Agarwals in Ajmer:
All Agrawals of Ajmer are originally migrated from Haryana -Narnoul, Jind, Bhiwani, Rohtak, Hisar, Shekawati, Jodhpur Marwar, Dilli and Agra. They were basically business men and here also developed the same branches of business.
Family:
Gents are simple in living, wear dhoti kurta and pagri; ladies wear ghagra odhani, and cover their head with it and also adopt veil or parda. Ladies are very fond of the ornaments and use it through out the year. Ladies doesn’t like the silver ornaments except some for ankles and foot fingers. Gents are also fond of gold rings and chains and small tops in the ears. On festivals and marriages ladies and gents put on the all family ornaments of gold, pearls, emerald and diamonds and heavy clothes and dupattas and shawls. There is no custom of widow marriage and of divorce but gents can marry as much as times he desires but on the death of his previous wife. Usually, parents have 4 to 5 children. Sons are always preferred and are consulted in family matters. In some families, there is joint family system, in which grand father with his sons, and further also grand children live together. Even their business is also combined and joint. They do not distribute the profits among themselves but marry their sisters, daughters and grand daughters with lot of expenses and dowry, out of the joint business firm. The good and harmonious relations are established with the neighbourers, who are mostly from the same caste, and participate in each others pleasures and sorrow.
Marriages:
Marriages are arranged by the parents. Groom and his family and the other relatives always consider themselves superiors, to the parents and relatives of the bridegroom, through out the life. They demand and settle and bargain dowry in cash, articles and vehicle, flat and heavy clothes. The more educated a boy or well placed in service or business, the dowry amount is increased. The marriage party of the groom consisting of nearly 100 male relatives, friends and the society fellowmen goes to the city and the house of bride and stays for two days at bridegroom’s father place; it is called ‘barat’ The expenses and hospitality is borne by bridegroom’s father. There, they are given a very rich quality of food and the snacks several times a day, still they do not miss a chance of taunting, teasing, eve teasing and the unusual demands, finding faults in the arrangements and the hospitality They consider all these ill manners as their birth rights, and the bridegroom’s side also enjoy this harassment and fulfilling their demands, because they too do so, the same behavior when their sons marry and go to the bridegroom’s house. The father of the bridegroom does not accept any cash or commodities from the son’s father and consider it as highly unreligious, some parents even doesn’t drink water or eat the snacks and the food at their daughter’s in- laws house. The father of a girl is always worried in arranging finances for his daughter or daughters, firstly in marriage, then on her delivery and then on the marriage of her children. The first delivery of a daughter is taken place at her father’s house and at his expenses. That is why girls are considered as liability and the sons as assets in the middle class families. Love marriages are not permitted, prevailing and noticed. Every gent is professionally educated at indegenious and single teacher schools. They have no habit of dinning in the hotels or clubs. On the death of the parents the full religious and social rites are performed. All close relatives are informed who come to pay condolences. For thirteen days, the purification process is adopted, gents become bald, and ladies wear dull colored dresses for at least a month. Some decades back, there was a custom of arranging big feast on the death of one’s parents, this was called mausar or mratubhoj and the whole dhada or sect use to come and eat. But now it is stopped. Women are very skilled in house keeping and storing spices and pickles for the full year. Make papad and mangodi at home and in good quantity, out of it, used to send some to their daughters also. The hereditary wealth and property is equally distributed among the surviving brothers. The married daughters are denied their share on the death of their father. But any daughter if unmarried after her father’s death, then brothers bear the responsibility with full zeal, finances and love. On the death of their father the son or sons, keep the mother well. On Diwali, housewives decorate their homes with many types of wet rangoli called mandna which remain visible for months. Agarwals are vegetarians and non-alcoholic, but they consume bhang either daily in the evening while closing their shops or surely on Holi. They are very fond of consuming sweets. They are free to follow any saint or religious school. it is an individual choice. . Youths are fond of exercises and attending melas and nataks and the old persons are fond of morning strolls at lake side and in gardens. While returning home in the morning, they purchase the vegetables, seasonal fruits like barriers, melon and water melons etc., for their children. After taking the brunch or early lunch they go to their shops and work the whole day. In the morning every day, before going to the work or shop, gents go to Panchayati temple, and their ladies also. In the marriages, the bridegroom sit on the back of the decorated and ornamented horse and the Chhattra over his head. This is a special privilege with the Agarwals only. No other castes in business community can use it, other then the Rajput’s marriage.
