THE PEOPLE

FOOD

THE DIETARY AND FOOD HABITS OF THE PEOPLE OF RATNAGIRI have their regional peculiarities pertaining to Konkan distinguishing them from the general pattern of Maharashtra.

Among the well-to-do rice is the staple food suplemented now-a-days because of food rationing with a quantity of wheat. Meals are taken at noon and after sunset. With the rice is taken some ghee (clarified butter), a curry or amtl of split pulse, onions, spices and a tamarind or kokam dressing, and vegetables fried in sweet oil, spiced and preferably added with some fresh cocoanut scraping. Buttermilk (taka) is so indispensable with Brahmans that almost every house, except the poorest, keeps a cow or buffalo. Catanis, koshimbirs, lonace, papad, and sandage are the usual adjuncts to a meal among the well-to-do.

The lower classes eat nacani instead of rice, and the poorest van and harik, an unwholesome grain unless soaked in hot water, and udid, a pulse cheaper than gram or tur. The morning beverage of weak rice-water pej, still holds its pride of place in the people's daily diet. Every day before going out Senavis (Gaud Sarasvat Brahmins) and all classes, except strict Brahmins, take a draught of pej, and with it a small quantity of fresh cocoanut kernel, a papad or some vegetable. The object of the early draught of rice-water is said to be to guard against the heat of the sun and to keep off attacks of biliousness. The midday meal is then taken at about 1 p.m. Brahmans, who cannot break their fast before washing, take their morning meal at a much earlier hour than is usual elsewhere. However, the morning tea with some snacks has nowadays become current with all except the poor. The cultivators usually start their day with a morning breakfast consisting of nacani bread with roasted dried fish followed by pej, and have two full meals both consisting of rice and dal or fish curry, and occasionally some vegetable.

The culinary art of the people as expressed in their daily food, feast menus and holiday dishes, has its own peculiarities, every caste-group claiming some distinguishing features.

Rice being the staple food of the people, the cereal predominates in many of their food items. It is used in two forms: ukda (parboiled) made of paddy halfboiled before it is pounded to remove chaff; and surai made without boiling the paddy. In the preparation of boiled rice, generally two processes are followed: one known as betha bhat is prepared by boiling the rice (cleaned and washed) in about twice the quantity of water till it swells soft; for the other kind known as velana bhat the rice is boiled in an excess quantity of water and then strained dry when the grain gets sufficiently soft. The strained rice-water may be salted to taste and drunk as velani pej. The rice is eaten with different kinds of curries or amtis of which a peculiar kind made either of vegetables and pulses or fish is known as sambare. Amti is generally prepared of tur split pulse and is spiced with goda masala and a phodani of jire (cumin seed) and asafcetida; gur and tamarind are its necessary adjuncts. Sambare has a thicker consistency than that of amti and is prepared from a variety of pulses and ingredients such as hot spices, onion, scraped cocoanut all fried in oil and pasted on a curry-stone are its special adjuncts.

Several special dishes are prepared chiefly from rice-flour. Ayate, kayalolya, ghavan, and pole are pan-cakes, each prepared according to its kind, after mixing the flour in water, butter-milk or milk and adding to it a little salt and gur, scrapped cocoa-kernel, chopped green chillies, coriander leaves, onion, etc., and the mixture poured and spread over heated oil or ghee in a pan and fried. Amboli is a similar pan-cake thicker in kind and prepared from rice and udid-flour mixed together in water and fermented overnight. Of the same mixture are prepared idalis by steaming them in small dishes in a closed vessel. Vade, gharge, and unde are cakes made from dough of rice and udid-pulse flour and fried in deep oil. Vades are flat and round like puris; gharge are similar to vade but the dough is sweetened with gur and pumpkin, cucumber, etc. boiled soft; undes are globular in size. Patolya: about an ounce of kneaded rice-flour dough is spread on a green turmeric leaf to a thickness of a wafer-biscuit; an ounce of scrapped cocoa-kernel sweetened with molasses is laid on the dough, the leaf is folded double, and such patolyas are steamed in a number. Sevaya (vermicelli), kneaded and boiled rice-flour pressed through a metal plate pierced with small holes, are eaten with milk of green cocoa-kernel mixed with gur, Sandans are made of rice-flour (granules), cocoanut milk and juice of ripe mangoes or jack-fruit; they are cooked in steam like pudding. Cavdas are fried wheat-flour wafers overlaid with thin layer of sugar; nevris are bow-shaped wheat-flour cakes stuffed with a mixture of scrapped cocoa-kernel, pieces of cashew-nut, sesame, etc. and sugar or molasses. The popular holiday dish for many is khir, that is rice-porridge mixed with molasses and cocoanut milk, served with vade.

