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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARI.
[JUNE, 1898.
The Foot. - The foot is a great, spirit-entry. So in the Mahabharata, in the tale of Nala and Damayanti, it is stated that one day Nals washed his hands and lips with parifying water, but forgot to wash his feet, and so the evil spirit Kali entered his body.co Among the higher class Hindus of Bombay, when the bridegroom comes to the bride's house, the father-in-law washes his feet.No Hinda will take his meals without washing his bands and feet; and among the higher class Hindus, wben a man goes to a house of mourning, or where a death has taken place, on his return home he does not enter his house until he has washed his hands and feet. If he enters the house without washing his feet it is considered unlucky, and he is blamed by the elderly memters of his house for coming in with tharula pái, or (spirit) laden feet.71 In Dharwap, rheumatism is cured by a person who was born feet first, by rubbing the place that pains with his feet.7Among the Lingayats in the Bombay Karnatak, and among the Saivas and Vaišnavas in Bombay Kanare, the religious teacher or guru washes his feet in water, and the disciples drink the water, and are parified, -that is, are freed from evil spirits. Among the Dharwar Lingayats, when a child is born, a Lingayat priest is called, his feet are washed in water, and the water is called dhulpadodal, or feet-dust water. The water is rubbed over the bodies of those present, and a few drope of it are sprinkled on the walls to purify the house.73 When a Dharwår Lingayat dies, the chief priest lays his right foot on the head of the body, and the mathapati, or Lingayat beadle, lays flowers and red powder on the priest's feet.74 When the dead is buried, the priest stands on the grave, a cocoanut is broken at his feet, flowers and red powder are laid on them, and the party return home.76 Among the Jadars of Belgaum the Lingayat priest lays his foot on the head of the deceased, 76 In Kanara, the Sênvi guru gives his followers water to drink in which his feet bave been washed.77 Before the body of a Medar, or Kanara bamboo-worker, is carried to the burial ground, a Lingayat priest sets his right foot on the head of the corpse. The priest's foot is worshipped by the relations of the dead, and washed, and the water is poured into the corpse's month.78 The Harig Bribmans of Kanara dripk the water in which their guide has washed his feet.79 The Kinara Musalmans tie the great toes of the dead tightly together.80 In Kathjå wår, men take an oath by putting the hand on Siva's foot.1 The Jogis of Kathiawar brand the right front toe before burial,9) Spirits enter by the foot-route, and so in KAthiâwâr, in their pregnancy ceremony, Rajput women walk on cloth. It is apparently to keep ont spirits that, Among the Mundas and Oraons of South-West Bengal, the bridegroom treads on the bride's toe during the marriage ceremony, the Gond bridegroom gets his foot on the bride's foot, and a chioken is killed, and the body laid under the girl's foot.98 The Kor fathers-in-law wash the feet of the young couple. The Bhuyas of Bengal place the toes of a new king on their ears and head. In worshipping a Brahman woman in Bengal, women paint the edges of her feet.60 Sedras in Bengal carry a cup filled with water, and ask Bråb maps to put their toes in, and they drink the water. In magic the sorcerer orders the spirit in the name of the teacher's feet, With the Hindus one of the first duties of hospitality is to give the guest padya or water to wash his feet. In the Padma Purana, the great king of Lilipa falls on his face before an ascetic, wasbes his feet, drinks some of the water, and puts more on his head.03 The Pârsi rule, that one should never walk barefoot, is, perhape, due to the .." Arnold's Indian Idylla, p. 65.
** Information from Mr. P. B. Joshi, 11 Information from Mr. P. B. Joshi.
Ta Information from Mr. Tiymalrio. 73 Dharwar Gazetteer, Vol. XXII. p. 111.
** Op. cit. p. 114. 75 Op. cit. p. 116.
T Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. XXI. p. 189. 11 Op. cit. Vol. XV. p. 148.
T* Op. cit. Vol. XV. p. 341. T9 Information from Mr. De Souza.
# Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. XV. p. 409. #1 Information from Col. Barton.
32 Information from Col. Barton. 83 Information from Col. Barton.
# Dalton's Descriptive Ethnology of Bengal, pp. 194, 253 as Hislop's Aboriginal Tribes of the Central Provinces, App. I., P. v. 6 Op. cit. App. I., P. 7.
87 Dalton's Descriptive Ethnology of Bengal, p. 284. * Op. cit. p. 147.
# Ward's View of the Hindus, Vol. II. p. 75. * Op. cit. Vol. III. p. 68.
11 Dubois, Vol. II. p. 60. Arnold's Indian Idylls, 212.
. Dubois, Vol. II. p. 229. Dabistan, VOL I. p. 329.
