By Guddi Panta
In this article, a general introduction of Deuki tradition, its beginning and some Doteli perceptions responsible for its development and conclusion have been offered, based on sociological perception. Most of the perceptions stated here are related to Goddess Bhagawati enshrined in Melauli Village of lower Sorad Garkha in Baitadi district. These perceptions also represent the practice of Deuki tradition of other areas of Doti region (here Doti region refers to the districts of far-western region). Mainly, these perceptions were collected at Melauli VDC in Doti district and these should be understood as the basis for offering Deuki in the Melauli Bhagawati.
General Introduction of Deuki Tradition
The word ‘Deuki’ has been derived from ‘Debkanya’ of the Sanskrit language, meaning ‘daughter of God’. Recognizing girls as the symbols of gods and goddess or assigning them with a job to serve goddesses is an age-old tradition. But, under this tradition, girls are forced to remain as unmarried and remaining only as servers in temples and other religious shrines. So, this tradition is a form of conservative social beliefs, ill practice and cultural blot. This tradition is still in practice at some places in the region. Deuki is also introduced by Dhauki, Dewaki, Deucheli, Debdasi, Dhaudasi, Devkanya, Deukanya or Dhaukanya, Sebika or Debataki. The words are used based on the societal diversities.
In course of attack by leprosy, familial catastrophe and instability, infertility in the family members and legal troubles, the family promises ‘Chelipholi’ once it gets rid of the problems. Offering Deuk , if its desires were fulfilled is Chelipholi. Cheli means girl and Pholi means a water vessel made of copper. The copper vessel (Pholi) is filled with water and the girl carries the vessel over her head and sprinkles the water to the related gods and goddesses. The issue of Pholi (copper water vessel) comes together with the Cheli (girl), as the Deuki is decorated by anointing ghee or oil left from Hawan (fire offering or sacrifice; oblation of ghee and oil in the Hindu tradition specially in worships). Generally, the Chelis are not offered without Pholi. So, these two words are combined to form Chelipholi, according to Jayanti Devi Nayak, 40, of Madilek-2 in Baitadi district, who was offered by her father wishing a son for him by establishing as a goddess in Talli Deiki Melauli Bhagawati.
Deuki and Deuka are synonymous. Deuki Tradition names a tradition of offering young girls to gods when the desires are fulfilled as promised earlier and the girl is supposed to serve the deities lifelong. The girl offered in this way is Deuki or Deucheli. She is not allowed to get married. If she gives birth to a baby, the baby is also supposed to serve the gods and goddess like his/her mother. If the newborn is a boy, he is termed as Deuko or Deuchelo and if the baby is a girl, she is known as Deuki or Deucheli. They are supposed to support the chief assistant of gods and goddesses during the time of festivals and celebrations. They should support the helpers and other aides of the gods and goddesses to wipe the floor, wash utensils, prepare taparis (plates made up of leaves), sprinkling water to those entering into the madau, arranging leaves where the conjurers sit, cleaning the madau and pick the flowers, among others. It is believed that they will suffer if they fail to carry out their responsibilities in madau, or if they get married or remain absent in Jaat. They are also assistant cadres to the related gods and goddesses, according to Jayanti Devi Nayak, mentioned earlier.
However, a girl from the so-called lower caste (untouchable caste) is not made a Deuki. Very few number of girls from Thakuri and Brahmin communities are offered as Deuki. Mostly, the girls from Chhetri communities are supposed to become Deukis. Furthermore, Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 is paid to the girl aged 6-12 years and her property is transferred in the name of her younger brother.
The Deukis should not get married, and are not allowed to work as servants in the houses of anyone. They pass their lives by residing in the house of their parents or by making their own houses. They should take responsibility of cleaning the madau and preparing all the works in the religious shrines on the special occasions. Arranging water, smearing the floors and preparing for the pooja, among others are the tasks of the Deukis. They observe fasting, take a holy bath and maintain due life discipline. By discharging all such duties, they get Dori or each Pathi grain (equal to 3 and half kilograms) while harvesting the summer and winter crops from the followers of the goddess.
