________________
240
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1898.
image of the god or gooddess whose devotee he is, he sets on the rice the image of his patron god, and presents the image or the betel-nut with flowers, red powder, a cocoanut and frank-incense, and bows before it. He next tucks behind him the middle part of his waist cloth or dhôtar, puts the garland of rui flowers round his neck, and, with his hands folded, either kneels or stands in thought for a few minutes. His comrades, standing behind, beat drums, clash cymbals, and sing the praises of Vêtal, or of some other spirit-god. While they play, the body of the spiritscarer begins to sway to and fro, and inspired by Vêtâl he suddenly rises, takes a long thin cane, which he generally brings with him, in his right hand, and gives himself several cuts with the cane across the back to shew the people that Vêtâl has entered his body, as the cane does him no harm. All the while he keeps uttering a sound like hu hu. He then kneels, and swaying his body backwards and forwards sets the pot of burning frank-incense before him, and kindling a piece of camphor holds it on the palm of his hand, and shews it to the spectators, who pass their hands through the fumes and touch their eyes with their hands. Gangâ is brought and made to sit before the spirit-scarer. He strikes her three or four times with the cane, and calls on the spirit to say who he or she is, what is his or her name, why he or she has attacked Gangâ, and how he or she will leave her. Then Gangâ, speaking in the spirit's name, says: "My name is Hêdali; I entered Gangâ when she went to drink at the river, and I will leave her if a cock is killed, and a yellow robe and bodice are laid for me under the big pipal-tree in Râmâ's garden." Govind, the spirit-scarer, then calls on Hêdali to leave Ganga, and gives Gangâ some cuts with the cane. Then Hêdall agrees to go, and in some cases, as a sign that she has left, she tells the people to set a pot full of water on the door-step. If the pot is upset, it is believed that the spirit has left. The spirit-scarer then takes one, four, or eight lemons, sticks pius in them, and buries them in front of the house to keep the spirit from coming back. Next day or on the same night Râmâ lays a yellow robe and bodice, or kills a fowl or a goat under the big pipal-tree. For a day or two Ganga appears to be doing well, but on the third day she is seized with the same fit as before. Râmâ calls in another spirit-scarer, Jánu, a Kôli by caste, who is a professional exorcist. He is given a pot filled with water, and some rice or udid.42 Gangû is brought and made to sit before him. He waves a handful of rice three times round her face, and puts the rice in the pot. He takes a few grains from the pot, and laying them on the palm of his hand examines them closely, and lays them on a low wooden stool. A second time he takes a handful of rice, waves it round Ganga's face, and again examines the grain, He does this some six or seven times, and then says: "Ganga is attacked by two spirits, and not by one, as the former bhagat stated. The two spirits are Hedali and Bapdey. You propitiated Hedall by giving her a robe and bodice: what have you done to please Bapdêv? On Tuesday evening lay near the Maliâr's well some cooked rice, curds and red powder, and the blood of a goat. If you do this, Bapdey will leave." Râmâ adopts Janu's advice, and Gangâ is cured.
The procedure followed in the Bombay Dakhan does not differ from that followed in the Konkan.
In the town of Umetha, on the river Mahi, in Bombay Gujarat, Jóda Rawalia, an exorcist with a greal local name, held a performance on the evening of the 16th December, 1888. The details are: An open space, about twelve feet square, is enclosed both above and at the sides with cloth. In the north-west corner is a step or altar about four inches high and three feet long by two feet broad covered with red cloth. On this altar or platform in a grass platter are two white china bowls, a white egg cup, a red turban, a black pint bottle, a glass tumbler, and two or three lemons. In front is a knife stuck point down in the ground, a box with a garland of yellow karan flowers and a row of small earthen oil cups each with a little lighted wick. Close beside the altar sits the chief performer, Jôdâ, and about two yards on his right are the musicians, two drummers and a cymbal clasher, Waghris by caste, and close to the musicians, Raghu, the village patel. The
42 Phaseolus radiatus.