Business:
Majority of the Agarwals of the city are middle class businessmen, conservative, orthodox and timid in expending the size and volume of business. The elderly businessmen do not like migration to the big cities. Gents avoid bad name of their business firms in business field and in the society and are very sensitive to it. They donot like speculations and gambling. Some firms are 3 to 4 generations old, and the owners are known in the society by their trade like halwai, Bajaj, kagzi, tyrewale, topiwale, sarraf, mawawale, Pansari, modi, gheewale, thekedars etc.,etc., Some had liking for Govt.,. insurance, railway service. Their future generations also adopt the same practice. Some families are in service from mughal or maratha rulers and are known by their designation only like takshalis, bhukariwala, thehsildar, patwari etc.,etc., They do not accept loans and overdrafts very easily as they believe in independent finances and investments, They do not encourage their children for high growth and rapid expansion. Neither they encourage their sons for higher education, and face their separation from family and the business. Very few have cars. They prefer using public transport. Business wise they have formed the associations but have no longing for office bearership. Every year and in the every general meeting, the same managing committees is nominated. They are very fond of establishing temporary or permanent water huts or Piau on road side of the market or bus stand, temples and hospitals for the free distribution of drinking water to the passer byes. Roughly, every market and trade associations have such water huts. If they accept the short term loan, they settle down the rate of interest over it and also the repayment terms. The business correspondence is mostly done by using hand written post cards; few use letter pads and type writers and the visiting cards The housewife has no saving of her own, nor has any bank saving account. All domestic finances are managed by gents. Their expenses are always lesser than their incomes.
History of Agarwals
Being it is an accepted fact that Maharaja Agrasen ji was a Rajput king but left the habit of quarreling and fighting over the lands and sacrificing the animals in the fire. He was the third brother of the fathers of Kaurvas and Pandwas; his father’s name was vallabh.Maharaja Agrasen jie had 17 sons. When he preached the Kaurvas and Pandwas to adopt the nature of understanding and stop wars over the issue of land, he was taunted and asked to leave his right on Delhi and go far away to the deserts of Mohanjado, in the north west of India. He was fearless and went there and cleaned the wild forests and established a capital, now known as Agroha in Haryana. He set a rule that whosoever would follow him, he would be given one rupee and one brick from the fellow dwellers, so that the coming family become rich from the very start and own a good house from the contributed bricks. So he may maintain equal status in the society and the business. The flag of Maharaja Agrasen ji bear the same symbols of one rupee and one brick. Maharaja Agrasen ji worshiped Laxmi the Goddess of riches and prosperity. He instructed his sons and the followers to adopt the profession of business and leave the nature of fighting and wars. As he was having 17 sons, he wanted a family which had 17 daughters. He sent the barber and Brahmin to search out such a family. They reported that there existed a family of Nag Vanshi who had 17 daughters but they are she snakes who remain girls in the day but change their body to snakes in the night. Maharaja Agrasen ji agreed for the marriage of his all sons. Preparations of the marriage began. On the day of marriage, while they were in the way towards the capital of Nag Raja, a message was sent to him that one more daughter was borne to Nagraja. If Maharaja Agrasen ji have 18 sons, he is welcomed, otherwise return back. It is believed that the brother-in-law of Maharaja Agrasen ji cut down his thumb and made it alive like a boy. The message was honored. The marriages of all 18 daughters were performed well. But the 18th son of Maharaja Agrasen ji was counted as half in number, Maharaja Agrasen ji had 17 and half sons and Agrawals are decedents of 17 and half gotras. After the marriage, there was no possibility of the growth of the family. Many wise men were consulted about the possible way out. One suggestion came to him that the girls convert to the body of snakes after putting off their clothes and taking the bath in the river Saru in the evening, if Maharaja Agrasen ji stand in the way to the river, the daughters-in-law would not cross him in such a clothless manner, and if the routine of converting is discontinued even for a night, all would remain women for life, in the normal way. Maharaja Agrasen ji agreed to this proposal with a heavy heart and against his moral character but was helpless. All his sons had sons and were known by the gotras of their fathers. Agrawals adhered to the principles and the morals lay down by Maharaja Agrasen ji. As the time passed, Agarwals concentration at Haryana was broken and they began to migrate to the other cities of India.