Despite the girls are restricted to get married once they were Deuki, many girls have breached this rule. Those getting married to are not easily accepted by the society and cannot gain physical health. It is supposed that those breaching the social rules should face physical unease and many other physical problems if they revolt the traditional thoughts. However, some of the Deuki, give birth to the babies, even without getting married. They have to face difficulties to establish a nuptial tie but they tie marital relationship with the people of same kinds. The girls born to such women also could serve as the Deuki. Generally, such girls are made Deuki, according Jayanti Devi Nayak, 40, of Madilek-2 in Baitadi district who was offered by her father wishing a son for him by establishing as a goddess in Talli Deiki Melauli Bhagawati.
There are also two types of Deukis. They are Pattar and Deuki. Though they are offered with a common view point, they have some sorts of differences, based on their work division. A Pattar plays the Chamar in Deuro or lingo (a small wooden piece erected in the worship site) decorated for gods and goddesses, and dance in the same tune. The eldest daughter born to a Pattar is compulsorily given the same job of her mother.
Similarly, a Deuki are supposed to be present in the pooja of related gods and goddesses, clean the shrine and maintain cleanliness as well as arrange materials for worships. But, the eldest daughter born to a Deuki is not obliged to serve as Deuki as her mothers did. At present, the daughters born to Pattar and Deuki are known as Nayak. They can lead their free life independently, according Jayanti Devi Nayak.
2. Some Doteli Perceptions on Beginning and Development of Deuki Tradition
In the Doti region, the perception that ‘Vaini or folk songs and Bharat or the folk statements are not true; and shastra (scriptures) are not fake’ is widely popular. The tradition of offering Deuki is based on Vaini Bharat, not on scriptures (shastra). So there is no exact rule of this tradition. There are bleak chances of claiming the exact norms and values of Deuki tradition due to lack of sufficient evidences and written or any other reliable documents.
Despite such circumstances, perception of Raja Bini, perception of Raja Nag Malla, perception of Dhani Shahi, perception of Katyura, perception of a father of seven daughters and perception of Deep Chand Thakuri have been presented here. These perceptions outline in detail the beginning and development of Deuki Tradition.
2.1 Perception of Raja Bini:
King Bini migrated to Patan of present Baitadi district from Duwanagar of India during the end of the ninth century AD. During his stay there, he happened to acquire the present land of western part of Doti region or the present Baitadi district.
The local inhabitants of the region named Huda were replaced after King Bini seized the power of the state. Because the land was peaceful and tranquil, many people from northern India, basically from Kumau and other belts, migrated to Patan. After the arrival of new communities in the region, King Bini donated lands to the general public and also allocated lands for establishing Guthi (trust) for gods and goddesses at the local level. Likewise, the king allocated family gods (KulDevata) and personal gods (Ishta Devata) to the locals. As per the provision, Melauli Bhagawati Devi was named as the Ishta Devi to those having Bhul and Bista as their surname. Since then, the Bhuls and Bistas have continued the tradition of worshiping Melauli Bhagawati.
After becoming more powerful in the regime, King Bini offered the daughter of a Chhetri, who had accompanied the king from Duwanagar, having Nayak surname, as a Deuki in Melauli Bhagawati as per the promise made earlier. So, it is believed that offering Deuki was started as a tradition since the regime of King Bini. For offering the girl of Nayak surname by King Bini in the past, people of the modern time also give priority to the daughters of Chhetri having the same surname. King Bini had entered into Doti from Duwanagar with the tradition of offering Deuki to the god and goddess.
