Lonari
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The Lonari caste primarily resides in various regions of India such as
Bhusawal Bhusawal is a city in the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra, India. Situated along the Tapti River, it lies between the Satpura Range and the Ajanta range, Ajanta Hills of the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau. The city is a significant hub for the ...
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Jalgaon Jalgaon () is a city in the state of Maharashtra, India. The city is located in North Maharashtra in the subregion of Khandesh, and serves as the administrative headquarters of its namesake district, the Jalgaon district. In the subregion of ...
,
Dhule Dhule is one of the largest cities in Maharashtra, and central region of India. The city located in the Dhule District in the northwestern part of Maharashtra state, India known as West Khandesh. Situated on the banks of Panzara River, Dhule i ...
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Surat Surat (Gujarati Language, Gujarati: ) is a city in the western Indian States and territories of India, state of Gujarat. The word Surat directly translates to ''face'' in Urdu, Gujarati language, Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of t ...
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Ahmednagar Ahmednagar, officially Ahilyanagar, is a city in, and the headquarters of, the Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India. Ahmednagar has several dozen buildings and sites from the Nizam Shahi period. Ahmednagar Fort, once considered almost impre ...
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Aurangabad Aurangabad (), officially renamed as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in 2023, is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Aurangabad district and is the largest city in the Marathwada region. Located on a ...
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Khandesh Khandesh is a geographic region in Maharashtra, India. It was made up of present Jalgaon, Dhule and Nandurbar districts. It also said that Burhanpur District of Madhya Pradesh was also its part. The region have seen many geographical ch ...
,
Nasik Nashik, formerly Nasik, is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra situated on the banks of the river Godavari River, Godavari, about northeast of the state capital Mumbai. Nashik is one of the Hindu pilgrimage sit ...
, Satana,
Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
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Baramati Baramati (Help:IPA/Marathi, aːɾamət̪iː is a city, a tehsil and a municipal council in Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India. The city is about 100 km (62 miles) southeast of the city of Pune and about 250 km from M ...
,
Indapur Indapur is a town and a municipal council in Pune district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Indapur is known for Jahagir of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's father and grandfather. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's grandfather Malojiraje died in ...
,
Sangli Sangli (ISO 15919, ISO: ''Sāṁgalī''; ) is a metropolitan town and the headquarters of Sangli District in Maharashtra, in south-western India. It has earned the nickname "Turmeric City of India" for being the hub of the Asia's largest produ ...
, Satara,
Solapur Solapur () is a city located in the south-western region of the States and Territories of India, Indian state of Maharashtra, close to its border with Karnataka. Solapur is located on major highway, rail routes between Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore ...
, Jalna, the Satara agency, and the southern
Maratha The Marathi people (; Marathi: , ''Marāṭhī lōk'') or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, ''Marāṭhī'') are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-A ...
country. In 1901, their population was recorded at 19,222 individuals, with 9,672 males and 9,550 females. Originally engaged in cement-making and lime-burning activities, they were initially considered to be part of the Maratha community but later established themselves as a distinct group by specializing in lime and charcoal production and trade. The Lonari community did not have any caste reservations initially and were classified under the
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; however, they were granted Other Backward Class (OBC) status in
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
during the mid-1990s. In
Belgaum district Belagavi district, formerly also known as Belgaum district, is a district in the state of Karnataka, India. The district is known as the sugar bowl of Karnataka with hectares being used for commercial production. It has overtaken Mandya distri ...
, Lonaris are further divided into Mith (Salt) and Chuna (Lime). In districts like Ahmednagar, Pune, and Solapur, they are categorized as Lonari proper and Kadu, Akaramashe. While Lonaris predominantly identify as Marathas, some political influences and strong leadership led them to opt for OBC status when it was officially granted. Lonari individuals are spread across various states in India such as
Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
,
Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...
,
Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...
,
Vidarbha Vidarbha (Pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, id̪əɾbʱə is a geographical region in the west Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Forming the eastern part of the state, it comprises Amravati Division, Amrav ...
, but their origins can be traced back to
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
from ancient times.''Caste and Race in India'', Taylor & Francis, p. 34. Lonari surnames include Goralkar, Khot, Kalel, Dangal (डांगल), Dhage, Dhumal, Lagad, Tulaskar, Gite, Ajage, Rane, Yedave, Kurhe, Ingale, Unde, More, Nimgire, Chorghe, Donhe, Dhangekar,Sodmise,Harge, khatte, Dhembre, Rakshe, Limite, Bondre, Karche, Tambe, Zadge, Kolarkar, Holkar, Kanade, Karande, Dhokrat, Atpalkar, Milke, Ganganmale, Gudale, Awate, Gherade, Singrore, Mutekar, etc. There are castes and sub-castes present in states, each with its own history, traditions, and social dynamics having synonymous names but are of same caste or occupation marry only among their sub-caste or subgroup such as below:


