their own family, live in separate house and do cooking separately.
The father is the head of the family. But he does not function like a dictator. He consults his wife and young children at the time of taking final decision.
The Lohara families maintain division of labour for the smooth functioning of the family. The division of labour is based on age and sex. The wife does the cooking. The husband does iron tool making. The children assist the family in performance of household chores and the collection of food and fuel. The aged looks after the kids and house.
In the Lohara family, the husband-wife relation is generally very sweet. Both co-operate each other struggle hard to maintain the family. Both get up in the early morning and go to bed by 9 P.M. In this period, they work hard to feed and cloth the family members. The husband and the wife come in conflict some times. Then usually a temporary suspension of communication, not coking or serving food, absence of meal etc are seen in the family. But the temporary suspension of communication, not cooking or serving food, absence of meal etc are seen in the family. But the temporary conflict is resolved in few days through the children. The relation between the husband and the wife becomes sour-when any one develops extra marital relation. The relation also gets sour on irresponsible behaviour and cruel behaviour. In such situation, divorce is allowed. On divorce, the children remain with father. Divorced men and women are allowed for remarriage.
The parent-children relation is also generally good. The parent loves their children very much. They try to meet their demand in their limit. Beating is rare. Maximum punishment is scolding. The relation between parents and children becomes bitter then the children develop premarital relation with other tribe of caste or within the same clan. In such cases, the parents have to pay a fine. Otherwise, the children co-operate the parents in household chores, wholeheartedly. The relation between stepmother and stepson and daughter is not good.
The relation between siblings is also good. Being the children of the same parents, the siblings have good relation. They eat together work together, play together and sleep together. But in lat childhood, they start maintaining distances. The brothers play with the boys of their age and sister play with the girls of their age. The cook food and serve to the brothers. The brothers perform work outside the house. After marriage brothers and sisters have their own families. The sisters leave the property and house and to go lead family live with their husbands. The brothers inherit the property of the father. They look after the parents in old age. The families of brother live in the same village but in different neighbouring houses. When all brothers and sisters start leading family life after marriage, they maintain relation by reciprocal exchange of invitation, visit, gift, presentation, service, request and hospitality. The relation between brothers and sisters families does not generally come under conflict. When the proper request and hospitality are not shown, the relation becomes bitter. Sometimes, it is broken temporarily.
The relation of the Lohara family with the families of the lineage, clan and tribe is generally good. They are corporeal kin groups. They participate in enjoys and sorrows together. They express happiness on birth and marriage. They mourn death together and observe pollution period. They maintain relation by reciprocal exchange of invitation, visit, gift, presentation, service food materials, feast, request and hospitality on festive and ceremonial occasions.
The relation of the Lohara with the other tribes and castes are also generally good. Although they are treated as untouchable and their food and water is not accepted, but they maintain Jajmani relation with the other tribes and castes. They supply iron – implements in their houses.
The Lohara also have good relation with the tribes and castes and castes of the neighbouring villages where they supply iron-tools. They also have their shops in the weekly Haat where the people of neighbouring villages come to purchase iron tools.
Marriage
The marriage is very important ritual which comes in the life of each Lohara individuals belonging to both sexes. The marriage is related to the reproduction of own kind and continuation of progeny. The Lohara generally fallow the rule of monogamy. But in exceptional cases like barrenness, widowhood, widowerhood, abnormal behaviour, cruel behaviour etc., bigamy and tri-gamy are also permissible. The Lohara follow the rule of tribe endogamy and clan exogamy. The Lohara boy is married only to a Lohara girl and vice-versa. Inter-tribe marriage is strictly prohibited. Intra clan marriage is also a taboo. For the purpose of marriage Lohara are divided into a number of exogamous clans. The names of their some clans are Sanrh, Son, Maghaiya, Tutli, Kachua and Dhantrik.
The usual way of acquiring marriage mates is by bride price. But service, Raji-Khushi and exchange or Gloat also acquires the marriage mates. The marriage by bride price is the most accepted form of the marriage. The father of the boy approaches the father of the girl with proposal of the marriage. It depends upon the will of the father of girl to accept or reject the proposal. When he accepts the proposal, the father of boy enhances the matter of the bride price. The father of the girl demands the bride price in cash and in kind. The bride price in cash varies between Rs.101 to 500. In kind, it is the form of bride’s dress, dress of bride’s parents, grand parents, brother and sister. It also includes rice, pulse, vegetable and goat to provide feast to the community members. When the bride price is agreed, the Pahan is called to fix the date of the marriage. The marriage takes place in between February to May months. The bride price is paid a week before the marriage. When the bride price is not paid as per agreement, the marriage stands cancelled.
A week before the date of marriage; the male kin of the groom come in the house of the bride along with items of bride price. They are accorded a warm welcome. Handia and feast are served to them in hospitality and respect. Dance is also organized in their respect. In the morning their Vidai is done with Handia and breakfast.
After the payment of the bride price, the father of the bride and the groom invite their paternal, maternal and affinal relatives to participate in the marriage function.
The male and female relatives start approaching in the house of the bride and the groom. The female kin perform the ritual of Mittikora (digging soil) to make hearth. They take part in beautificatory rituals like applying Ubatan, oil and Haldi. The male relatives do the cooking, carrying Palanquin and erecting Marwa. A joys scene prevails in both houses. Cutting of jokes between the joking relatives make the occasion more joyful. The bride and the groom have to observe taboo on bath, food, visit, cloth etc. On the day of marriage, the bride and the girl are allowed for a purificatory and beautificatory bath. They have given new dresses to wear. Kajal is put in their eyes. The groom sits in Palanquin. The female relatives spray sunfried rice, flower, leave, water etc. over the groom and the Palanquin for successful marriage and happy return.
