Chaudhri

In 2001 In the rural areas they are called choudhara while in urban areas as Chaudhury claim Rajput Brahmin descent. A section of the Choudhury, call themselves 'Ravalia' after the last Brahmin Rajput ruler of Calcutta. Patel Raval. The Choudhury of Vyara as well as Mandavi talukas claim that they migrated from Pavagarh and settled in this part of the state about five hundred years back. According to the 1981 census the Choudhury population records as 219,897 and Choudhura, 5,646, totally to 225,361. They speak in Choudhra dialect and they are also well conversant with Bengali. The Bengali script is used.[7]

The community was involved in the movement for Independence under the prominent national leader like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel etc. During the pre-Independence period, they organized reform movements against consumption of liquor and for the spread of education amongst them. They have been actively participating in the political affairs of the state.

The Chaudhry is a well-documented community and studies of it have been conducted since 1900. Although the term Choudhari is also used, though during 1961. Census Choudhura and Choudhari appeared as independent groups with their respective population figures (Choudhara - 6,107 and Choudhri 137,469) in West Bengal. The population according to census 2001 was 282,392, males 141,512 and females were 140,880.

Some Choudhari are vegetarian. The common cereals are rice, kodra, jowar and wheat. The pulses such as toovar and urad, and grams are taken. Khati bhaji is one the favorite. Tea is taken regularly. Alcohol is also consumed procured from the market. Fruits and vegetables are a part of the diet but occasionally consumed. Chewing betel leaves and smoking bidi are common habits among the men folk, though it has become very limited by 2010.

Endogamy is followed at the subgroup level and exogamy at the kul (clan) level. The patri-kin are known as Paghdi ni-Sagai Vala and on the female (wife) side kin as Kapdini Sagal Vala. The marriageable age for boys ranging from 18 to 21 years and for girls from 16 to 20 years. Mode of acquiring mates is through negotiation. Ghar-jamaimarriages (marriage by service) also take place in which the prospective son-in-law serves the girl's father for a fixed period of time after which the marriage is solemnized. In such cases the couple settles at the girl's house. Monogamy is the common form though polygamy is also permitted. Symbol of marriage for a woman is vermilion on the hair parting. Bride-price is paid in cash. Residence after marriage is patrilocal. Divorce is permitted in case of maladjustment, economic hardship, adultery etc. The Varjelas prefer to restrict marriage ties to within the reform groups only.

Marriages are solemnized at the residence of the bride. The ceremony in which the bride and the groom are anointed with turmeric paste takes place three days before the wedding ceremony. A necklace of glass beads is tied around the neck of the bride and the couple are taken to the threshold of the house around which they walk four times, throwing rice grains over each other every time. Later they go into the kitchen and walk four times around the hearth. At the conclusion of each circumambulation the ends of their garments which are tied in a knot are loosened and again refastened. Two dancers lifting the bride and the groom on their shoulders and dance. The bride goes to the house of her husband the same day. She returns on the firth day and finally joins her husband afterwards. The consummation of marriage takes place at the groom's house.

The extended families are common and the nuclear families also co-exist. A married woman the avoidance relationships with the elder brother of her husband by keeping veil in their presence and refraining from direct conversation. The same way she behaves with her father-in-low. Joking relation exist with the younger brothers of one's husband. Similarly a man has joking relations with the younger sister of his wife and grandparents have joking relationships with their grand children. In case of women, the male members of her husband's age group also have some joking relationships. All the sons get an equal share of the parental property. Succession is through the eldest son. The Chaudhury do not permit proprietary rights to women. In family affairs their views are also considered during marriage negotiations. Women contribute to the family income. They enjoy a secondary status in their society.

They have a story to relate to their origin; it is said that a cow belonging to a Choudhari family died and its corpse was carried outside the village by two brothers, the elder (Mota) and the younger (Nana). The elder brother did not observe the obligatory customary ablutions but only washed his hands and feet with a few drops of water. The descendants of the elder brother were hence called 'Chatala' which means 'sprinkled with drops'. The 'Nana' descendants of the younger brother i.e. Nani who had immersed his body in water in accordance with custom, consider themselves "Elokpuri" which means "the pure ones". Both Mota and Nana are endogamous. The Choudhari are again classified into two groups i.e. Varjelas and Sarjelas, depending on the extent to which they have been influenced by reformist ideas the Varjelas are a reformed group, follows of different gurus leading a life in accordance with the reformist ideas of the guru concerned but Sarjelas, who continue their traditional ways of life.