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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1883.
over the linga : this is repeated thrice. The wards the image, saying :-Mudgannasi naivésthậnikâr now gives him the ghagam, which he dy mi gulánnani najvédyámil sambháránna empties also over the linga. Next the sthani- naivedyami máshápúpai naivedyd mi apápa kår brings to the bhattar a vessel of Ganga naivedyamil atirasa naivedyamil vichitrawater, which he pours in the same way. Then bhakshyar naivedyámil payasash naivedyami
dry cloth is given with which to dry it. súpas nuivédyanil ájyan naivedyúmi dadhi Next he washes all round the linga with water naivedyami and vyanjanan naivedyamita-warfrom the large vessel in the shrine. Then two ing his hand five timer mes
ing his hand five times; meanwhile music is cloths are brought for vastra and wpavastra, going on in the Nandi-mandapa and a sthanikår which are tied round the middle and thrown rings a bell in the temple. over the top of the linga. The sthậnikar next
The sthånikars now remove all the food to a brings the silver tripundra or mark, of three room to the south-east of the Amman shrine, horizontal bars, and the bhattar, making the beside the kitchen, delivering it into the charge usual mark with sandal paste, presses the of a Maniyakaran, who locks it up. In the tripundra against it so that it sticks, and puts temple a sthanikâr takes a bell in his left hand a tilaka or round mark over the central bar. and a dhúpa and dipa in the other, and ringing Then silver eyes are brought which are similarly the bell gives the dhúpa to the bhattar and stuck on; and lastly a garland is put over it. withdraws the curtain. The bhattar waves
The sthånikârs come out of the maņdapa! the dhúpa, saying-dhtipam aghrápayámi, and and pour water in front of the great Nandi- pours water thrice on the floor (achamaniya); which is built up and plastered over, and is of then waves a dipa with one light (ékamukha) great size. Water is also poured on all the other saying :-dipuin darsayámi; then a sthanikår lingas. The bhattar takes sandal-wood paste in gives him a lighted saptasthána-dipa which a cup and bilva leaves in a plate, and goes round he waves with both hands, saying :-alarikárato all the lingas and images, putting a tilaka on dipan darsayámi. He returns each in turn each, and laying two bilva leaves on the top. to a second sthånikâr. Then he pours water on
The stnanikårs next bring with music from the floor saying, dahamaniya, and receives the the kitchen, mudgannam (T. pongal), gulánnam pancha-sírsha-naga-dipa, which he waves say(or rice prepared with sugar, ghí, green dhål, ing, dipaih darsayámi; and so in succession he cardamoms, milk and cocoanut), sambhd. receives the vrishabha-dipa, the purusha-mrigaránnam (rice cooked with tamarind, sesamum dipa, the nakshatra-dipa and the kumbha-dipa, oil, chillies, mustard and salt), bread made of and waves each, first in a wavy line from black gram (phaseolus radiatus), bread of rice- above downwards, then thrice round going up flour with sugar and ghi, a cake made of rice- on the left and down on the right side and lastly flour drawn into threads like maccaroni, rice bringing it straight downwards, and saying the with milk, dhâl boiled with salt, curds, ghi and same words." Here the sthanikår stops ringing curries. This is brought into the Ardha-man. the bell, and the priest repeats the words :dapa near the shrine door and the bhattar Dhúpah dadyát prathamató naité dyan aprinkles it with water, and taking a bilva leaf dépayéd guruh tambúlni tu ninddyátha punar he places it at the foot of the linga, saying:- dipah tu daríayết || mahádipasi tatahpasohad bhuMaya sarván naivedya-padárthan angkritam iti tarudrani sajinikán naga-dipann késha-dipar prárthaniyam
purushamriga-sarhjhikan || Nakshatra-sarifikasi Then pouring water thrice he says, as before:- diperin panchatrinekavaktrakain | Grátrikani cha arghyam, &c. Next he waves a bilva leaf to- sarvatra samdropya samarchay6t || gandhapushpair
Pilgrims from the north often bring Ganges water which is received with great écht, elephants and dancing girls going out with music to convey it to the temple.
. Mudgannam-Rice cooked with greon dhál, butter, ginger and spice. Gulannam-Rice cooked in milk, sugar, butter, grapes, &e. Sambharannam-Rice cooked in Tamarind juice, spiced and soented. MáshoppamCakes prepared from black gram. Apupam-Cakes. Atir gam-Cakes prepared from rice flour and sugar in equal parts. Vichitrabhakshyam-Various cakes and
sweptmeats. Pdyasam-Milk boiled with sugar, grapes, &o. Spam-Cake prepared out of a kind of pulse. Ajyim-Ghi. Dadhi-Curd. And Vyanjanam-Curry stuffs.
" At a festival I observed that the bhattar who waved the lamps held down his hand after each, that one of the sthanikere might pour a little water on the fingers of it, then he took a flower out of his left hand and threw it at or upon the dips he was about to receive. A second bhattar always reposta tho formula at his left hand.