TABLE I.

AREA, HOUSES AND POPULATION FROM 1901 TO 1951. District Ratnagiri.

•Figures for 1951 only include those. for the mergea area of the former Sawantwadi State.

TABLE II.

CIVIL CONDITION BY AGE PERIODS (ALL COMMUNITIES) District Ratnagiri. 1911.

TABLE II.—contd. 1931.

TABLE II—contd. 1951 (Sample population).

TABLE III.

LANGUAGE (MOTHER-TONGUE). District Ratnagiri.

TABLE IV.

POPULATION BY RELIGION FROM 1881 TO 1951. District Ratnagiri.

continued..

TABLE V.

POPULATION BY TALUKA FROM 1901 TO 1951. DISTRICT RATNAGIRI.

continued..

* The total is for Sawantwadi State before the merger,

TABLE VI.

URBAN AREA, HOUSES AND INMATES 1951. District Ratnagiri.

TABLE VII.

RURAL AREA, HOUSES AND INMATES 1951. District Ratnagiri.

HINDUS.

Castes in 1872.

REGARDING THE HINDU POPULATION OF RATNAGIRI DISTRICT (excluding Sawantwadi taluka) the old District Gazetteer (Vol. X) has given a caste-wise enumeration as ascertained from the census of 1872. The following is a summary of those details including pertinent observations made by the Gazetteer about some of the important castes in the district: Under Brahmans came eight divisions with a strength of 66,046 souls (m. 32,223; f. 33,823) of which the Citpavans or Konkanasthas numbered 14,367 (m. 7,146; f. 7,221) and the Senvis 13,669 (m. 6,579; f. 7,090). Of Writers the only class was of Kayasth Prabhus numbering 664 (m. 341; f. 323). Of Traders there were six castes with a strength of 36,299 souls (m. 18,142; f. 18,157) of which Varus numbered 32,569 (m. 15,939; f. 16,633); there were also other trader communities such as Lingayats, Jains, Gujar, Bhatias and Marvadis which had but an insignificant population. Of Husbandmen with a total strength of 583,730 souls (m. 277,863; f. 305,867) there were nine classes, viz., Kunbis, Marathas, Bhandaris, Shindes, Malis, Pharjans, Ghadis, Mit-Gavdas and Gavdas, of which Kunbis numbered 284,267 (m. 1,37,275; f. 1,48,994), Marathas 2,03,406 (m. 97,467; f. 1,05,939) and Bhandaris 70,796 (m. 33,671; f. 37,125). Of Manufacturers there were four classes, viz. Telis, Kostis, Salis and Sangars, with a strength of 20,602 souls (m. 10,177; f. 10,425) of which Telis (oil pressers) numbered 16,879 (m. 8,278; f. 8,601). Of Artisans there were twelve classes with a strength of 46,998 souls (m. 23,506; f. 23,492), of which the most important found all over the district were Sutars (carpenters) 15,377 (m. 7,602; f. 7,775), Sonars (gold smiths) 12,733 (m. 6,320; f. 6,413), and Lohars (black smiths) 1,828 (m. 992; f. 836). Of Actors with a strength of 20,108 souls (m. 9,698; f. 10,410) there were five classes, viz., Guravs, Devlis, Bhavins, Kalavtins, and Bhorpis. Of personal Servants with a population of 12,669 (m. 6,080; f. 6,589) there were three classes, viz., Nhavis, Parits and Bhistis. Of Herdsmen and Shepherds there were two classes, viz., Gavlis and Dhangars who together numbered 18,505 (m. 9,234; f. 9,271). Gabits, Kharvas, Kolis and Bhois were the four classes of Fishers and Sailors and together they numbered 30,994 (m. 15,222; f. 15,772). Of Labourers and Miscellaneous Workers there were seven classes, viz., Buruds, Bhadbhunjas, Tambolis, Rajputs or Deccani Pardeshis, Vadars or Beldars, Ramoshis and Vaidus with a total strength of 721 souls (m. 374; f. 347). Chambhars and Jingars were the two classes of Leather Workers with a strength of 10,694 souls (m. 5,468; f. 5,226). Besides Chambhars there were three Depressed Castes, viz., Mahars, Mangs and Bhangis with a strength of 85,528 souls (m. 41,756; f. 43,772). Katkaris, Thakars, Dongri Kolis, Lamans and Bhils of Unsettled Tribes together numbered 938 (m. 444; f. 494). Devotees and Religious Beggars of various names, Gosavis, Jogis, Gondhalis, Bhutes, Bhats, Saravades, Gopals and Jangams numbered 6,553 (m. 3,186; f. 3,367).