Social set up:
Approxi. five thousand families of Agarwals dwell in Ajmer. They formed their own separate seven sects or Dhadas according to their previous places and named in the same manner like Fathpuria, Marwari, Bismariya, Ghaseti, Sol thambha, and Narnauliyas etc., They had good understanding and the marriage relations between them. They follow the traditional rules and customs of marriage from the days of Maharaja Agarsen ji by not marrying their son in the same gotra of his father. They decide their internal disputes by calling Panchayat first of their Dhada and if not coming to a conclusion they call Panchayats of all the seven Dhadas. The judges are called Choudharies who have absolute powers; if the parties seeking justice does not agree with the judgement or the final order, they can be expelled from the Dhada, in that case, no other Agarwal members of any Dhada will be accepting the food or water from the expelled family, otherwise they too are expelled. The accused can be taken back to Dhada after paying fine in the Panchayati Temple or by lift the shoes on his head of all the attending members of Panchayat on that day. Usually these Panchayats are assembling in the Panchayati Temple or Panchayati dharmshals. Every Dhada has its own Temple. In the marriage of a son of a Agrawal, the father of the broom offer good contribution to the temple of that Dhada. Before the marriage day, the father of the bridegroom, arrange a big dinner known as nyat or 'mel' with the permission of the Dhada. In this dinner approximately 2000 to 3000 persons dine. First ladies eat using leaf plates and bowls known as pattal and dona. The drinking pots are earthen known as sikora. They sit on the floor using a white rough cloth spread in long row. The male members of Panchayat used to serve the sitting ladies, with utmost love and pleasing way. The ladies wear very good ceremonial dresses, they adopt veil or ghughat on their face. but they recognize their relatives through their veils, They pay respect through their veil to the fathers-in-law of their daughters , and sing very pleasing and taunting small songs in Marwari which the relatives also acknowledge very cheerfully. As soon as the ladies finish their meals, the place is thoroughly broomed and cleaned; and in the same manner, the gents sit on the floor with the same type of leaf plates and donas and the sikoras. This time only male members use to serve them. The whole feast goes very smoothly and in good understanding. No individual thanks or gifts are given to the host or the family members who bear the expenses of the grand feast, it is called as Mell. Nearly all members of a Panchayat manage these feasts. On the marriage of the sons or daughters, some rich Agarwals arrange such large feasts of all the seven Panchayats to dine which is called satoon Dhado ki nyat, in which about 10000 males and females dine. It is a folk saying ‘kamayon raat, jimaoo nyat’(earn day and night and spend the money on community feast)
When, nearby Ajmer, a new city namely Bewear was establish by an English Sub Divisional officer named Dixon, few Agrawals shifted there and developed their business.
