I have seen Bhistees in Bombay also in mid-seventies (of the twentieth century - around the time India exploded its first nuclear device). Here are men who actually carry camels on their backs. Where is the proverbial straw which broke the camel's back? Human suffering knew no ends even if it was for earning a livelihood. The caste system ensured these people stayed untouchable, were deprived of education as they served their masters barefoot. The water bottle that you see is made of buffalo or cow leather. There was a caste whose one of many duties was to skin dead animals and provide the leather required to keep the upper castes well shod and to water their gardens, bring a drink for their animals carrying it on their black backs glistening in the hot sun. Mercifully, thanks to the processes of development unleashed since the late sixties and early seventies, bhishtees are no longer to be seen The photograph above tries to mimic a pair of eyes. Yoy can easily notice the slight displacement in the two images - the same if you were to look at an object shutting each eye alternately.

We still see bhistis in Calcutta - yes, even today. They carry water to homes in times of water crisis. They also help wash the streets.

I thought the waterskins were goatskins...

No, they were not goat skins. The bottles had to have thick skin and fewer but strong stitches. Each bottle carried thirty to forty liters. The women folk used to fill the bottle from a well as the man stood holding th bottle on his back using a strap going around the bottle and made of the same skin. In marathi, the bottle was called "pakhal". I don't know what it was called in other languages in India. "khal" of pakhal means skin - which is a Hindi word. "Pa" refers to water perhaps. Interestingly, "khali" means empty. The pakhal, when empty could be folded up and kept away.

Rohini, it would be interesting to find out their caste and other social background. If they are there even today, that is reminiscent of the rikshaw pullers.

....Gunga Din by Rudyard Kipling.

Whatever the iniquities of the system, I bet they were proud of doing their job, and of doing it well. Looking again at this photograph, it really is an exceptionally clear and good picture - particularly so as it was taken in 1903.

Yes Philippa, good cheer is not the privilege of only the few. They had to make the specified number of trips if they were to earn their wages whatever tuppence it was. They never complained.

The Mughal dynasty owes a huge debt to one such "BHISTI'who saved Humayun's life when he was fleeing from the battlefield after being defeated by Sher Shah Suri and trying to cross a river .On a more personal level I remember seeing these "Bhistis"at work watering the roads in the morning and the school grounds in Allahabad and Lucknow in the 50's.

Kanu, how are you. So good to see you here again. One question. Who was Kipling's Gangadin if not a bhistee? In an aside, the word "bhist" in Marathi means trust and bhistee would mean someone you can depend on!

@ Shekhar The Hindu version of a Bhishtee was not an untouchable caste.Their bag was called a mashaq in north India.Their caste was called Dheemar and kahaar in the Central Provinces and the United Provinces of Agra and Awadh and yes their bag was made of goat skin. The cowhide bags were used on bullock carts and understandably in a predominantly Hindu country water carried in those cow-hide bags was used for , watering the gardens, bathing and 'chidkaav' springkling on either sides of the streets to prevent sand from rising on account of passing horse-carriages and hansoms. One Bhishtee saved a Tuglaq Sultan from apache death by filling his mashaq with air (much like a lifebuoy) with which the Sultan was able swim across the river and save his life.He granted the Bhishtee a wish in gratitude. The Bhishtee expressed a desire to be made a king for a day and that wish was honoured.That mad Sultan introduced leather coins as currency on the advise of that Bhishtee and shifted his capital to Tuglaqabad in Deccan which costed the denizens of Delhi dear in the exodus and later the reverse exodus ! Bhishtees were Muslims.The Brahmins and Baniyas in north would not bathe in the water that these guys carried much less drinking it.Remember we were terribly caste and purity concious then.My ancestors who were Rajputs had no qualms in bathing in the water that these Bhishtees carried but again they too would also not drink it. Waterworks and running water made this community redundant much as the derzis (tailors)are slowly on there way out in modern India

I will check what these were called in Maharashtra. But I had asked one of them who had told me it was made of buffalo or cow hide depending on what was available. Information on Webster's says they were a separate caste, later called Abbasi in Maharashtra before they converted to Islam. http://www.dictionary30.com/encyclopedia.php?subject=Bheestie

Buffalo or cow hide versions were too big to be carried on human backs.Those were used on bullock carts.I have seen them too in MP in the villages. I recall from my childhood in Jaipur that these Bhishtees used to springkle water on the streets before the shahi juloos (royal processions) of Teej and Gangaur which are decidedly Rajasthani festivals which we celebrate with much fanfare and fervour. The villagers of the neighbouring villages used to to gather in the city rooftops and pavements much as they still do to watch these processions. Although now these processions are more of a tourist attraction.

In the Fort area of Bombay, there are several old wells which have potable water. There is an extant community of waterboys which supply water from these wells to several old offices. You can see them running around pushing water-drums in handcarts.

Yes I have seen them.I have been to the well which is holy to the Parsees which is very near Flora Fountain.And I believe owing to the Anglicisation of the Parsees (Lagan nu Custard !) these Bhishtees began to be called waterboys !

Digvijay, have you also noticed the runner boys who deliver flowers and leaves for puja to the mighty satodias (speculators), brokers, lawyers and doctors for the daily laxmi (wealth) pooja (ablution of their little idols)? I wonder what caste those boys belonged to?

Yes I have. They deliver flowers for Puja to my home in Thane wrapped nicely in leaves tied in a twine. I am sure they are of the maali community. The most beautiful flowers I have seen in Mumbai are around the Siddhi Vinayaktemple (Once i counted no less than nine colours of hibiscus alone) and the most majestic garlands (south Indian) near the Guruvayur temple of Krishna in Matunga. The carvings on banana trunks/ branches took my breath away when i saw them for the first time.Lilies and lotuses are awesome too. Of course the florists now have orchids, gladiolis Poppies, Dutch roses and exotic Thai flowers.I however love our Indian varieties.Gajras and Veni (applied in a bun of hair) with the delightful orange coloured blossoms in tightly woven buds are a delight always.I'd say Mumbai is full of beauty for one who has the eye for it.

Digvijay, you should visit Bhavani Sahnkar Road, Dadar (Mumbai) early morning at 5.30. You will see a riot of colours and fragrance. (I call it the Covent Garden - which I know of only from "My Fair Lady") The whole market sells out by 6.30 am. So "Mali" they are (pun accidental). Mali means a gardener. It is a prosperous community rising very rapidly on educational scales. That is thanks to early reformers like Mahatma Jyotiba Phule of the 19th century Maharashtra. Phule's work pioneered womens' education in Maharshtra.

I have been told repeatedly that I should go there first thing in the morning.Now I will most certainly maybe the day I catch an early morning bus to Poona. Somehow I have noticed that flowers are more fragerant in drier climes but the colours ard variety here is awesome.

@digvijay..the bhisti..u can see them in delhi. near jama masjid on friday namaz offering water to the muslims...no hindu would ever drink from his mashak..as u know that mughals were great builders and curing and watering was very important during construction activity and bhistis were empoyed in great numbers on huge construction projects like taj mahal.it was a goat skin mashak..I think bhistis are there in almost all places in south and soutHh west asia..