Home Gazetteer Index Previous Next Daily Life A rich Chitpavan rises at seven, bows to the picture of his favourite god, washes his face, bows to the sun, and has a cup of milk, coffee or tea. He sits talking till eight, and, attended by a Brahman servant or two, bathes, and tying a silk or newly washed cotton waistcloth round his middle and setting his feet on wooden pattens, goes to the house-shrine or god-room. In the house shrine he sits on a low wooden stool before the gods for about half an hour, repeating prayers, worshiping, and chanting verses. When his worship is over, be marks his brow with the tilak or sect-mark, changes his silk waistcloth, if he has worn it, for a cotton waistcloth and sits in his office doing business till eleven. He dines with some male friends or near relations, chews betelnut and leaves, and sleep for an hour or two, awakes about two, washes his bands and face, dresses and sits in his office, and, towards evening, goes to look after his estate or to walk. He comes back about six, washes, puts on a silk waistcloth, prays, chants, sups, and goes to bed about ten. Middle-class Brahmans may be divided into grahasths or laymen and bhikshuks or clerics. Lay Brahmans belong to two classes, those who are employed a in Government or traders offices and those who lend money or manage land on their own account. A Brahman clerk in the service of Government or of a trader rises at six, washes, and goes to market to buy whatever is wanted in the house. He returns, bathes between eight andnine, and, after repeating prayers, worshipping, and chanting verses for about ten minutes, dines. After dinner he chews betelnut and leaves, dresses, and goes to office. He comes back at six, generally reads a newspaper, or sits talking, washes, repeats Sanskrit prayers for ten minutes, and sups at or after seven. After supper he chews betel nut and leaves, smokes tobacco, and sometimes plays chess or cards. He goes to bed about ten. | |
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