Misi-Walah
This article is an extract from
THE TRIBES and CASTES of BENGAL. Ethnographic Glossary. Printed at the Bengal Secretariat Press. 1891. . |
NOTE 1: Indpaedia neither agrees nor disagrees with the contents of this article. Readers who wish to add fresh information can create a Part II of this article. The general rule is that if we have nothing nice to say about communities other than our own it is best to say nothing at all.
NOTE 2: While reading please keep in mind that all articles in this series have been scanned from a very old book. Therefore, footnotes have got inserted into the main text of the article, interrupting the flow. Readers who spot scanning errors are requested to report the correct spelling to the Facebook page, Indpaedia.com. All information used will be duly acknowledged.[[Category:Communities|M]
Misi-Walah
This Muhammadan shopkeeper makes and sells dentifrices and dyes for the teeth. To stain the teeth being considered by Bengali men an effeminate habit, is as provocative of banter as dyeing the hair is among middle-aged men in Europe; but Hindu and Muhammadan women generally practise it, as in their eyes well blackened teeth add a beauty to the expression. The ordinary dye is prepared with gall-nut, iron filings, sulphate of iron, myrobalan (harra) and sappan wood (tai), magenta powder being generally added instead of red ochre as formerly.
The Misi-wali, who sells dyes in Zananas and private houses, has the reputation, like the Churi wali, of being a great intriguante, and many marriages and illicit loves are traced to her.
Dentifrices (manjan) are also retailed by the Misi-walah, those in common use consisting of charred almond shells, camphor, and aromatics; while by others charred betle nut, or the powdered charcoal that forms in the interior of the tobacco pipe, is preferred.
In the shop is also sold the collyrium (surma) made from an ore of lead in universal use throughout the East for tingeing the eyelids. Muhammadan females invariably apply it, while Muhammadan as well as Hindu males use it to strengthen the eyes. In every house there is a Surma-dan made of china, stone, or wood, in which the collyrium is stored, resembling in shape an air-tight capped bottle for gum, and containing instead of a brush a leaden probe (silai) for smearing the eye salve along the edges of the eyelids.
Hindu females, however, prefer "Kajjal," or lamp black, each house having its Kajlauti, or iron snuffers-shaped vessel for preparing it. A wick of Ajwain (Ligusticum Ajowan) put into a vessel of oil is lighted, while the Kajlauti being held above the flame, soot is deposited, and being collected is applied to the eyelids with the finger.