All male relatives, who wear special dresses on the occasion of marriage, follow the palanquin. They form Barat Party and move to the village of bride. When the Barat Party reaches in the village of the bride, they received by the male members in good manner. The male kins of the bride offer flower and shake hands with each members. Amidst the scene of dancing and playing musical instruments, they are brought at the gate of the house of the bride. They brought to a suitable place for night halt. They are requested to wash their hands, feet and mouth. Then Handia, fried gram and sweets are served to them in hospitality. After this hospitality, the groom is brought in the Marwa where the bride waits for him. When the groom comes in the Marwa, the female relatives sing song and the bride offers flower bead to the groom and the groom to the bride. All members clasp their hands in joy. Then the Pahan enchants some mantra and the room puts vermillion in the head of the bride. Then the bride and the groom move round the fire tank and the marriage ritual is over. Final round of Handia is served among members present there. Final round of dance also takes place. Then all members present there share the feast and go to take rest.
In the morning the Vidai of the groom and the bride is made in new dress with money, sweets, clothes, gift etc. amidst the tearful scenes in the eyes of all relatives of the bride. When the Palanquin carrying the bride and the groom reaches at the place where members’ of the Barat Party are staying, the male kins of the bride go there to offer Vidai of the members of the Barat Party with Handia and sweets. They embrace each other at the time of departure. The kins of the bride seek pardon from the kins of the kins of the groom and with noble words and folded hands bid farewell to them.
When the Palanquin carrying the bride and the groom reaches at the gate of the, female kins extend hearty welcome. They do the ritual of Chumawan amidst the scene of singing and dancing. The bride and the groom are brought in the Marwa by putting steps in new baskets. In the Marwa, the couple seeks blessings of the family deities and all elder members present there. Then all community members share the feast.
The bride stays in the house of the father-in-law for a week. After a week, the father or the brother of the bride comes to see her and takes her and takes her back to Mayake. After a year, the groom goes to bring the bride on prior information. The father of the bride makes Vidai of the bride and the groom in new dress with money and some sweets. The bride and the groom start living in separate room. They cooking separately and inter in to marital and family life. They reproduce their own kind and struggle hard to provide food and cloth to the family members.
Thus, marriage not only establishes new relationship but it also witnesses the reciprocal exchange of invitation, service, loan, food materials, gift presentation, respect and hospitality.
Kinship
The kinship system of the Lohara also presents a model of relationship based on parentage and marriage. The blood of parents is transmitted to the offsprings. This gives rise to the concept of blood relation. On the bases of blood relation, every individual has/her ascendants and descendants. The family members are consanguine kin groups because all are related through blood. The wife is brought from the other group but, she is also included in the blood relation. Through her, the blood relation is transmitted from one generation to the next. The blood relations of an individual is present since the time of birth. In the society of Lohara, there is a custom of tracing descent from a known ancestor. All families tracing descent from a common ancestors form a lineage group. The lineage group exists as a corporeal consanguine kin group. They participate in joys and sorrows because they live together. Again, the Lohara have totemic relation with birds, animals, plant, trees, and natural; things. On this concept they have totemic clans as exogamous groups. The members of the clan are also consanguine and corporeal kin groups. They participate in joys and sorrows.
The marriage binds not only the bride and the groom in kinship relation. But all members of bride come under the kinship relation of the groom. Similarly all family members of the groom come under the kinship relation with the bride. All members of the bride and the groom also come to the network of kinship relation. The kinship relation also binds all paternal and maternal kins of the bride and the grooms. Thus, marriage creates a network and different sets of relationship. They are called by different kinship terms.
The Lohara behave following the kinship usages like avoidance, joking and takenonymy. Sas-Putoh, Sas-Damad, Sasur-Putoh, Sasur-Damad, Bhawah-Bahinsur, Jethala-Bahnoi behave following the rule of avoidance. On the other hand, Jija-Sala, Jija-Sali, Nanad-Bhabhi, Devar-Bhabi, Sarhaj-Nandoi, Samadhin-Samashin behaves following the rule of joking. The husband and the wife and all avoiding relatives behave the rule of takenonymy.
The Lohara use classificatory as well as descriptive kinship terminology. They classify relatives on basis of nearness and distance and call them by different names. They also categorise relatives on the basis of age, sex, lineality, co laterality and affinity and call them by different kinship terms. The society of the Lohara is kinship based. The kins play significant role in ceremonies, festivals, settlement of dispute and quarrel. The kinship system also witnesses the use of noble words in denoting the aged elder and younger. It also witnesses the reciprocal exchange of invitation, service, visit, respect and hospitality.
Birth
The birth is a very joyous occasion not only for the couple but the lineage group clan group and the community. It enhances the status of husband and wife as father and mother. It washes the stain of barrenness. It proves that the couple is fertile. The mother becomes pleased to see a child in her lap. The father becomes pleased to see his own kind. The grand parents become pleased to see their progeny. The lineage, clan and community express happiness for addition of member in the group. Singing, dance and feast after the pollution period celebrate the birth. The birth of both sexes is celebrated equally because both sexes are valuable for the continuation of the family name and community or the tribe.
The birth brings pollution in the family for five days. The birth is attended by and old lady. When the delivery pains start, the woman is brought in a room. In this room, only the woman and her assistant are allowed. The assistant facilitates the delivery. When the delivery takes place, navel is cut y a knife or now- days with a new blade. The delivery wastes are buried in the ground. They take part in beautificatory rituals like applying Ubatan, oil and Haldi. The male relatives do the cooking, carrying Palalnquin and erecting Marawa. A joyous scene prevails in both houses. Cutting of jokes between the joking relatives make the occasion more joyful. The bride and the groom have to observe taboo.
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