Citpavans.

Citpavans are also known as Citpols, Ciplunas and Konkanasthas. The names Citpavan, Citpol and Ciplunas appear to come from the town Cipluna, their original and chief settlement, the old name of which is said to have been Citpolan. They began to call themselves Konkanasthas in about 1715 A. D. when Pesva Balaji Visvanath, their casteman rose to importance in Maratha kingdom. They worship Parasuram, the legendary slayer of the Ksatriyas and the coloniser of the Konkan. Of their early history or settlement in Ratnagiri no record remains. The local legend makes them strangers descended from fourteen shipwrecked corpses who were restored to life by Parasuram. The Citpavans have a tradition that they came from Amba Jogai about 100 miles north of Sholapur. They say they were originally Deshasths and that fourteen Brahmins of different gotras (family stocks) accompanied Parasuram to Konkan and settled at Cipluna. This does not seem probable as they differ greatly from Deshasths in complexion and features. Fair and pale with, in most cases greenish gray (ghare) eyes, they are a well-made vigorous class, the men handsome with a look of strength and intelligence; the women small, graceful and refined, but many of them delicate and weak-eyed. In their homes they use a peculiar dialect, which is now fast dying out. Out of doors they speak pure Marathi with more marked pronunciation of anusuar, the nasal sound. Many of the west coast villages, owned and held by Citpavans, are for cleanliness and arrangement a pleasing contrast to the ordinary Indian village. Their houses, built of stone, stand in cocoanut gardens or in separate enclosures, shaded with mango and jack trees, and the village roads, too narrow for carts, are paved with blocks of laterite and well shaded. Ponds, wells and temples add to the general appearance of comfort. The Citpavans are very clean and tidy. Though not superior to Deshasthas and Karhadas in rank, they are held in much respect by most Ratnagiri Hindus, who believe that the mantras (sacred texts) repeated by a Citpavan have a special worth. They are either Apastambas or Rgvedis and belong to the Smart sect. They are followers of Sankaracarya. They have fourteen gotras. Unlike most castes of the Deccan, a Citpavan is not allowed to marry his maternal uncle's daughter. They have over all India a good name for their knowledge of Hindu lore, and in Bombay and Poona, some of the most distinguished native scholars in Sanskrit, mathematics, medicine and law, are Ratnagiri Citpavans. A very frugal, pushing, active, intelligent, well-taught, astute, self-confident, and overbearing class, they follow almost all callings and generally with success.

Senavis.

Senavis who claim to be Gaud Sarasvat Brahmans of the Panch Gaud order are found all over the district, but chiefly in Malvan and Vengurla. Goa was their original Konkan settlement, where, according to Sahyadri Khand, they are said to have come at Parasuram's request from Trihotra or Tirhut in northern India. Though they fled from Goa to escape conversion by the Portuguese, every family has still a private idol there. Besides Senavis proper, who are of two sects Smarts and Vaisnavas (the latter known as Sasastikar), there are seven local divisions, Bardeskars, Kudaldeskars, Bhalaval-kars, Pednekars, Lotlikars, Divadkars and Khadpekajules, each claiming superiority over the other. They now freely interdine and social restrictions on intermarriage are much lessened. Of these local divisions, except Bardeskars, none seem to have come from Goa, and about Kudaldeskars because of their difference in colour and features with other sections of the Gaud Sarasvats, some are led to believe that they are probably local Brahmans like the Deshasthas. They themselves prefer to be called simpy Gaud Brahmans: although they interdine with the other sections they claim to be quite an independent community.

Except the Sasastikars and Bardeskars, who are Vaisnavas, all the Gaud Sarasvats are Smarts. They are followers of Rgveda and have eighteen gotras. Their family deities are Mangesh, Shantadurga, Mahalakshmi, etc., the shrines of all of which are in Goa. They have monasteries at Kavale in Goa, Gokarn, Nasik, Benares, etc. In Goa, Kanara and other centres of the caste they have priests of their own caste. In other places, Karhadas, Citpavans or Deshasthas officiate at their ceremonies. Eager to educate their children, and ready to follow any promising calling or profession, Senavis seem likely to keep their high place as one of the most intelligent and prosperous classes of west Indian Hindus.

