They are known alternatively as Marhatia Sunar or Panchal, and outsiders call them Adhali.

The name Malyar is said to be derived from _mal_, dirt, and _jar_ or _jalna_, to burn, the Malyars having originally been employed by Sunars or goldsmiths to clean and polish their ornaments.

No doubt can be entertained that the Malyars are in reality Gonds, as they have a set of exogamous septs all of which belong to the Gonds, and have Gondi names.

So far as possible, however, they try to disguise this fact and perform their marriages by walking round the sacred post like the Hindustani castes.

They will take food cooked without water from Brahmans, Rajputs and Banias, but will not eat _katcha_ (or food cooked with water) from anybody, and not even from members of their own caste unless they are relatives.