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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JULY, 1876.
practically worshipped as such in the graddha ceremonies. Hence a sráddha is not a funeral ceremony (as some have described it), but a worship of departed ancestors; which worship, however, is something very different from pújá to a god, as it is continued at stated periods with a view to accelerate the gati, or progress,' of the pitsis onwards to heaven, and then through the various stages of bliss, called sálokya, sá mipya, and sárúpya, and thence through future births to final union with the Supreme (sá yujya). And the efficacy of sraddhas performed at Gaya is this, that wherever in this progress onwards departed relatives may have arrived, the griddhas take them at once to Vaikuntha, or Vishnu's heaven. The departed relatives especially entitled to benefit by the sráddha rites are as fol- low:-1Father, grandfather, great-grandfather. 2. Mother, mother's father and grandfather. 3. Stepmother, if any. 4. Father's mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. 5. Father's brothers. 6. Mother's brothers. 7. Father's sisters. 8. Mother's sisters. 3. Sisters and brothers. 10. Fathers-in-law.
An eleventh person is sometimes added, viz. the family spiritual teacher (guru).
Let no one suppose that the process of performing śráddhas at Gayâ is either simple or rapid. To secure the complete efficacy of such rites, a whole round of them must be performed at about fifty distinct places in and around Gaya, besides at the most holy spot of all-the Vishnupada temple-the time occupied in the process being at least eight days, and sometimes protracted to fifteen, while the money spent in tees to the officiating priests (who at Gaya are called Gaywals = Gaya-pálas, regarded by some as an infcrior order of Brahmans), is never less than Rs. 40. But only the poorest are let off thus casily The Maharaja of Kashmir, who is a very strict Hindu, and performed śráddhas at Gaya the other day on his way to Calcutta, is reported to have distributed Rs. 15,000 to the Gaywal Brâhmaņs.
When I was recently staying with Mr. Halli- day, the Collector of the district, I obtained, through his kind influence, from the principal Gaywal, named Chota Lâl, a detailed account of all the ceremonies connected with the Gaya draddhas--which, considering the important position they hold in the Hindu religious system, and considering that no trustworthy description
of them has, so far as I know, hitherto appeared, it may be worth while to place on record.
FIRST DAY.-The ceremonies begin near the sacred river Phalgú. The first duty is to make a sankalpa, or religious vow,'--that is to say, a promise to perform all the rites in regular course. This is done by repeating mantras and pouring out water on the banks of the sacred river. The pilgrims bathe in the Phalgû and perform tarpara, or homage to the spirits of departed an. cestors, with water, kusa grass, and sesamum seed. Then comes the first full sraddha, consisting of offerings of balls made of rice or barley flour with milk, water, flowers, sandalwood, fragrant gam, betel-leaves, areca-nuts, sesamum seed, honey, coagulated milk, and small lighted lamps. All this is done in or near the Phalgú river, which in the dry season dwindles to a narrow stream, leaving a dry sandy bed on each side. 2. The second place is called Preta-Sild or Rama-Silá. Here the pinda sraddha only is performed, i.e. balls of rice flower with milk are offered to the pitsis and afterwards thrown into the river or given to the cows. 3. Rama-kunda. Here they bathe and make both tarpana and pinda-dana, presentation of the balls. 4. KG. kabali : here they perform three pinda-dánas.
SECOND DAY.-5. Brahma-kunda. Here they only bathe and perform tirpana. 6. Preta parvata. Here they make pinda-dána and scatter round upon the ground parched barley reduced to meal or made into a paste.
THIRD Day. 7. Uttara-mánasa. Here they bathe and make tarpana and pinda-dána. They also do homage (pranáma) to the Northern Sun. Pilgrims pass from this station to the next with out uttering a word. 8. Udickí. 9. Kanakhala. At these two stations they bathe, make tarpara and pinda-dana. 10. Dukskina-mánasa. Here, after tarpana and pinic lána, they do homage to the Southern Sun. 11. Jihvá-lola. Here, after bathing in the Pancha-tirtha (five different sacred places near each other), and after tarpana and pinda-dúna, they do homage to Mahadeva (as Pitri and Maheśvara). They also do homage to Gadadhara with panchámrita, i.e. with coagulated milk, clarified butter, milk, honey, and sugar, and adore bim with flowers, sandalwood, fragrant gum, cloth, orna. ments, and lamps.
Fourth Day. 12. Matanga-vápí. Here they bathe with tarpana and pinda-dána, as well as
