The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India Volume I Part 36

_Girgira_.--A small caste found in Sonpur State and Sambalpur district. They are fishermen, and also parch rice. They are perhaps an offshoot of the Kewat caste.

_Giri_ or _Gir_.--(_Gir_, mountain.) An order of Gosains.

_Girnara_.--A subcaste of Brahmans in Jubbulpore. They are said to take their name from Girnar in Kathiawar, where they were settled by Krishna after he rose from the Damodar reservoir in the bed of the Sonrekha river at Junagarh. They have the monopoly of the office of priests to pilgrims visiting Girnar. _(Bombay Gazetteer_, ix.)

_Goal_ or _Gowala, Guala_.--(Sanskrit Gopal, a cowherd.) Synonym of Ahir, also subcaste of Ahir.

_Gaoli_.--(A cowherd.) Synonym for Ahir. Subcaste of Maratha.

_Gobardhua_.--(From _gobar_, cowdung.) Subcaste of Chamar.

_Gohia, Gohi_.--(From _goh_ or _gohi_, a large lizard.) A section of Jain Bania or Khatik. A sept of Bhatra and Parja.

_Gohil_.--A well-known clan of Rajputs in the United Provinces.

_Goia_.--(From _gohi_, a mango-stone.) A section of Chadar. They draw a picture of the mango-stone at the Maihar or distribution of sacrificial cakes.

_Gola._--Synonym of Golar.

_Golak_.--Synonym Govardhan or Gaomukh. An illegitimate group of Maratha Brahmans.

_Golalare_.--A subcaste of Bania.

_Golandaz_.--(An artilleryman.) Synonym of Kadera.

_Golapurab_.--A subcaste of Bania, Darzi and Kalar.

_Golkar_.--Synonym of Golar and Ahir.

_Golia_.--One who dyes cloth with _goli ka rang_, the fugitive aniline dyes. Subcaste of Chhipa.

_Golla_.--Synonym of Golar.

_Gollam_.--Synonym of Golar.

_Gondadya_.--(Gond.) Subcaste of Otari.

_Gondi_.--(From the Gonds.) A subcaste of Ahir, Binjhwar and Lohar.

_Gondia_.--Subcaste of Dhimar.

_Gondi-Lohar._--A Gond who works as a blacksmith. Subcaste of Lohar.

_Gondvansi_.--(Descendants of Gonds.) A section of Ghasia.

_Gondwaina_.--Subcaste of Baiga.

_Gopal_.--A caste. Synonym of Ahir in Rajputana.

_Goranda_.--Synonym of Goyanda.

_Gorakhnath_.--A sect of Jogis. From Guru Gorakhnath, a great Jogi.

_Gorasia_.--(From _goras_, milk.) A section of Lonare Mali.

_Gorigawar, Gaigowal_.--(A cowherd.) A section of Otari and Panka.

_Gosain, Goswami_.--A caste. A surname of Sanadhya Brahmans in Saugor.

_Gotte_.--A subcaste of Gond. They are also called Made in Chanda.

_Goundia_.--A cla.s.s of Bairagi. Synonym Madhavachari. A section of Bharia-Bhumia.

_Gowalvansi_.--Subcaste of Ahir.

_Goyanda, Goranda_.--A name applied to a small cla.s.s of persons in Jubbulpore, who are descendants of Thug approvers, formerly confined there. The name is said to mean, 'One who speaks,' and to have been applied to those Thugs who escaped capital punishment by giving information against their confederates. Goranda is said to be a corruption of Goyanda. The Goyandas are both Hindus and Muhammadans. The latter commonly call themselves Deccani Musalmans as a more respectable designation. They are said to be a gipsy cla.s.s of Muhammadans resembling the Kanjars. The Hindus are of different castes, but are also believed to include some Beria gipsies. The Goyandas are employed in making gloves, socks and strings for pyjamas, having probably taken to this kind of work because the Thug approvers were employed in the manufacture of tents. Their women are quarrelsome, and wrangle over payment when selling their wares. This calling resembles that of the Kanjar women, who also make articles of net and string, and sell them in villages. Some of the Goyandas are employed in Government and railway service, and Mr. Gayer notes that the latter are given to opium smuggling, and carry opium on their railway engines. [444]

_Grihastha, Gharbari_.--(A householder.) A name given to those divisions of the religious mendicant orders who marry and have families.

_Guar_.--(From _guara_ or _gwala_, a milkman.) Subcaste of Banjara.

_Gudarh_ or _Gudar_.--(From _gudra_, a rag.) A sect of the Bairagi, Gosain and Jogi orders of mendicants.

_Gudha_ or _Gurha_.--(From _gudh_, a pigsty.) Subcaste of Basor.

_Gugaria_.--One who trades in _gugar_, a kind of gum. Subcaste of Banjara.

_Gujar_.--A caste. A subcaste of Ahir, Darzi, Koshti and Pasi. A clan of Maratha. A section of Khatik.

_Gujarati_.--(From Gujarat.) A territorial subcaste of Bahelia, Bania, Barhai, Chhipa, Darzi, Gopal, Nai, Sunar and Teli.

_Gurasthulu_.--A synonym for the Balija caste.

_Gurbhelia_.--(A ball of mola.s.ses.) A section of Gohira Ahirs in Chanda.

_Guria_.--(A preparer of _gur_ or unrefined sugar.) Synonym of Halwai in the Uriya country.

_Gurujwale_.--A cla.s.s of Fakirs or Muhammadan beggars.

_Guru-Mata._--t.i.tle of the great council of the Sikhs and their religious meal.

_Guru_.--(A preacher or teacher or spiritual guide.) Brahmans and members of the religious orders, Bairagis and Gosains, are the Gurus of ordinary Hindus. Most Hindu men and also women of the higher and middle castes have a Guru, whose functions are, however, generally confined to whispering a sacred verse into the ear of the disciple on initiation, and paying him a visit about once a year; it is not clear what happens on these occasions, but the Guru is entertained by this disciple, and a little moral exhortation may be given.

_Gurusthulu_.--Synonym of Balija.

_Guthau_.--t.i.tle of Gadba.

_Gwalbansi, Gokulbansi, Goalbansi_.--(Descended from a cowherd.) A subcaste of Ahir or Gaoli, A subcaste of Khairwar.