Exogamous divisions

Except in Poona district, persons with the same surname cannot intermarry. The following are some of the
exogamous group Exogamy is the social norm of mating or marrying outside one's social group. The group defines the scope and extent of exogamy, and the rules and enforcement mechanisms that ensure its continuity. One form of exogamy is dual exogamy, in which tw ...
s in Poona district: * Goralkar * Bajbalkar * Sangolkar * Narale * Chorghe *chadokar * Yedave * Labde * Kanade * Dhokrat * Ajage *Gawand *hipperakar * Adhav * Harage * Karche * Kute * Chale * Chabre * Dhangekar * Bajbalkar * Dhone * Harge * Nimgire * Vasimkar * Adne * Kapse * Koparkar * Khilari * Vagdare * Soparkar * Deulkar * Narale * Gherade * Khot * Khirsagar * Karande * Khandekar * Muthekar * Navthare * Shedage * Thite * Natkar * Redekar * Kasavkar * Borchate * Milke * Langde * Khilare * Tone * Dhage * Hipparkar * Gend * Galve * Kalel * Baad * Iparkar * Khatte * karande * kurhe * Sanvatsarkar * Unde * Sansare *Atpadkar * Godase Borchate Lonaris have been known to keep family records with the 'Bhaats' who are the record keepers in service of the Lonaris. Lord Khandoba of Jejuri is known to be the 'Kul'daivat or the Community deity of the Lonaris. Marriage within the same '
gotra In Hindu culture, the term gotra (Sanskrit: गोत्र) is considered to be equivalent to lineage. It broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor or patriline. Generally, the gotr ...
' is not permitted.