After offering the daughter of Nayak caste to the goddess, the commoners worshiped Deuki or Dewataki Dasi (slave of god). Deuki was respected from all. Even to the extent that there was no remarkable distinction between Bhagawati and Deuki. If Deuki was visible either in reality or in dream, people felt they got an appointment to the goddess. Due to high respect and due reverence from all, even the Deuki fulfilled her duties carefully by remaining in a set of fixed disciplinal measures. All the goods offered in Madau became the private property of Deuki. She collected a huge amount of property from the donations offered by riches, making her very rich of the region within the very short span of time. By seeing the property of Deuki from the Nayak community, the neighboring communities Bhul and Pujara were also lured to make their daughters Deuki in a bid to pocket the money. They had a sense of envy after the daughter of Nayak community made a huge amount of property just because of Deuki. With the temptation of getting more money, the Bhul and Pujara families also promised to the gods and offered their daughters as Deuki. On the other hand, the Nayak continued the tradition of offering their daughters to goddess by making them Deuki.
After the beginning of the tradition of offering Deuki to Bhagawati of Melauli, a similar wave started in the nearby villages too. At the beginning, girls from Nayak caste of Melauli village and later on Bhul caste of the same village from the Chhetri community were offered as Deuki. But, gradually, Bhul and Nayak of Talli, Dei, Bhulyeuda, Kanda, Ranma, Basadi and Gajari as well as other Chhetri offered their daughters—either themselves or through others—as Deuki. This led to rise in the number of Deuki and the discipline of remaining unmarried for lifelong were slowly disobeyed. But, the Deukis, though stern by discipline externally, enjoyed illicit relationships with the elites of the society. By having illicit physical relationships with the elites, many babies were born without identification of their fathers. The children born out of illicit relationships were not properly taken care of. The Deuki themselves became the characters for social ostracism and boycott, ultimately. More than that, bitterness further soured in the families with affluent and normal economic classes. The babies without identification of fathers mushroomed and that left the society at odds in naming the babies. Therefore, the sons born to such parents were named ‘Deuka’ and daughters as ‘Deuki’.
The religious-minded Nayaks, Bhuls and Pujaras of Chhetri community promised to offer Deuki to their Kul Dewata and Ishta Devi if their wishes were fulfilled, while Deuki themselves attempted to get rid of the economic burden by offering their daughters to the goddesses. In doing so, those wishing to promise to the gods got as many number of Deukis as they wanted after paying some amount of money, and this helped the former Deuki to address their economic woes. This led to continuous rise in the number of new Deukis. This tradition started at Melauli village in Baitadi district gradually spread to Mallidei, Patan and Pujargaon, and Gokule of Darchula and Chamada, Rupal, Ugratara and other VDCs in Dadeldhura as well, according to Surendra Chand, 48, of Madilek VDC-2 in Baitadi district.
Perceptions of King Nag Malla
There is yet another story behind the practice of Deuki tradition. This is a story of around 1387 AD from Doti state of Nepal (Panta, 1975, pp. 86). This is the result of cynicism emerged in Nag Malla, the then king of Doti, when extended his regime upto Gandaki in the east, Gadhwal in the west, Bhot in the north and Tirhut in the south (Panta, 1975, pp. 97). The king is known for ruling the entire mountainous range of the Bharatbarsha (Indian sub-continent). A descendent of the Surya dynasty kings, Nag Malla extended his regime wherever he attempted. Ultimately he was filled with arrogance, after defeating many other regimes. He even challenged gods and goddesses. He lived in his Ajaimirkot Palace that was surrounded by water from three directions and by rocks from the remaining next one. The king attempted the murder of dhamis (conjurers) of gods and goddesses, ordering the conjurers to shiver and then veering them off to the river downwards. He promised to make all gods and goddesses devoid of dhamis. The king even cut off the penis of Samaiji god, located just opposite to the king’s palace and threw it off into the river. But, the penis instantly got replaced in the same place and form. Ultimately, the king quitted the task on account of his failure. The Samaiji God cursed Nag Malla that he shall remain without Rajya Laxmi (Queen).
During the last days of his life, the king turned a hermit (popularly known as a Jogi) due to his own carelessness and shortsightedness. There still exists a perception ‘Adha dinka raja adha finka jogi’ (king for half his life and a, hermit for the remaining half’ (Panta, 1975, pp. 97).
