Indian Antiquary Vol 46

SR No.: 032538
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 508
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 20 MB

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68
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
near the top. Here the ceremony of khát. named after the particular incident which muhurt* is performed and afterwards the drove the people to seek their new home. headman, accompanied by a Brahman, who A failure of the harvest is in most cases recites mantras, either winds a cotton-thread due to the irregularity of the rains. It is besmeared with red lac round the village or therefore ascribed to the displeasure of pours a stream of milk dhärāvādi along the Indra, the god of rain, and Varuna, the god village boundaries. The headman has fur- of water. The mode of propitiating these ther to perform the homa at the gates of the gods has already been described, village, when a company of Bralnans recite Sometimes a cessation of rains is attribuholy passages in honour of Hanuman and ted to the wrath of the village-gods, whereMātā. At the time of the completion of the upon the festival of Ujani is celebrated in homa, when the ühuti (an oblation of ghi) order to appease them. One day, preferably is thrown on the fire, all persons present offer a Sunday, all the inhabitants go outside the cocoanuts to the sacrificial fire.
village, and rich viands are cooked to be ofIn some places it is usual to worship the fered to the village-gods. At the same time, newly chosen site itself, and then to drive the headman perfornis a homa sacrifice and into the ground a wooden peg besmeared the dainties are partaken of after the villagers with red lac, called the khili (peg) of Shesh have thrown cocoanuts into the sacrificial fire. Nāg, which is first ceremoniously worshipped In similar circumstances people sometimes with red lac, sandal-ointment and rice." seek the protection of the gods Annadeva, . After these ceremonies, the villagers are Annapurna, and Kriya Bhaudai. Six dok dāst at liberty to build their own houses within the or six pice are collected from every house new settlement. When the houses are com in the village to make what is called a plete and ready for habitation, it is necessary chhakadi, and the whole amount is then besto perform the ceremony known as västun towed in charity in the name of the above(or graha-shanti) for the propitiation of the named deities, nine planets. Both the day of installing the Rain during the Ashlesha and Magha nakgods and the day of vastun ceremony, are shatrast is destructive to the crops, and is a observed as festivals, at which Brahmans are sign of the wrath of Indra, who should be feasted, and lāpsi, churmu and kansür are appeased with sacrificial offerings. offered to the gods.
Diseases among cattle are believed to be The new settlement may be named after brought on by the wrath of minor deities the deity whosc advice brought about the such as Shitalā Mahākälio or the sixty-four more or after the leadman. It is sometimes Joganis.10 $ The bhuvās, when they are
1 The Schoolmasters of Chhatrasa and Rajpara.
2 The Shastri of Jetpur Páthashālā. 3 The Schoolmasters of Khirasara, Jetpur and Rajpara. The Schoolmasters of Chhatrasa and Jetpur 5 The Schoolmaster of Jodia.
6 K. D. Desai. 7 The Schoolmaster of Chhatrasa.
8 The Shastri of Jetpur Pathashälà. 9 The Schoolmaster of Kotda-sangani.
10 The Schoolmaster of Dadvi. * Vide Chapter I., P. 29.
† 100 dokdās=1 rupee. The time taken by the sun to move through the constellations Ashlesha and Marha, which is approxi.
mately the month of August. $ Generally the same ideas prevail regarding diseases of cattle as in the case of human ailments. Dokās
or magical threads and slips of paper are often used in cases of fever. In epidemics like cholera pollution is believed to be at the root of the evil, Bhangis are engaged to prepare images of corn to keep off the disease, and they forfeit their horrsteads and property if the epidemic is not checked thereby.
The Schoolmaster of Barton Female Training College, Rajkot. (These images represent evil
spirits presiding over particular diseases. Certain oblations are offered to these evil spirits, and after the recital of certain incantations they are either burnt or buried.)