Marriage ceremonies

Marriage - Two brothers may marry two sisters. There is no limit of age for marriage of boys. Sexual license before marriage is neither allowed nor tolerated. If a girl commits sexual indiscretions before marriage with a man of her caste, she is married to him. The man is compelled to undergo certain purifications and to pay a fine and give a dinner to his caste-men. They are then classed as Kadu, Akaramashe or Bastard, and treated as being of an inferior division. If a girl commits sexual indiscretions with an outsider, she is excommunicated, and cannot be readmitted into her caste either by paying fine or giving a dinner to her caste-men.
Polygamy Polygamy (from Late Greek , "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marriage, marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, it is called polygyny. When a woman is married to more tha ...
is permitted, but
Polyandry Polyandry (; ) is a form of polygamy in which a woman takes two or more husbands at the same time. Polyandry is contrasted with polygyny, involving one male and two or more females. If a marriage involves a plural number of "husbands and wives ...
is unknown. A man marries another wife when his first wife is barren or is physically defective. The offer of marriage generally comes from the boy's father. It is arranged through the mediation of four or five men of their caste, termed Pudhait. A
Brahman In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' (; IAST: ''Brahman'') connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality of the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part XII In the ...
priest fixes an auspicious date for the marriage and also conducts the service. When an offer is received, two men of both the sides go to an
astrologer Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...
with the bride and bridegroom's
horoscope A horoscope (or other commonly used names for the horoscope in English include natal chart, astrological chart, astro-chart, celestial map, sky-map, star-chart, cosmogram, vitasphere, radical chart, radix, chart wheel or simply chart) is an ast ...
s and have them compared, when the horoscopes not are not available, the marriage is settled by the religious names of the bride and bridegroom. Twenty-seven heaps of rice corresponding to the twenty-seven stars are prepared. Over each heap a
betel nut The areca nut ( or ) or betel nut () is the fruit of the areca palm ('' Areca catechu''). The palm is originally native to the Philippines, but was carried widely through the tropics by the Austronesian migrations and trade since at least 1 ...
and a pice is placed. Red and
turmeric Turmeric (), or ''Curcuma longa'' (), is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between and high ...
powders are offered to these heaps, and a small girl is asked to pick up a betel nut. From the number of the betel nut, the bridegroom's star is marked. Similarly, the bride's star is marked, and then the astrologer decides whether the proposed match will be happy and prosperous. The principal ceremonies are Kunku-lavne or Betrothal, Lagna-chithi or fixing the date of marriage, turmeric rubbing, Devkarya or the ceremony of enshrining the marriage guardian deity which consists of Panchpavli, i.e. leaves of the
Mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...
,
Jambul ''Syzygium cumini'', commonly known as Malabar plum, Java plum, black plum, jamun, jaman, jambul, or jambolan, is an evergreen tropical tree in the flowering plant family Myrtaceae, and favored for its fruit, timber, and ornamental value. It is ...
(''Eugenia jambolana''), Shami ('' Prosopis spicigera''), Umber (''
Ficus glomerata ''Ficus racemosa'', the cluster fig, red river fig or gular, is a species of plant in the family Moraceae. It is native to Australia and tropical Asia. It is a fast-growing plant with large, very rough leaves, usually attaining the size of a lar ...
''), and Rui ('' Caltropis gigantea''), Vardha or taking the bridegroom to the bride's house, Sumant-pujan or the reception of the bridegroom by the bridge's father, Kanyadan or the bride-giving ceremony, Rukhwat or offering food articles to the bridge groom's party. Their marriage ceremonies are similar to those of the Marathas, except that at the time of marriage, the bride and bridegroom are made to stand on the
bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...
baskets, or the bride on a
grindstone A grindstone, also known as grinding stone, is a sharpening stone used for grinding or sharpening ferrous tools, used since ancient times. Tools are sharpened by the stone's abrasive qualities that remove material from the tool through friction ...
and the bridegroom on a coil of rope. The Saptapadi, or taking seven steps by the bride and bridegroom, or the throwing of rice over the bride and bridegroom's heads, is the binding portion of the ceremony. Remarriage of a
widow A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has Death, died and has usually not remarried. The male form, "widower", is first attested in the 14th century, by the 19th century supplanting "widow" with reference to men. The adjecti ...
is allowed. A widow is not allowed to marry her maternal or paternal aunt's son (cousin by an aunt), maternal uncle's son, or any member of her deceased husband's family. The ceremony takes place during the latter half of any month, or when the moon is not shining. The heads of the caste panchayat, a Brahman priest, and kinsmen of the both sides are present on this occasion. The widow and her new husband are seated on a square which the priest marks out with the grains of wheat. The priest worships a betelnut, Ganpati, and a metal water-pot (Varuna) of which the mouth is covered with betel leaves and a
coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...
. The Varuna water-pot is applied to the brow of the widow thrice. Sandal-paste, flowers, turmeric and
vermilion Vermilion (sometimes vermillion) is a color family and pigment most often used between antiquity and the 19th century from the powdered mineral cinnabar (a form of mercury sulfide). It is synonymous with red orange, which often takes a moder ...
powders and sweetmeats are laid before the betelnut and the water-pot, the hems of the couples garments are knotted together, and the lap of the widow is filled with rice, coconut, betel and fruit. She bows before the gods, and the priest marks her brow with vermilion, and leaves her. She is unlucky for three days after her remarriage, and must take care that no married women sees her face during that time. The widower gives a feast to his caste-men the next day. A
bachelor A bachelor is a man who is not and never has been married.Bachelors are, in Pitt & al.'s phrasing, "men who live independently, outside of their parents' home and other institutional settings, who are neither married nor cohabitating". (). Etymo ...
is not allowed to marry a widow. Divorce is allowed. A husband can divorce his wife on the ground of incompatibility of temper or when the wife bears a bad character, and the wife can divorce her husband when he is
impotent Erectile dysfunction (ED), also referred to as impotence, is a form of sexual dysfunction in males characterized by the persistent or recurring inability to achieve or maintain a penile erection with sufficient rigidity and duration for sati ...
. A divorce deed is passed with the permission of the headman of the caste, by whom the deed is attested. A woman divorced for
adultery Adultery is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal consequences, the concept ...
with a man of her caste is allowed to marry a second time, and the ceremony is conducted in the form of a widow remarriage.


Religion

Lonaris follow the Hindu law of inheritance, and belong to the Varkari, Shiva, Vaishnava sects. You will find a "Vaarkari" in each family of Lonari people as they strongly believe and follow the ethics, values, and culture of Vaarkari traditions that worship Vithoba of Pandharpur and saints like Tukaram, Gadge Baba, Naamdev, Chokamela, and others. They worship all Hindu gods, observe all Hindu fests and feasts, and make
pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...
s to Alandi, Jejuri, Pandharpur, Tulajapur, Benares, etc. Lonari have Koolswami Gods "Clan Gods" like Jyotiba of Kolhapur, Khandoba of Jejuri and Karnataka, Daryaba of Jath region, Sidhoba of Kharsundi, Taaibai, Mhasoba, Vithoba of Pandharpur etc. They also worship animals such as the
cobra COBRA or Cobra, often stylized as CoBrA, was a European avant-garde art group active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home countries' capital cities: Copenhagen (Co), Brussels ...
,
bullock Bullock may refer to: Animals * Bullock (in British English), a castrated male cattle, bovine animal of any age * Bullock (in American English), a young bull (an uncastrated male bovine animal) * Bullock (in Australia, India and New Zealand), an o ...
, horse, cow, and trees and plants like banyan tree, papal, apta, shami, and sweet basil, and their worship implements and religious and account books. Excluding Ekadashi, or Saturdays and Mondays a sacrifice of a goat is made to Khandoba and is partaken of by the offerer. They worship Hindu saints and make offerings of Khichadi,
frankincense Frankincense, also known as olibanum (), is an Aroma compound, aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes, obtained from trees of the genus ''Boswellia'' in the family (biology), family Burseraceae. The word is from Old French ('high-quality in ...
, and sweetmeats for their propitiation. When
cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...
and
smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...
are prevalent, they worship the deities Mari and Shtala respectively. They employ Brahamans to conduct their religious ceremonies.