Once, Nag Malla attempted to kill the dhami of Bhageshowr, a deity, by causing the latter to fall from a cliff. The dhami was well aware what the king was plotting, but he made up before the king by respecting the king’s order. He was ordered to sit up on a stone and shiver. The conjurer shivered, but managed to keep himself stable and prevented himself from falling off the cliff. All thought that the conjurer of Bhageshwor did not fall off the cliff because of good arrangement of seat by Nag Malla. After that, Nag Malla himself thought to be superior and more powerful than Bhageshwor. Nevertheless, the dhami showed no response.
Nag Malla challenged the dhami to make rain fall, if he were a powerful god. Bhageshwor, manifested in the shivering dhami, also asked Nag Malla not to exhibit too much arrogance, but to no avail. Bhageshwor now accepted the challenge of Nag Malla. He caused heavy rain in the Ajaimirkot Palace of Nag Malla under an open sky. Gradually, the rainfall nearly drowned the Palace located at the top of a hill. This caused a sense of fear in Nag Malla. The rainfall for few minutes waterlogged Ajaimirkot and a terror spread to every nook and cranny of the region. Finally, Nag Malla apologized for his weakness saying that he was only powerful in terms of kingship, while Bhageshwor was a powerful in terms of deception as well. Not only that, Nag Malla pledged to offer Cheli Chakar, Veda recitation yagya, a thread of gold and a pair of milking cows to Bhageshwor for his power test without any reason. Bhageshwor prevented the society from a possible disaster, showing an attitude of forgiving upon the arrogance of Nag Malla. As per the pledge, Nag Malla offered Cheli Chakar, Vedas recitation yagya, a thread of gold and a pair of milking cows to Bhageshwor.
The same king offered a Deuki in Melauli Bhagawati. Learning from the Nag Malla, both the economically poor and rich started to promise Deuki to Bhageshwor and other local deities during the time of crisis. The trend of offering Deuki was exercised even wishing a son, cure of the incurable diseases, victory in trials, defeat of enemies as well as wishing for prosperity. It is believed that the tradition of Deuki started, when Nag Malla made his offering to Bhageshwor. This god is called the ‘lover of humanity’.
During the time of special happiness and merrymaking, there was a tradition of sacrificing humans in the ancient times upon a hill to the north of Ajaimirkot. One day, an eight-year-old boy from a poor family, attired in new clothes, was also taken for sacrifice. The boy went happily to the site not because he knew and liked being sacrificed, but because he was attired in new clothes. He faithfully completed all procedures before being sacrificed. During the time of sacrifice too, he was fearless. He even said that they could sacrifice him in any way they liked, but without making blot in his new clothes. This statement, made by the poor boy, turned the perception of Bhageshwor and instantly he disguised in the form of a hermit (Jogi) and told the people not to sacrifice humans that time onwards. Thus, he saved the life of the boy, bringing an end to the tradition of human sacrifice.
The tradition of offering Deuki is also gradually degrading. It it is also said that king Nag Malla also made his two daughters Deuki by offering to Bhageshwor while, according to Jayanti Devi Nayak of Madilek VDC-2 in Baitadi district, others believe that a Chhetri, Rawal by surname, offered his two daughters by making them Deukis.
2.3 Perceptions of Dhani Shahi
Dhani Shahi from Bogata Village in the present day district of Dadeldhura had migrated to Talli Dei in Baitadi district. He was so cruel, cunning, feudalistic and cold-hearted that all people lived under his terror. Dhani Shahi had planted radish in the land of Melauli Bhagawati or Deithalo and none was allowed to enter the area despite its public openness. If cattle of general public were found damaging the radish farm, Shahi used to own the cattle as a part of compensation for the lost radish, no matter whether the cattle were tied in the sheds of the farmers or not. Shahi used to order his servants to bring the wives of the owners by dragging if their cattle ate up the radish planted in his farm. No one dared to challenge his excesses, as he was equal to a king in Tallo Sorad during the time.
