DOM

THE DOM/DUM/DOMB/DUMAR/DOOM

                                                              The DOMS of the Patna region are known as Maghaiya Doms . In other areas , they also called Bansamalik , meaning the bamboo workers in some parts of Bihar people call them Bhangis.

In the district at aptna the Doms are found in urban and rural areas. In the town of Barch , mokamah , Bakhtiarpur, Fatuha and Patna they are distributed in small settlements by the side of the ganga and around the  samsanghats

            They spesk magahi theycan also communicate in hindi.

                                                            Their diet includes rice ata , pulses and vegetables . A Nonvegetarian dish is eaten occasionally. Fruits and milk their food. Locally brewed liour is  consumed.

            The doms are at the lowest rung of caste hierarehy. They are subdivided into the bansphors, the bansamalik or maghaiyas and the leaders the bansphors pursue their  traditional occupation of making basket out of bamboo. Their occupation is comparatively cleaner than that of the other groups of doms theirfore they are ranked the highest among the doms. The bansphors never work has public executioners.  The meghaiya doms  are ranked next traditionally they are public executioners besides they make baskets out of bamboo. The leaders are ranked the lowest they are traditionally scavangers engaged in cleaning and carring night soil even the doms consider this to be the uncleanest profession.

            All the doms mentioned above are endo gamous groups at times the rules of endogamy are violated though the bansphors are considerd to be untouchables by the others they them selves look down upon the maghaiya and leaders doms for their uncleaned occupation the meghaiya doms consider the leaders to be the uncleanest and spire to be treated at par with the bansphors.

            Generally the bansphors and maghaiya doms do not mary their daughters to the leader boys. But the marriage of a leader girl to a bansphore or a meghaiya domes boy is accepted .

            Girls are married at the age of 14 or 15 years, and the boys between 19 and 20 years. These day an increased in marriage age has been noticed normally marriages are settled through negotiationas, but there have been case of love marriages  also.

            The system of dahej exists. A dowry is taken to meet the exponses of baja (band party) batty (lighting) and fue dhotis and sarees. In  some case untensils, a ring, a wrist – watch and case of Rs. 500/- to 1000/- or even more may be taken as dowry. The evil of dowery has been increasing.

            Residence is patrilocal divorce is permissible extra marital relations frequent visits to the parental home and neglect of household responsibilities by a married women are the main reasons for divorce.

            A man or women can remarry of their spouse dies. Extended and nuclear families are common among the doms. Husband and wife avoid meating and talking to each other in the presence of elders.

            Property is inherited by the sons after the death of the father the eldest son becomes the custodian rather than the owner of property if the property has to be divided for some reason, it is divided equally among all the sons, if the person does not have a sons of his own the property inherited equally by his brother’s sons.

            The women are consulted by their husband on social, economy and religious matters there suggestions are considered, but the final dicision is taken by men.

            When a child is born sweets are distributed among the near and dear once. The chhati- chila ceremony is observed on the 15^th day of birth the mother remains confined within the house until chhati. She comes out of the house on the 15^th day purifies herself by taking a bath in the ganga she relatives attend the small feast hosted by the family on this occasion and bless the new – born with present of khilona (toys) angiatopi (cap) or bala (bangle).

            Marriage is celebrated with great pomp and show. A part from their own community people from the others communidies are male for the Vishnu or such bhojan (vegetarians) pure food for the Brahmans, Rajput, Banias, etc.

            The ritual of Gaona is performed within one or three year after marriage. The bride is sent to her husbands house to start her own conjugal family life . a married women normally goes to her present’s house for the first delivery, called pani-paana which means giving birth to a child.

            In the event of death in a family the dasakarma is performed on the tenth day. The hria-karam or sradh is performed on the thirteenth day. Besides their traditional occupation the Doms also work as wagelabourers. Some of them rear, pigs, some have become rickshaw- puller in urban areas. Most of them are employed in the municipal corporation, hospitals and other government departments, as sweepers jamadars or supervisor. A few are also employed as clerks. Bamboo products like winnowing fans, baskets and mats, charcoal extracted from funeral pits and pigs are sold in the market.

            Jajmani relationship. Have not been Reported in urban areas.there are no traditional or modern statutory councils or regional associations among the Doms of patna. The patna Nagar Nigam Karamchari (an organization of employees of the municipal corporation) sangh and the Horizon. Utthan parishad (an organization of the Horizon communities as whole) mediate, when disputes arise among them.

            A temporary panchayat of elders is formed to deal with problems and diputes at the local level after wards, the panchayat is dissolved. In case of minor diputes, the parties are brought before the panchayat for confession. In the cases of strained marital relations of dovorce the guilty person  asked to repay the amount spent by the other party during the marriage. If there is conflict between two persons and one is injured by the other the expenses of treatment are paid by the offender.

The Bhagats or magicians are feared and at the same time called by the doms for good evil purpose. If a bhagat inflicts evilmagic on someone, and  is decected by another bhagat the concerned bhagat is beaten severely at the instruction of the panchayat .

            Hinduism is the only religion which the Doms  profess Ram Gossain is their ghar – deota (familydeity) or kandani deota the gorayathan is the sacred abode of their village deity . The ganga maiya or the holy ganges is goddess for the Doms . she is propitiated on every occasion

            Ancestors , particularly dead parents are worshipped. The kaliji mandir and the  patandevi mandir in patna are recognized as sacred centres the doms visit Babadham at deoghar the Hariharnath temple at sonepur and supan Baba temple in Burdwan.

            A pandit is called during religious ceemoniees But the family deities are worshipped with out the assistance of any pandit chhat . Dasshera , Hariharnath mela ,Diwali Holi , Ramnavami and sawani puja are the major festivals abserved by the doms For performing the rituals of chatti chila and name giving , they seek the sevices of a pandit they make cash payments. A pandit is engaged during marriages and maruisanskar or sradh , to perform the rites. During religious ceremonies , Such as the worship of Devi – mai the services of a pandit are needed at the cremation ground the Rajputs, Banias,Hajam and other communities , dependon them for the materials .needed for performing the funeral rites.

            They have received some education in the school run by the Government and the Christian missions for medical treatment they go to the missionary hospital at Kurji or to the patna medical college hospital.