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majority of the Kaliparaj and some portion of the Ujali-
paraj like Dheds, Bharwads and a few others is to sleep
either on bare ground or on a simple mat. It is interest-
ing to note that the average Kaliparaj often prefers to
sleep on the heap of straw in his yard to lying in his
cottage.
Deitz lamps are used only by high class families. Ke-
rosene lamps, usually of cheaper make, are in general use.
The use of castor oil in small earthen vessels with a num-
ber of wicks, is fast disappearing among both sections of
the population.
ORNAMENTS AND CASH
Almost all inhabitants of the village from the richest
to the poorest seem to be fond of ornaments. Orna-
ments are given a status, as it were, in social customs
like a marriage ceremony, when ornaments of a fixed
value have to be given to a bride. It may almost seem
that the fondness of the average villager for ornaments
is only, surpassed by his love of drink.
There is, however, one justification in the present
state of affairs for keeping some capital invested in orna-
ments. They serve as a useful and ready means
for borrowing a petty loan at any odd turn of the season.
In this village, as elsewhere in South Gujarat, there are
what are called 'Janasudhar* sowkars, i.e., money-lend-
ers who make petty loans only on the security of orna-
ments. Even the professional money-lender in modern
days makes himself doubly sure, by keeping as security,
the ornaments of the borrower who is a notorious defaul-
ter. This shows that ornaments serve the same purpose
to the village as Government securities do to modern
banks. They are a reserve for ready money, and can
be tapped at any moment.
This partial explanation of the necessity of keeping a
few ornaments as fluid resources need not be taken to
be a general defence of investing one's savings in orna-
ments.