The Lonari caste are found chiefly in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
regions of
Bhusawal
Bhusawal is the largest municipal council (established in 1882) in the Jalgaon district of the Indian state of Maharashtra, situated along the banks of the river Tapi. The city emerged as a major railway junction during the British Raj, and s ...
,
Jalgaon
Jalgaon () is a city in Maharashtra, India. The city is located in North Maharashtra, and serves as the administrative headquarters of its namesake district, the Jalgaon district. Jalgaon is colloquially known as the “''Banana City of Indi ...
,
Dhule
Dhule is a 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 is the regional headquarters of MIDC, RTO, and MTDC.
The city is mainly kn ...
,
Surat ,
Ahmednagar,
Aurangabad
Aurangabad ( 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 hilly upland terrain in the Deccan Traps, Aurangabad is the ...
,
Khandesh
Khandesh is a geographic region in Central India, which includes parts of the northwestern portion of Maharashtra as well as Burhanpur District of Madhya Pradesh.
The use of Khandeshi Language (a.k.a. the Ahirani Language) is prevalent in t ...
,
Nasik,
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...
,
Baramati
Baramati ( 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 Mumbai.
Baramati is locat ...
, Indapur,
Sangli
Sangli () is a city and the district headquarters of Sangli District in the state of Maharashtra, in western India. It is known as the Turmeric City of Maharashtra due to its production and trade of the spice. Sangli is situated on the banks ...
,
Satara,
Solapur
Solapur () is a city located in the south-western region of the Indian state of Maharashtra, close to its border with Karnataka. Solapur is located on major highway, rail routes between Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad, with a branch lin ...
,
Jalna, the Satara agency, and the southern Maratha country. The caste had a population of 19,222 in 1901, which included 9,672 males and 9,550 females. They are a caste of cement–makers and lime burners who were once believed to be
Marathas
The Marathi people ( Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
& later formed themselves into a separate class by adopting the occupation of lime and charcoal makers /traders. Lonari's originally never had any caste reservations & belonged to general (open) category but later were granted a OBC status in mid 90's in state of Maharastra. In
Belgaum district they are divided into Mith (salt) and Chuna (lime) Lonaris,
[''Caste and Race in India'', Taylor & Francis, p. 34.] who eat together but do not intermarry. In
Ahmednagar, Poona, and
Solapur district
Solapur District (Marathi pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, olaːpuːɾ is a List of districts of Maharashtra, district in Maharashtra state of India. The city of Solapur is the district headquarters. It is located on the south east edge of th ...
, they are divided into Lonari proper and Kadu, Akaramashe.mainly kshtriya lonaries are maratha but due to political influence and having good leader they decided to go in OBC cast when circular came also one important thing in current situation caste people situated all over india like Karnataka, Madhya Predesh, Gujarat, etc but mainly people of this caste is from Maharashtra and given their huge tribute with army of Shivaji Maharaj to fight against Mughal Army. Their origin is from Maharastra from ancient time.
The lonari one of the caste is from Mahabharata and Ramayan which you can find easily while having some research. This research done by only for maharashtra state.
In the ''
Mulstambha'' they are also described as Kshatriyas, possibly on account of their Maratha origin.(Note: There is no evidence of the existence of Lonari caste during earlier periods, as Lonaris are known to have separated from Marathas. Lonari surnames include Goralkar, Khot, Kalel, Dhage, Dhumal, Lagad, Tulaskar, Gite, Rane, Yedave, Kurhe, Ingale, Unde, More, Nimgire, Chorge, Dhone, Dhangekar, Rakshe, Limite, Bondre, Karche, Tambe, Zadge, Kolarkar, Holkar, Kanade, Karande, Dhokrat, Atpalkar, Milke, Ganganmale, Gudale, Awate, Gherade, Mutekar etc.
Caste having huge people those who are Influenting politics of maharastra some main leader those who are participating internal and external politics of maharastra state
Some research for political leader from this caste with their unique surname
Bhagwat (lonari), Goralkar, Natkar:
Bhusawal, Jalgaon
Gite:
Baramati, satara, Kolhapur
Holkar:
Baramati, Pune
Dhone:
Satara, Nagar
Kanade:
Shirpur
Dhagekar:
Pune
Kurhe (lonari):
Kopargaon, Shirdi
Shinde, Kanade, Belaskar:
Raver
Holkar, Karche:
Mumbai
Khandekar:
Aurangabad
Sodmise, Karche, Holkar:
Phaltan
Goralkar, Labdhe, Kanade:
Surat
Sanvaskar (Lonari), Khandekar, Goralkar:
Nashik
Chorge:
Kolhapur, Satara,
Kalel:
Jambhulani, Valai in Man Taluka, Satara
Atpadkar:
Kuranewadi, Varkute Malvadi in Man Taluka, Satara
Baad:
Vithlapur in Atpadi Taluka, Sangali
Gherade:
Kidbisari in Sangola Taluka, Solapur
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 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 two groups c ...
s in Poona district:
* Goralkar
* Bajbalkar
* Sangolkar
* Narale
*chadokar
* Yedave
* Labde
* Kanade
* Dhokrat
*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
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
Crimes
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, sociologists call this polygyny. When a woman is ...
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. There is no limit to the number of wives. 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' is not permitted.
Marriage ceremonies
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'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
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 with the bride and bridegroom's
horoscopes 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 betel (''Piper betle'') is a vine of the family Piperaceae, which includes pepper and kava. The betel plant is native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel p ...
and a pice is placed. Red and
turmeric
Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast ...
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,
Jambul (''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 la ...
''), 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 evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...
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 died.
Terminology
The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed ''widowhood''. An archaic term for a widow is "relict," literally "someone left over". This word can so ...
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
The Panchayat raj is a political system, originating from the Indian subcontinent, found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It is the oldest system of local government in the Indian subcontinent, and historical men ...
, 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 Varuna water-pot is applied to the brow of the widow thrice. Sandal-paste, flowers, turmeric and
vermilion
Vermilion (sometimes vermillion) is a color, color family, and pigment most often made, since antiquity until the 19th century, from the powdered mineral cinnabar (a form of mercury sulfide, which is toxic) and its corresponding color. It i ...
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 has never 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 called impotence, is the type of sexual dysfunction in which the penis fails to become or stay erect during sexual activity. It is the most common sexual problem in men.Cunningham GR, Rosen RC. Overview of mal ...
. 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 (from Latin ''adulterium'') 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 ...
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 journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
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,
bullock
Bullock may refer to:
Animals
* Bullock (in British English), a castrated male bovine animal of any age
* Bullock (in North America), a young bull (an uncastrated male bovine animal)
* Bullock (in Australia, India and New Zealand), an ox, an adu ...
, 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, and sweetmeats for their propitiation. When
cholera 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 (WHO) c ...
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 long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...
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 () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises main ...
pot. The bier is put down half way 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 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 language, Bengali: ভাদ্র ''bhādro''; )
(Hindi: भादों ''bhādo''; )(Sanskrit: भाद्रपद ''bhādrapada'';) ( ne, भाद्र ''Bhādra'';) ( or, ଭାଦ୍ ...
. 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 ('; ) also known as ''Conjeevaram,'' is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from Chennaithe capital of Tamil Nadu. Known as the ''City of Thousand Temples'', Kanchipuram is known for its templ ...
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
Indian castes
Maratha clans