Bahi

(“account book”) Name for the pilgrim
registers maintained by hereditary pilgrimage priests (pandas). Each panda
family in any sacred site (tirtha) has the
right to serve pilgrims whose ancestral
homes are in a particular place, whether
or not the pilgrims still reside there. For
example, a family from the Marwar
region of the state of Rajasthan will
always be served by the Marwari panda,
even if the family has not lived in
Marwar for generations. Pilgrims make
an entry in their panda’s pilgrim register
during each visit, in which they write
down the date, the names of those who
visited, and the reason or reasons for
which they have come. These details are
noted on a thick sheet of paper about
ten inches wide and three feet long, and
there may be multiple entries on a page.
One of the page’s narrow sides has holes
punched in it, and a string can be
threaded through these holes to tie a
number of such sheets together. This
allows the panda to compile registers for
a particular village or specific family,
and when not in use these bahis are
rolled into a circle and tied.
These registers provide not only a
record of pilgrim visits, but are also the
unassailable evidence of the hereditary
connection between a panda and a pilgrim family. Most pilgrims will demand
to see the entries for their ancestors as
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Bahi
proof that a particular priest is their
hereditary panda. This usually happens
when many years have elapsed between
visits, and the pilgrims may never have
met their panda in person. A panda’s
bahis are thus the sole proof of his rights
to a particular pilgrim group, which
makes these registers extremely valuable documents. Most pandas zealously
safeguard their bahis, since anyone with
a copy can claim the pilgrims therein.
The bahis’ importance also gives them a
high market value. They may be used as
collateral to gain a loan and can even be
sold outright. This latter course is
extremely unusual, since for working
pandas their bahis are not only the
source of their livelihood, but also their
family inheritance.