As per the local tradition, Dhani Shahi presented himself along with his servants with a large and heavy procession during a yearly festival at Melauli Bhagawati. After the completion of the function, a person close to Shahi started to shiver in the form of a deity. Calling himself the supreme god of the region, he kept his hand on the head of Shahi and announced, “Oho, master! You are ruler of this region. You can rule this region on your wish. I am with you. You need not be afraid of anything. You go on ruling unilaterally without listening to anyone.”
In the meantime, Bhagawati of Tallo Sorad appeared in the form of a 10-year-old boy and countered, “Yei ratedi diusedi meri bainika gharmai manpadi adhya rai ko hoi. Dhekirayei toilai jho:la jhe:la haldine hun.” (Who are you to continue your excesses on the day/night of festival by coming in the house of my sister? I will jail you tomorrow.)
All the participants started shivering, fearing the consequences of the verbal blame game and challenge and counter-challenge. Dhani Shahi instantly gave order to jail the boy, who shivered in the form of Bhagawali of Tallo Sorad. But, some intellectuals suggested that giving punishment on the same day would be inappropriate and said, he would be given punishment the following day if need be. Shahi also announced accordingly and said, the boy would be punished the following day.
On the following day, there was a pooja of Bhagawati, where Dhani Shahi also presented himself, riding on a horse. But the incident took a dramatic turn after the police personnel handcuffed and arrested him as soon he was present in madau. All the locals were elated after his arrest. When Dhani Shahi asked the policemen who they were and where they from were to arrest him, the police personnel responded that they were from (Nepal), Kathmandu and were there to arrest him according to the directive of the government officials. On his way to Nepal (Kathmandu), the first night stay of Shahi was in his ancestral village—Bogata of Dadeldhura district.
After reaching Bogata, Shahi also sang the song in memory of Tallo Sorad:
Ka re bhayo rasobaso malliya Orad
Dhani sai Nepal baigyo Skukhirai Sorad !!
(After the arrest of Shahi, he happens to live the first night in Tallo Orad. The oppressor Dhani Shahi left for Kathmandu as a jailbird, leaving the residents of Tallo Sorad happier.)
The normal behavior of Dhani Shahi changed dramatically and drastically after he returned to his village after serving jail term in Kathmandu. Apologizing for his past mistakes, he offered a girl, Nayak by surname, and Chhetri by caste, as a Deuki. After this, he also earned name and fame and later on, all paid respect and honor to him for his philanthropic deeds. Many people also started to offer Deuki to Bhagawati, inspired by Dhani, who got all his wished granted after he offered a Deuki. After that, the practice of Deuki got continuity, according to Krishna Singh Nayak, 55, headmaster of Madilek Higher Secondary School at Madilek VDC-2 in Baitadi district.
2.4 Perception of Katyura
It is the story of long time back. There was cow at the house of a farmer of Katyura caste at Malina village in present Baitadi district. The cow gave a lot of milk. The farmer used to take his cows in the upper hills for grazing. Due to lack of residential area inspite of having a large area of meadow, the cows used to return to the respective houses in the evening after grazing in the area the whole day. Like these days, the people used to call the area as ‘land of god’. Even today, the people of the area don’t fetch firewood from that grazing land.
In the meantime, the udder of the cow that used to be very much mature and big, started growing smaller and shrinking on returning from the jungle in the evening. Gradually, the heavy milk giving cow produced only little amount of milk.
One day, a Katyura saw the cow dripping milk upon a stone at Siroda near Toli in the upper hill while going to graze. After noticing this, Katyura decided to throw off the stone from a cliff across the Mahakali River, thinking that the stone was a ghost. After reaching Melauli Bhagawati of the present time, Katyura felt like defecating. And he headed to a secret site in the jungle, keeping the stone, a basket and a stick wayside. But, upon his arrival, he saw the stone was going down inside the earth, while the stick was standing erected in the form of a tree.
