Indian Antiquary Vol 03

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 12

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JANUARY, 1874.
those who are qualified by a knowledge of the language to criticise the text of these songs will find many errors to pardon; and those who test the translations by a high standard will hold them very cheap. They have, however, already
served to lighten the monotony of some lonely hours in my camp life; and if they now induce others to glean the same field, and return with a richer sheaf, they will have completed my purpose.
THE VILLAGE FEAST.
BY CAPT. J. S. F. MACKENZIE, BANGALORE. Hearing that the annual feast in honour of the broad, and about nine inches deep, the bottom village goddess was to come off in " Akka covered with live embers. What this was for timanhully," one of the many villages which we could not understand, but we soon found out help to form the town of Bangalore, I and a that walking through the fire was one of the friend determined to be present and see what chief incidents in the feast. took place. On the night of Tuesday the 17th The priest, for the man who carried the June, at half past eight, we made for the village, basket was the temple pujari, having walked distant about two hundred yards. The sounds three times round the temple, halted in front of of a tom-tom told us they had already com- the fire-pit. Staring for a short time at the menced the feast. We hastened on, and, anxious shrine seen through the open doorway, he, the to see without being seen, had, on entering the basket still on his head, walked through the village, the light in the lantern blown out; but fire with a shuffling sort of step, which threw this proved of little use, for on turning the the embers in front. Turning round he walked corner we came on a number of policemen, back through the pit; again facing the temple who, recognizing “Sahibs," with their usual be seemed to offer up a short prayer; and then, officiousness insisted on clearing the way, and for the third and last time, passed through the before we could induce them to stay their un- fire, went up the steps of the portico, and disappreciated civilities the villagers all knew that appeared inside the temple. What took place intwo “Sahibs" had come to see the "tamasha." side we conld not see, bat shortly afterwards a Immediately messengers were sent off in all general move was made to the corner house of directions for chairs, and although we repeated. the square—the village "Music Hall." We folly declined to use them, preferring to wander lowed the crowd. After the usual preliminary about among the people, still in the end we tuning up, two fiddles, a vina, and a pair of were fairly bullied into the chairs. By way of cymbals gave forth a pleasing but plaintive air, making our attendance more public, a torch- now and again accompanied by the voices of bearer-a small boy who thoroughly enjoyed the the performers. While the crowd were being duty-was told off to throw as much light upon entertained with music, apanchayet (deputation), us as circular discs of cotton saturated with consisting of five leading men of the village, oil could give. On arriving at the corner of the accompanied by the “toti" (watchman) and street we stopped to allow a procession to pass "kolkar" (male bearer), had gone off to invite the on, which by the flickering light of a torch we Shanabogue, as the village accountant is called, could see coming along the opposite street. This to come and present his offering. A fee of two was the return to her temple of the village rupees is at this time paid by the villagers to goddess, after having been carried round the the Shanabogue. Why, I could not learn. The village. The usual band-two flageolets and a square in front of the temple was almost deserted. tom-tom-led the way. In the middle of the The real "toti," or watchman--for his son reprocession & man, carrying on his head a presented him in the active duties of his office basket ornamented with red flowers having a an old man, was busy tending the fire in the lighted lamp in its centre, was seen carefully pit, feeding it now and again from the bundle walking on the clothes which the village wash- of firewood he had close by. We tried to get erman kept spreading before him. In front some information from him as to what was of the temple and close to the steps of its por- going to take place, but “Wait a bit, wait tico we saw a trench, some four feet long, two la bit: lots of fun : two buffaloes are to be