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54
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MARCH, 1897.
so unfortunate as to bear the name of Dharm
GURU GUGA.AS A SNAKE-GOD. Singh, or the religious one, was, of course, called (S$ 377, 378, Ibbetson's Karnal Settlement Papi Singh, or the sinful one, the opportunity for Report.) In 378 it is noted that Gaga " is supa joke being too good to be lost. A consequen- posed to be the greatest of the snake-gods." It tial person got the name of Pêra or the turkey,
seems usual (P universal) near Ladwa in the but this last is universal. Compare the use of
Ambala district, for the mari (shrine) of Gaga the words Bubbly Jock in Scotland.
Pir to hare close to it to right and left two I once came across an odd case. One Dason- shrinelets, that to the right being dedicated to dhi, known as Trampji, was not known by his
Nêr Singhand that to the left to Gorakhnath. real name to the lanbardar (headman) of his The following explanation was given to me by own village, who had known him all his life. the Jat lambardar (headman) of Chalaundi, in Dasândhi was a Rânghar; therefore his grand
the Ambala district, and before that in another father had been in a native cavalry regiment, and village. The Chalaundi Jat explained that Gaga therefore a trumpet-wajor. The progression is had been Gorakhnath's chelå (disciple), and it easy enough. Trampji is an obvious and easy was also said that he had been born owing to corruption of the name of the English rank. Gorakhnath's kindness in blessing his mother,
who was childless. Når Singh, he said, was M. MILLETT in P. N. and Q. 1883.
Gügl's servant or diwan. Again, in a Ját vil.
lage, near Ladwa, the two shrines were explained MALABAR CUSTOMS.
to belong to Kali Singh and Bhari Singh, Når
Singh being another name for one or both of No. 1. - Korava.
these. I have also seen a picture of Gaga Pir on As soon as a child is born to the mother - for the parapet of a new well.in a Jag village. The the mother is the most distinctive factor in a saint was seated on a house, and was starting Malabar tarwdd or family, those who wait outside from the Bågar country. His mother, standing her room in expectation of the joyous event (chiefly in front of the horse, was trying to stop his the maid-servants and lady visitors) raise a departure. He held in his bands a long staff korava, which is a shrill vocal note peculiar (bhili), explained to be a mark of dignity, and to the women of Malabar. It is produced by over his head the heads of two snakes met, one the slow expulsion of air through rounded lips, being coiled round the bhald. The people said between which the tongue assumes a rapid to and that if a man got bitten by a snake he would fro motion, the chamber of resonance being formed think he had neglected Gågå. Both Hindd and by the mouth and a small portion of air almost Musalman Jõgis take the offerings made to Gug&. pent up before the lips by all the fingers of the They carry about his chhari (a standard covered right hand similarly rounded.
with peacock's feathers) in Bhadon (August-SeptIn the grearter portion of the country and ember) from house to house; but give some among the generality of the Malayalis, the korava small share of the collections to the Chahrás serves the purpose of a general notice by the (scavengers). people of the house to their neighbours as to the
J. M. DOUIE in P. N. and Q. 1883. recent addition to the family. In some places, as in Trivandram and South Travancore, the
THE RED-HAND STAMP3 AT TILOKPUR korava bas become the index of the birth of a
TEMPLE. child, boy or girl; but elsewhere, it is a special
Ar the temple of Balasundari Devi at Tilok note of joy, struck only at the birth of a boy.
pur, Lear Nihan, the priests stamp a red-hand on At the same time, to supplement, as it were, the left brcast of the coat of a pilgrim who visits the notice given by the korara, a male member the temple for the first time to shew that he has, of the house or an old dependent of the family as it were, paid for his footing. If the pilgrim goes into the southern or western yard of the again visits the temple and can shew the stamp house, and taps the earth forcibly, three or four he pays only four annas as his fee to the priests. times, with the flat portion of the woody cocoanut What is the meaning and origin of this ? leaf called in the vernacular madal. This custom. which certainly must have admirably served its
R. O. TEMPLE in.P. N. and Q. 1883. purpose according to the notions of the primitive 1 (Når Singh or Andr Singh now stands for Narasitha, Malayali, is still with scrupulous religious care the man-lion avatar of Vishnu. Legends relate that preserved in almost all the Malabar tarwads. Gugl left Bagar in Rajpatang to go after his twin
half-brothers Arjan and Sarjan, who had insulted him, K. PARAMU PILLAI. in epite of his mother's protest.- ED.]