While attempting to unearth the stone, a voice emerged all of a sudden, ordering Katyura to come after washing his hands. As per the order, Katyura returned to the place after taking a bath. After the incident, Katyura established a shire in the same place and started to perform pooja as well as shared the experience to commoners. All the villagers were elated thinking that a deity resided in their village. The locals named the area ‘Melauli’ as the stick of the Mel tree had grown into a green tree.
By constructing a mandau, the villagers started to worship annually, bi-annually and on many occasions. Similarly, they arranged a girl of Nayak family as a Deuki to offer, and made all preparations for maintenance and cleanliness of the mandau. Deuki tradition started with the establishment of Melauli Bhagawati in around 7th century A.D. The trend of offering Deuki increased in the later days due to devotion to gods and meeting their demands after the promises, according to information given by Surendra Chand, 48, of Madilek VDC-2 in Baitadi district.
2.5. Sayings of a father of seven daughters
A couple at Melauli village had seven daughters continuously. The couple was very dissatisfied due to lack of a son. Wishing a son, they promised to offer a daughter to Bhagawati. After the promise, the couple gave birth to a son within a year. The elated couple offered the eldest daughter to the goddess for fulfilling their wish. Since that time, offering Deuki became a tradition whenever anyone got a demands fulfilled, according to Jayanti Devi Nayak, 40, of Madilek VDC-2 in Baitadi district who herself was offered as a Deuki by her father wishing for a baby son.
2.6. Sayings of Dip Chand Thakuri
Nearly 300 years ago, Dip Chand Thakuri and Lakhu Bhat decided to offer a Deuki to please Melauli Bhagawati. As they needed clothes for Deuki, Chand agreed to give gaman or ghagari ( a full-body gown) while Lakhu Bhat to provide angdo or cholo ( a blouse). Though they arranged the needed clothes, the two had a confusion whom to make a Deuki. That problem was resolved after a man namely Bhul from Melauli village agreed to make one of his seven daughters a Deuki. He also got a son some years later.
After this incident, a general perception that offering something to Bhagawati would help in fulfilling dreams developed among the people. Following this, many other villagers started to offer Deuki to Bhagawti if they were in need of a son or something important.Many villagers started to offer Deuki even by buying others’ daughters, ultimately raising the total numbers Deukis.
But, with the rising trend of offering Deuki after few years, a large number of Indian goons came into the village for a night stay, disguised as traders. During that period, nine girls used to stay in madau as Deuki for cleanliness and all others. Unfortunately, the Indian goons took away the Deuki luring them of many things. Instantly, Bhagawati invited all the villagers to the mandau and hinted at the goons’ way. The villagers set their journeys to search for the missing Deukis and reached the Shivanath temple, some two miles away from the Bhagawati temple in the west.
Dharmaghat, on the bank of Mahakali River, lies some six miles away from Shivanath Temple. Dharmaghat is a point to go to India for the people of this region.
The villagers from Melauli caught the Indian goons red-handed with nine Deukis on the way and returned to the mandau of Bhagawati with the Deukis, after murdering the Indian goons at Baddana area. From this incident too, people’s faith in gods increased and the practice of offering Deuki got a sense of validity in the region, according to Surendra Chand, 48, of Madilek-2 in Baitadi district.
Conclusion
Obviously, the above-mentioned general perceptions and sayings don’t represent complete reality. Other general perceptions too exist in the society. Such would help to find the reality if proper studies were carried out.
In the past, there were traditions of keeping Deuki by royals and so-called respected members of the community. And the Deukis were also highly respected. With the change of time, there were more number of Deukis. Some Deuki even established illicit (sexual) relationships with boys and gave birth to babies. Establishing sexual relationship with a Deuki was regarded as receiving prasada (holy gift) of God, even if the boys hesitated to marry the Deuki girls. The time changed, and the behavior of Deuki changed too.
All people, from rich to poor in the villages to government officials, visitors or any other reaching the place, established sexual relationship with Deukis. On that time, a proverb ‘Gayo Doti khayo roti aune bela dhoti na topi’ (Going to Doti district and having illicit relationship and running out of money and clothes while returning from there) was made famous. This, however, does not mean that all Deuki were involved in malpractice and established illicit relationship whoever visited the area. But, the whole tradition ultimately became infamous due to economic greed, lust of the teenagers and to some extent, attraction to Bhagawati’s prasada also increased the cases of such malpractices.