Festivals:
Agarwals are ‘sanatani’ hindu who worship all gods and goddesses of Hindu religion. Though some Agrawals have adopted Jainism and worships only Mahabir Swami, they are mostly Digambers jain and not the shetambar jains who wear white clothes (digambars jains worship naked Bhagwan Mahabir Swamy and Munis and there are no sadhwis or female saints). Agarwals celebrate Diwali. Holi, Rakhi and Deshera etc., but they worship Sheetala Mata,the goddess to check small pox in the children. In family all eat, one day old food, with specially prepared ‘rabaddi’ and ;kanzi bada’ with variety of types of other preparations. On seventh day from Holi, early in the morning all members of family go to worship Sheetala mata at her temple and offer the that food to her. In the month of march or after Basant panchmi, ‘Gangore’ festival is celebrated with a great interest. For fifteen days, women worship Shiv and Parwati and daily go to a garden, in the evening, to bring water pots on their heads, it is called ‘jellian’ they pass through the main bazaars and sing lovely songs. Ghaseti Dhada take ‘Isar Gangore’ procession twice of thrice in this fortnight, in the evening to late in the night, with a very large budget of expenses, decorate main bazar with lights and flood lights, include elephants and horses, and the famous musical bands who play their new tunes, gents wear fresh flower's garlands. The idols of ‘Isar Gangore’ which is white in color, is decorated with gold ornaments asked from the leading families of Dhada, but returned back next day. Similarly, Solthambha Dhada take procession of ‘Isar Gangore’ which is bluish in color and is called ‘Rathore ji’ and also take them in procession thrice in a fortnight. They also spend thousands of rupees over these processions which are collected from shop to shop. During this fortnight, Solthamtha and Ghaseti Dhada adopt the attitude of enmity without war and pass on bitter taunts to each other, but they respect the idols of each other and offer ‘siropav and coconut’ in the open market square by their respective ‘Panchayati Choudhary’ Both the idols in pair are lifted on the heads of two women who are usually rented or are servants but wear very attracting cloths, and these women use to take half round slowly so that the faces of the idols are visible and seen to every body. Thousands of women and men leave their homes and gather in the markets to watch the procession which proceeds very slowly. Some times, it use to take 2 to 3 hours to cross the main market. The city traffic police ban the vehicles in these markets for half on that day . The important Govt. officers use to visit the procession, and sometimes by political leaders also; they are welcomed by the head of Panchayat or the procession organizer. These visiting officers offer their respects by applying tilaks to the idols by climbing on high ladder but the idols are not taken down or owed.
The idols of‘Isar Gangore’ or Rathoreji are not emerged into the water after that fortnight, but are well wrapped and preserved safely in the panchayati temple. Hindi Vikram Samvat New Year is also celebrated with love and good wishes. Businessmen change their accounts books on this day, with pujan of Mahalaxmi. The debit and credit pending balances are cleared by the business men among themselves on this day. The ‘akhatij’ is also celebrated with zeal, as on this day many marriages take place. The eclipses of sun and moon is also respected very much. Families do not eat or drink during the eclipses and donate grains and old clothes to sweepers. Agrawals are very fond of going to melas with the full family. They take home cooked food with them and purchase sweets there, and enjoy crowds, and meet their relatives there. They donot put on very heavy dresses on such occasions. Sakranti is celebrated with respect. on that day til sweets are prepared at homes. Maharaja Agrasen ji Jayanti is celebrated on Asoj sukla ekam (after shradh paks) of every year with a great joy and zeal by all families by taking a grand procession in the markets. The silver palki or rewari is well decorated and the big photo of Maharaja Agrasen ji is placed in it. Gents join the procession, greet each and apply Chandan to the foreheads of each other. It ends at the Agrawal Higher Secondary School located near Medical College, Ajmer. Sweets are given to children. In the evening, the general meeting and the get to gather is held with the school students and the cultural programme is organizedthat is open to other Agrawal families also, the prizes are distributed. For the full weak, the events are arranged, in which debates, essay competition, blood donation camp, ladies day and the budget session. The election of president of the school is held who generally become President of Agrawal Samaj also of Ajmer, it has nothing to do with the election of Panchs of the Panchayats of seven Dhadas. There is no Agrawal girl’s school in Ajmer.
Agarwal’s were such a politician diplomatic caste that without fighting against Aurenzeb they meticulously planned their way through the problem of religious conversion; that is why the are better known as BANIYA due to their comman answer to Aurenzeb about the question of conversion, they used to say 'hum to bane baney hi hai aap dusaro ko banao (we are already to be converted, go ahead and convert others first), this bluff was never caught by Aurenzeb and Agarwals survived that era of cruel tyranny.
By:
Shivraj Goyal of Ajmer
