Singikat
The Singikat are a Hindu caste found in the state of Haryana in India. They are known as Gyarah.[1]
Origin
The name Singikat is derived from a combination of two Hindi words: singi which refers to a conical brass pipe with a wide mouth, and kat, which means holder. The Singi pipe is used to suck impure blood from wounds. They are a branch of the Singiwala community of North India. The Haryana Singikat are said to have originated from Kuchwan village in Marwar, and said to have immigrated in the 18th Century. They are now found throughout Haryana, and speak Haryanvi.[2] Singikat caste found in Bhiwani District of Haryana presently they works collect papers and plastic items from the dumps.some of them taking education. They are not aware of government policies. Some of them are good players of cricket, football and wrestling, but they do not play in official tournaments. 80% of the population of the Singikat society is illiterate, and most of them are poor; they neither have clothes nor shoes for wearing, and they have little access to education. They live in a shape of Basti covered with Polythene. Clean water, electricity, and sewerage facilities are not available in the Basti. Any dispute among the singikats is solved by the elders of the society. The meeting called Panchayat. One story from an elder says that he was a Manna (very strong man) in Punjab in approximately 500 years ago, where he fought many fights.
Present circumstances
The majority of the Singikat are still involved in the drawing supposedly bad blood. Like many North Indian artisan castes, they have seen a decline in their economic circumstances. As an almost entirely landless community, most are now employed as landless agricultural labourers. A good many have now emigrated to the urban areas of Haryana, where they are employed as daily wage labourers.[3]
The Singikat are Hindu, and their main tribal deities are Gugga Pir and Shitala Mata; some of then worshipped the Baba Ramdev Peer ji Ramdewra Rajsthan by paidal Yatra . Their customs are similar to other Haryana Hindus. They are strictly endogamous, and also practice clan exogamy. Their main clans, known as gotras, are the Lakarya, Lohiya, Saura, Khatabia, sodhi, Goel, Athwar, Nakphula, Banjari and Jadoonliya, etc.