Thank you, Alfred. They have served the country through the ages, now dramatically in several Mahar Regiments. The creation of the groupings was a social act of valour by the leaders of a new India. They continue to moonlight as gravediggers in Goa. I never leave a funeral without a tip for our husband and wife team. eric.
________________________________ From: Alfred de Tavares < Eric, I think there is an inadvertant miss' infra, as our jc would say... Should'nt it rather be 'mar'. 'Mhar' is a cobbler or bamboo-worker by profession & which, lamentably, places the group as untouchable---casteless; Whereas, 'mar' is (to) kill; 'mar zudev/zudev mar' thus rendering it as kill (the) Jew. Although casteless, there was never any bitterness/animosity vs the shoe- or baset- makers, in Goa, unless, woebegone, one of them dared enter a Hindu brahmin house through the front door, enter a Hindu temple by whichever door or even cross the shadow of a H. brahmin, however tainted the later may be... Oh...I forgot, if the poor devil dared use a village well...he/mostly, she was done for. Chacha...trying to impress (a bit) on his knowledge of 'castology'. > Date: Thu, 30 May 2013 22:58:05 -0700 > From: ericpin...@yahoo.com > To: joego...@yahoo.co.uk; goanet@lists.goanet.org > Subject: [Goanet] Tradition of Mhar or Zudev celebration on 23rd June every > year > > > > "Kill the Jew ! " The practice is banned. Israel had > issued a formal protest to the Foreign Ministry several > years ago. The government in Goa then responded. eric. > > > > On the 23rd June every year, a day before Sao Joao, we also celebrated 'mhar' > or 'zudev', an old man made up of straw (with pant, shirt, shoes, hat etc) > sitted on a chair, we carried him house to house where we used these pidde to > hit or strike the ground saying 'Mhar re, Zud re, ku, ku, ku'. This was a > tradition in salcette, don't know it's significance though (Zudev also mean > Judev).