If chances were availed, all the males reached up to Deuki to quench their lust, but never helped to uplift the overall status of the Deukis. Due to wrong practices of some Deukis, this tradition no long remained holy and pure among people.
Of late, some people started portraying this tradition as a curse and social blot. Some even defamed Deuki tradition as prostitution, and depicted the Deukis as as sex workers too. To make more money, some Deukis even invited guests at home daily, aiming to bag money and wanted to have a showy life till they held money but regarded themselves as unlucky, suppressed, undignified when they turned old. On the other hand, many families in the region had disintegrations, instability, feud, conflict and economic crisis after the males established relations with the Deuki only for romance by negating their families.
So, a meeting of local people, intellectuals, conjurers, police and government officials held in 1987 decided to provide skill-generating trainings including laundry works, stitching and sewing, running some cottage industries and taking stern action to those establishing sexual relations with a Deuki, and finally, to stop the tradition of Deuki altogether. This has brought about a positive impact and the number of babies born to Deuki heavily decreased and the system of offering Deuki too is gradually disappearing.
Despite such decisions, the expected results have not been achieved due to presence of some Deukis, who have promised to remain unmarried by serving the interests of deity, as they lack power to be independent to make a decent life. In this regard, their problems are still the same. Some people still offer Deuki in a secret manner.
As decisions about the Deukis are taken based on parents’ consciences and choices, many girls even don’t get informed if they were made Deukis. They only notice their status once they are given the duty of smearing Bhagawati’s mandau and when they are invited on special occasions for feasts by parents offering Deuki. The Deukis are not allowed to put sindoor on their hair-parting, though they wear ornaments and jewelries.
The former Deukis share that after the death of their parents they have faced many hardships and are taken as the family burdens while staying with their brothers, though they happily lived with their parents. They have a very strong desire for marital life, but neither the society accepts them for getting married, nor do the boys approach them for nuptial ties. They mainly earn their living through farming and animal husbandry, but they also get some share from the income of mandau. Besides, they have a monopoly to the amount given to them by people who offer them as Deuki and they have right to sell the goods as well. But, none of the physical materials can satisfy them as they wish for a family life, deep down.
Goila, Dheuri, Jarkhu, Nagini, Dwarkhin and some other parts in Baitadi district are areas with thick populations of Deukis. Many Nepali girls, mostly the illiterate ones, are offered as Deuki even In Indian religious sites. In Nepal Deukis are generally offered to the deity at Tallimalli, Dei, Tripurasundari, Puchaudi, Dilasaini, Dageshwor, Simuwa, Bagali, Nakthar and other religious shrines.
The babies born to the Deukis are looked down upon as bastards. A saying says, “Almal gotra, ija yekai babu satra” [single mother but 17 fathers of an unidentified Gotra (clan)].
The tradition of deploying Deuki is still prevalent for the preservation of respective Devalayas or shrines. In return, they get additional donations from the followers. Though they are not economically poor in our national context, they are always unhappy and live a suppressed life by forcefully squeezing their real wants. They assume their life to be trapped inside the strict social and family rules that handcuff their personal freedom and personality development. This is clearly indicated, as some women in this region curse: “Tero taukoma tel halna paros” (you will be made a Deuki).
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Information list of talks
Chand, Surendra (48), politician, Baitadi, Madilek VDC-2 (Bachelor’s Level education).
Nayak, Krishna Singh (55), Headmaster of Madilek Higher Secondary School, Madilek VDC-2 (Bachelor’s Level education).
Nayak, Jayanti Devi, 40, Farmer of Madilek VDC-2, (Literate).
[Late Pant was Associate Professor at Padma Kanya Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan Univeristty. She has a number of reseach works to her credit, most of them being on folk literature.She lost her life in a terrible Jeep accident in Khotang in 2016.]