Vanis.

Varus found all over the district and said to have come from north India, are known by the names of the towns where they first settled, Sangameshvari, Patane and Kudali. Among them the Kudalis claim superiority wearing the sacred thread and forbidding widow marriage. Most Vanis are shopkeepers, some are husbandmen, and a few are Government servants. They show special respect to members of certain families called Shetias, who have the hereditary right to preside at caste meetings. Other families known as Mahajans, inferior to Shetias, hold position of special honour.

Lingayats.

Lingayats are found chiefly in Rajapur and Sangameshwar. They are said to be partly immigrants from the Deccan and partly local converts. They are in middling circumstances, some of them husbandmen, others retail dealers and pedlars who buy stocks of cloth and spices in the towns, and carrying them to villages sell or barter them for grain. They worship the ling, and always carry an image of it in small box, either tied to the left arm or hanging round the neck. As belonging to the Lingayat sect their religion widely differs from that of other Hindus by holding that a true worshipper cannot be made impure, and so setting the members of the sect free from the need of purification after a family birth or death. Originally doing away with caste differences, after the first spread of the new faith, the old social distinctions regained their influence, and the sect is now broken into several sub-divisions who neither eat together nor intermarry. They neither eat flesh nor drink liquor. They have separate temples (basti) and priests of their own who are known as langams.

Jains.

Jains who are believed to have come from Karnatak and who resemble in appearance, Lingayats, are found chiefly in the south. Besides Jain Vanis who are more or less late comers, there are in the community such classes as Guravs, or temple servants, and Kasars, or copper smiths who show traces of a time when the Jain was the ruling form of faith. Jain Varus who hold a good but isolated position among Traders, most of them well-to-do, are frugul and thrifty and have a good name for fair dealing. They are religious and worship the saints called Tirthankars. They have their own priests, Gorjis and Jatis. Their only temple at Kharepatan is dedicated to Parasnath, the twenty-third saint. The Jain Guravs and Kasars, the members of both these classes hold aloof from Brahmans and Brahmanic Hindus, refusing, however high their caste, to take water from their hands, and the Kasars have as their priests, gurus, Jains from the south Deccan. The Guravs, servants in village temples, like the Kasars, in matters of eating and drinking, hold aloof from Brahmanic Hindus. Though the village temples are now dedicated to some Brahman god, there are near many of them the broken remains of Jain images, and most temple land grants seem to date from a time when Jainism was a state religion.

Gujars.

Gujars of the Porvad, Nema Umad, Khadayata and Shrimali subdivisions are found all over the district, especially in Dapoli, Khed and Chiplun. They are settlers from Gujarat and occasionally visit their own country. All are traders dealing in grain, spices and cloth, and lending money. They dress like Brahmans, except that the end of the woman's robe, lugade, is drawn over the right instead of the left shoulder, i.e. falls from over the right shoulder and goes over to the left, and that they do not pass the robe between the legs. Though they understand and speak Marathi, their home tongue and the language in which they keep accounts is Gujarati. They are strict vegetarians, and for their evening meals never take rice, but eat bread, pulse and milk. Except Porvads, Nemas and Umads, who are Sravaks or Jains the Gujars are Vaisnavas of the Vallabhacari sect. Though they have settled in Ratnagiri for more than a century, Gujar Vanis have kept their own customs and do not mix with other Vanis of the district.

Bhatiyas,

Bhatiyas are found at Chiplun, Rajapur, Malvan and Vengurla. Coming from Bombay from Cutch and north Gujarat they have settled in Ratnagiri within the last fifty years. Large merchants and shipowners have chief dealings with Bombay, Cochin and Calicut. Ready to take advantage of any new opening or industry, the Bhatiyas seem likely to hold the place they have gained as the leading district traders.

Marvadis.

Marvadis are found in some of the chief towns in the district. As their favourite occupation of moneylending is almost entirely in the hands of the superior landlords, Marvadis make little way in Ratnagiri. Besides the few families settled as shopkeepers and traders dealing in spices and cloth, some pay yearly visits in the fair season from Bombay as travelling jewellers.

Kunbis.