Death ceremonies

They often burn their dead. Persons dying of smallpox and red
leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...
are buried. Children who have not cut their teeth are buried. At burial the deceased is put in the earth in a sitting position. The ashes and bones of the dead when burnt are sent to a holy place or are consigned to a river. As soon as a person has breathed his last, the body is washed with hot water and is laid on a bamboo bier covered with a new shroud. If the deceased is a woman whose husband is still living, the body is wrapped in a new robe and a bodice, and the brow is marked with turmeric and red powder. Wreaths of flowers are also offered, and the deceased is borne to the burial or burning ground by four men. The chief mourner walks ahead of the bier, taking fire in a
porcelain Porcelain (), also called china, is a ceramic material made by heating Industrial mineral, raw materials, generally including kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The greater strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to oth ...
pot. The bier is put down halfway to the burning or burial ground, and a sweet ball and a pice are thrown on the spot. A pyre of cow dung is prepared and the body placed upon it. The chief mourner shaves his mustache and head and bathes. Then he wets his over-garment and squeezes a few drops of water into the dead person's mouth. The chief mourner then ignites the pyre. When it is half burnt, the chief mourner takes a porcelain pot filled with water upon his shoulder and walks thrice round the pyre. At the commencement of each round, a hole is bored in the pot with a pebble. On completing the third round he throws the pot over his back, and striking his mouth with his hand, calls aloud. The relatives of the dead feed the mourners for three days. On the third day the ashes and bones are collected, and cow's urine and dung are sprinkled over the place of burning. Three small porcelain pots are placed in a line from north to south, and on the mouth of each pot a cake is placed. The food most fancied by the deceased is offered, and
camphor Camphor () is a waxy, colorless solid with a strong aroma. It is classified as a terpenoid and a cyclic ketone. It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel (''Cinnamomum camphora''), a large evergreen tree found in East Asia; and in the kapu ...
and frankincense are burnt. This is termed ''smashanbali''. On the tenth day, balls are offered to the dead. A crow must touch one of the balls, otherwise an artificial crow of darbha grass is prepared, and the ball is touched thereby. The relatives of dead then pour sea and water over the life-stone, and it is then thrown into water. This is known as the ''daspindi'' ceremony. On the thirteenth day, the caste-men are feasted, and some charity for the propitiation of the dead is distributed. On the fourteenth day, a female or male, according to the sex of the deceased, is feasted, and articles of raw food are given to Brahmans. For one year the same female or male is feasted every month. For the propitiation of ancestors in general, they observe the shradhha ceremony during the latter half of the month of
Bhadrapad Bhadra or Bhadrapada or Bhādo or Bhadraba (Bengali: ভাদ্র ''bhādro''; Hindi: भादों ''bhādo''; Sanskrit: भाद्रपद ''bhādrapada''; ''Bhādra''; ''Bhādravo''; ''Bhadraba''; ''Bhadô'') is the sixth month ...
. When a person has died a violent death and the body is not found, an image of wheat flour representing the deceased is burnt with sticks of plates (Butea frondosa); funeral rites as on an ordinary death occasion are performed.


Occupation

From the probable derivation of the word 'Lonari' (lona – salt) it is likely that the hereditary occupation of the caste was once preparing salt, and Lonaris following that occupying are still found in Belgaum district. Most of them are now cement makers and charcoal burners. They buy lime nodules and burn lime with charcoal and cow-dung cakes in a circular brick kiln. Some are husband-men and labourers.


Food

They eat the flesh of goats and fowls, as well as fish. They drink liquor. They eat pakki and
kanchi Kanchipuram (IAST: '; ), also known as Kanjeevaram, is a stand alone city corporation, satellite nodal city of Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from Chennaithe capital of Tamil Nadu. Known as the ''Ci ...
and drink water and smoke with Marathas, Dhangars and Mali. Food also involves kadhi chawal, dal bhat, sabudana kidhadi, biryani, Mutton curry, coriander vadi,


References

Sources *{{cite book, title=The tribes and castes of Bombay, Volume 1, isbn=978-81-206-0630-2, first=Reginald Edward , last=Enthoven , authorlink=Reginald Edward Enthoven, year=1922, publisher=Asian Educational Services *Communities, Segments, Synonyms, Surnames and Titles By K. S. Singh Indian castes Maratha clans