Damor tribe

Damor
It is a tribal group of the western region of India, living in the Dungarpur district of
Rajasthan State having a population of 30,154 (1991 census) and sex ratio of 1:1.
It is a patriarchal society. No Damor will accept any kind of cooked food or water from a
Bhil (another tribe), and the Bhil also accept this social inferiority.
Under the racial classification, they are of pro-australiod category.
They speak Mewari language (austric language group).
Birth Ceremony
At the time of pregnancy, the expectant mother is taken to her parent’s home. If a woman
gives birth in her in-law’s home then the Suawad ritual (parents of the woman visit her
with rice and coconut) is celebrated. They only give goat milk to the child at the time of
the birth. After ten days, the mother takes a sacred bath and worships the Sun (their
traditional god). Up to a period of 40 days after the birth, the mother is not permitted to
enter the kitchen, nor can she touch the water pots.
She keeps some rice in a piece of white cloth in the case of a female child, and red cloth
in the case of a male child, and places this on the banks of the village tank and worships
the Jal Devta (water god). After finishing this ceremony, the mother can start fetching
water from the well for general use.
One day prior to the first Holi (the Hindu festival of colors) after the birth, Dhundh ritual
is celebrated. The woman’s parents send some presents (like silver bangles), but they
can’t visit her. Her other relatives visit her and they are served with Kansar (sweet
dishes).
The priest, who announces the date for the serving of the first wholesome meal to the
child, performs the naming ceremony. According to custom a relative, who offers a cow
or some silver ornaments, feeds the baby.
In the case of a childless family, a husband may either remarry or adopt his brother or
sister’s son only.
Marriage
They are gotra exogamous. Premarital relations are not allowed. There is no preference
for cross cousin or parallel cousin marriage. A male or female Damor can not marry
outside their tribe. Bride wealth is the locus of the marriage. If a widow has a son, she is
not expected to remarry. A Damor man irrespective of his category of orientation can
marry a Bhagat (a sub-caste) or non-Bhagat Damor girl, which a Damor woman can’t.
Vermilion is the sign of marriage. Usually after marriage, the newly weds live in a newly
constructed house, separately from their parents. A widow cannot choose her husband
from the clan of her deceased husband, nor can she marry any person of her in-law’s
village. Levirate marriage is completely forbidden. In this community, a wife is not
supposed to leave her husband nor can she establish extra-martial relations. If a woman
runs away from her husband’s house, it is the tradition of the community that no other
male would give her shelter or establish martial relation with her.
Death Ceremony
When the attendants of the dying person see that, he/she is about to pass away, they
plaster the floor of the house with cow-dung and place the person on it. If the deceased is
a married woman, her husband does not accompany the funeral to the crematorium;
instead his son takes his place. Paliya ritual (the people carrying the dead person,
interchange their places) is performed en route and at these places some stones and
pebbles are thrown.
If deceased the deceased is a pregnant woman, then her uterus is cut open and the baby is
taken out and kept on side of the dead mother.
In the Katariya (a ritual on the tenth day after the death), all male members of the family
and lineage shave their heads. On the eleventh and the eighteenth of the death, a village
and a caste dinner is arranged.
The Mahiya ritual starts from the second day after the death, in which an earthen pot is
kept at a particular place and everyday half a kilogram of grain is put into it. On the
twenty-seventh day, the pot is presented to a Brahmin priest. Durva-Shtami ritual is
celebrated on the eighth day of “Bhadra pada” (Hindu calendar) in which, dinner is
served to the members of the lineage. Shardha ceremony (ritual to appease the
forefathers) is observed after three years and the sons and the grandsons carry it out every
year.
Any person who dies of smallpox is always buried and never cremated. This is based on
the strong religious belief that on burning of such a body, goddess Mataji (who is
responsible for this disease) will get angry and cause more deaths.
Religion
Damor worship Rama, Krishna, Ganga and Ranchorji of Eakor (all Hindu gods and
goddesses). They also present their reverence to certain plants and animals such as Tulsi
and Peepal (plants) and the cow and serpent (animals). They are devotees of Kalkamata
and Ramdevji. Sarpdevta (serpent god) is worshipped among them. Goat and cock is
sacrificed in the honor of every god and goddesses. Khatrimata is worshipped and an
animal is sacrificed to her at the time of any epidemic among the cattle. This deity is also
propitiated for snakebite cure.
Economy
Damors are basically agriculturist but they are also engaged as laborers. Property is
inherited from father to son. Bamboo based handicraft is also a good source of economy.
Due to the introduction of the Panchayati raj, they have acquired a new stream of life,
which is generating awareness and development in their villages.
Education
Damor’s approach toward education is not good. Only 2.7% are literate and four primary
schools and two senior secondary schools are there in the Dungarpur district. But their
inclination is increasing, due to their contact with the modern life. They are taking
modern benefits by availing good education.
The approach towards modern life is creating an awareness of progress among them.