Kunbis found all over the district, but chiefly in the northern subdivisions are the descendants of pure Sudras. Of their former settlements or the date of their arrival in Ratnagiri nothing has been traced. They are smaller, darker, and more slightly made than the Deccan Kunbi. All are cultivators, steady and hard working; but from their numbers and the poorness of the soil they are scarcely supported by what their fields yield. Many make up the balance, and earn enough to meet marriage and other special expenses by seeking employment in Bombay, working as carriers, labourers, or garden or house servants, or in the steam spinning and weaving factories where whole families find well paid employment.

Marathas.

Marathas found all over the district, are specially numerous near the Sahyadri hills. They claim to be descendants of Rajput families, some of whom came to serve under the Bijapur Government, and the class forms two great divisions those with and those without surnames. Families with surnames hold themselves to be the only pure Marathas, asserting that the others are the offspring of mixed or unlawful marriages. Stronger, more active, and better made than the Kunbi, many of them even among the poorer classes, have an air of refinement. As a rule all the Ratnagiri vatandar Marathas of a village have the same surname and when one dies the rest go into mourning. Their surnames such as Kadam, More (Mourya), Shelke (Chalukya), Palav, Dalvi, and others show their connection with old ruling families. Though most of them are cultivators a large number are soldiers, no caste supplying the Indian army with as many recruits as the Ratnagiri Marathas. Others go into the police; a few are becoming clerks and schoolmasters. As it has been to the Kunbis, the opening of Bombay spinning and weaving factories has been a great gain to Ratnagiri Marathas, with whole families finding work and earning high rates of pay. Very frugal, unassuming, respectable and temperate most of them bring back to their homes considerable sums of money.

Bhaandaris.

Bhandaris are found in most parts of the district, but chiefly in the coast villages. They supplied the former pirate chiefs with most of the fighting men, and the name seems to show that they were originally used as treasury guards. They have four sub-divisions, Kitte, More, Gaud, and Shinde. Of these the Kitte is the highest, claiming as their own the coast from Goa to Bankot. A strong, healthy and fine looking set of men they are generally well housed, and in dress are extravagant, very fond of bright colours, and when well-to-do, dressing in Brahman fashion. A strong pushing tribe, they are fond of athletic exercises especially of wrestling.

shindes.

Shindes found in small numbers all over the district, are the descendants of female slaves. Pure Marathas and Kunbis look down upon them. But if a Shinde succeeds, after a generation or two, his children pass as Marathas, and are allowed to marry into lower class families.

Players.

Of Actors the Bhavins and Devlis, found only in the south divisions of Vengurla, Malvan and Deogad, are said to be descended from the female servants of some of the Sawantwadi or Malvan chiefs, who were presented with lands and dedicated to the service of the village god. Of these people the Bhavins are the female and the Devlis the male offspring. Among her daughters a Bhavin chooses one to succeed her as a temple servant, and when the girl comes of age, she is dedicated by pouring over her head oil from the god's lamp. The Bhavin practises prostitution and differs from a common prostitute, kasbin, only in being dedicated to the god. Devils earn their living as drummers or strolling players, and a few as husbandmen or village temple servants. According to their rules, the sons and daughters of Bhavins, and the sons and daughters of Devils cannot intermarry.

Fishers.

Of Fishers and Sailors, Gabits found from Deogad down to the Goa frontier, are some of them cultivators and labourers, but most are sea-fishers and sailors. The women sell fish or take them dried for sale in other parts of the district. Gabits have some local importance from managing craft that still carry the bulk of the coasting goods and passenger traffic. Kolis are found on the north coast. The aborigines of the country, they formerly possessed many strongholds, the principal being Kardu near Devghat, whose Koli chief, styled Raja, held land both in the Konkan and in the Maval above the Sahyadris. Except a few traders and husbandmen Kolis are all seamen and fishers, very bold, pushing and skilful, owning their own boats, preparing their own nets, and on the whole independent and well-to-do.

Of Leather Workers the Chambhars are found throughout the district. Those of Lanje in Rajapur have a local name for their skill in making the sandals, vahanas, generally worn by the natives in the rainy season.

Mahars.

Of the Depressed castes, Mahars are found all over the district, but are specially common in Dapoli where they own much land. They are of two divisions, Mahar-bele and Mahar-pale. Most of those who remain in Ratnagiri are village servants and field labourers. Mahar batallions are now abolished. However, the old Gazetteer mentions " Large numbers enter the army and have always proved obedient, hardy, and brave soldiers. From a statement supplied by the Military Authorities it would seem there are at present 2180 Ratnagiri Mahars on the rolls of the Bombay army, of whom 1,030 are in active service and 1150 pensioners ".

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