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AUGUST, 1895.]
SPIRIT BASIS OF BELIEF AND CUSTOM.
229
village, a ball of rice is waved round the boy's head and thrown away, and at the lucky moment grains of rice are thrown on the couple.ca In Poona, at Halalkhôr weddings, the bride and bridegroom throw rice over the sacrificial fire and the water jars.63 Among the Dekhan Kanoj Brahmaņs a heap of earth sown with corn is the wedding dévak or guardian.c4 At their weddings, the Dekhan Lodhis raise a pile of rice at the door of the boy's house, which he kicks down. Among the Telang Nhâvis of Bijapur the chief marriage rite is that the priest should throw rice over the boy and girl.60 On Cobra Day, Nágpanchami, in July, Prabhu women draw a picture of a cobra in grains of rice, and on the cobra throw pulse, parched grain, and pieces of plantains and cocoanuts.67 The Dekhan Prabhu during his morning visit to his cow throws grains of rice over her, pours water over her feet, and goes round her.08 At the Dekhan Kang Brahman wedding, a measure of rice is set on the threshold of the boy's house, and the bride as she enters spills it. The Dekhan Govardhan Brahmaņs throw grains of Indian millet over toe head of the boy at the thread-girding.To At Nasik, when cholera breaks out, the leading Brâhmans collect in little doles from each house a small allowance of rice, put the rice in a cart, take it beyond the limits of the town, and there throw it away. This rice is a scape into which has entered the ovil influence of the cholera.71 Ahmadnagar Brâhman women in the after. noon go to a temple, or a place where sacred books are read, sit for a while, drop rice before the god or the reader, and in the rice trace the shape of a lotas.72 Among tho Ahmadnagar Mhârs millet grains are thrown over the bride and bridegroom, and the bridegroom's mother waves burnt bread round them, and pours water at their feet.73 In Kolhapur, if : man eats bread made of the seven grains - barley, wheat, sesamum, rálá, mug,74 sávé and chinak, no spirit can harm him.75 The Rajpûts of Kathiâwâr distribute boiled wheat on the day of noming.76 In the Karnatak, the bride and bridegroom take rice ont of two baskets and throw it over each other's head.77 The Shenvis of Kânara fasten festoons of rice cars and mango leaves to their house lintel.78 The North Kinara Lingayats shower millet on the bride and bridegroom.79 In Belgaum, when the Mudaliâr's corpse is laid on the pile, the mourners drop rice into the mouth.80 Among Belgaum Vaddars, at their weddings, friends and relations throw rice on the heads of the bride and bridegroom.91 During the festival of Dayamava in Dharwår no corn-mills may grind corn, apparently from the fear that, as Dayamava is more of a fiend than a guardian, the blessed influence of corn-grinding may annoy her, may even pat her to flight.82 Among Bijapur Shimpis, after the bride and bridegroom have been rubbed with turmeric paste, women throw rice on them, and wave lamps round them to guard them against unfriendly influences.83 Bijapur washermen throw grains of rice on the bridegroom to keep spirits from attacking him.84 Among Shôlâpur Jingars the priest matters charms over the razor with which the boy is to be shaved, and drops red rice on it.95 Among Shôlậpur Gôlak Brahmaņs the boy at a thread-girding sits on rice.96 Among the Shôlậpur Tirgals the family priest for ten days after a birth throws red rice over the mother.87 Bice is used in emptying their divinity out of articles in which guardian power has been housed. So the Shôlâpur Jingars, when the wedding bracelets, or kankans, are no longer wanted, untie them, lay them in a plate, bow to them, and drop a pinch of rice over them, and their guardian power leaves them. The sense seems to be that the guardian influence in the bracelet is bowed out and leaves, and that the pinch
62 Op. cit. Vol. XVIII. p. 304. 65 Op.cit. Vol. XVIII. p. 438. 4 Op. cit. Vol. XVIII. p. 169. 65 Op. cit. Vol. XVIII. pp. 399, 100.
66 Op. cit. Vol. XXIII. p. 256. 67 Op. cit. Vol. XVIII. p. 244.
68 Op. cit. Vol. XVIII. p. 237. 69 Op. cit. Vol. XVIII. p. 170.
70 Op.cit. Vol. XVIII. p. 132. 71 Op. cit. Vol. XVI. pp. 520, 521.
12 Op. cit. Vol. XVII. p. 53. 73 Op. cit Vol. XVII. p. 177.
74 Phaseolus mungo. 75 Information from Mr. B. B. Vakharkar, B.A. 76 Rombay Gazetteer, Vol. VIII. p. 120. 77 Dubois, Vol. I. p. 310.
TS Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. XV. p. 141. 79 Op. cit. Vol. XV. p. 179.
$0 Op. cit. Vol. XXI. p. 8. 81 Op. cit. Vol. XXI. p. 177.
82 Op. cit. Vol. XXI. p.19. * Op. cit. Vol. XXIII. p. 168.
St Op.cit. Vol. XXIII. p.76. 15 Op. cit. Vol. XX. p. 106.
*6 Op. cit. Vol. XX. p. 2. 87 Op. - Vol. XX. p. 12.
