Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/130

122 PAR twelve to sixteen inches in thickness. This is deposited in one of the kothris or chambers of the habitation, and upon it are piled up some five or six more circles of the same dimensions, but hollowed out in the centre so as to leave a lateral thickness of about four inches. The interstices are then carefully plastered over, and when the whole is quite dry, the grain is poured in at the top and a cover applied. Lastly, a hole is made below on a level with the upper surface of the first or solid circle, wlience the grain is taken out as required. A wisp of straw or a wooden bung serves as a stopper. A koth is capable of containing up to thirty- five maunds. More than one sort of grain is not kept in the koth at the same time. Rice is frequently stored in a primitive fashion called “bakhár." A clear space outside the dwelling is selected, so situated as to be within sight of the inmates by day, one of the male members of the family sleeping close to the spot at night. The rice is then col- lected here and covered completely with straw, over which mud is plas- tered to a thickness of some four or five inches. When the value of rice has risen, the bakhár is opened and the grain sold to the highest bidder. There is lastly the interior bakhár for the rabi grains. This is merely a cross-wall run up at one end of a kothri or chamber to a height of about five feet, in the space enclosed by which the different grains are kept, separated by layers of bhúsa or chopped straw. The arrangement is made with due regard to the immediate and ulterior requirements of the family. Access to this store room is by means of a short ladder. In all receptacles of grain dried mahua leaves are placed, in order to keep off the white-ant. Furniture. Of other common articles of house furniture may be men- tioned the “chond” or cylindrical earthen vessel for holding flour, salt, &c, and with a varying capacity of from two to five maunds; the "chirwi" or earthen cooking pot with a wide mouth, of which there are at least three or four in every house; the "galwa," a large coarsely made circular basket in which the bullocks receive their feed of chopped straw or stalks; the “jhawwa," a similar basket but smaller, in which is carried to the field the seed for sowing: the "tokri" or " palri" and the "sikhaula," still smaller baskets, with very little apparent difference between them, which are used as refuse baskets and for a variety of common purposes, which it is hardly necessary. to detail; the “ dauri,” a bamboo-made basket for holding flour in, and which is also used as a grain measure ; the "mauni," a small hand basket made of “kása” grass, bound with “múnj” (sheath of the sarpat" grass), and used in sowing: The "mauni" is glled from the jhawwa" and is held in one hand, while the seed is taken out and scat- tered with the other; the " súp" or winnowing fan, made of " sirki;" the “cbalni," “ bikna," and "akha," different kinds of grain and four sieves ; the "músal," a wooden instrument, with a iron ring at one end, used for threshing purposes; the “ pírha" and "bilna," board and rolling pin for kneading, (the pírha is sometimes also a flat stone); the sil” and "Lorha," a flat stone and round stone used for pounding spices and com- diments, in fact a rude pestle and mortar. The “charkha," or cotton spinning-wheel, used by women only; the “charpái" or common bedstead, and the machia," a low four-cornered stool, complete the list of articles « "