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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1906.
and lotus (in thy four hands), who revealest thyself in the forms of a fish, a tortoise, & boar, and a man-lion, who hast eight forms and who art beneficent. I also salute thee, O Sun ! thou art worthy of adoration.'
5. At Naont. There is another temple of Shirigul at Naoni village in the Tahsil of NÄhan. A fair is held here on the day of Hariali or first of Sawan. He-goats, halwa or ghi are offered. The people dread him greatly.
8. At Sanglahan. There is also a debthali or 'place of the god,' Shirigul, at Sanglahan. The pujdri is a Brâhman and the mode of worship and offerings are similar to those at Jawâla Mukhi's teraple. Goats are, however, not sacrificed here, only halwa being offered. The fair is held on the Gyas day, the Kätik sudi ikalshi of the lunar year, and the 30th of Kâtik in the solar year. Only men and old women, not young girls, attend this fair. In Jaitak also there is a temple of this god.
Story of Sri Gul, deota of Chari Dhar in Jubbal. In the Jabbal State, which lies to the north and east of the Chaur Peak, a variant of the Shirigal legend is current. This variant is of special interest, and it appears worth recording in full: -
In the Dwapar Ynga Krishna manifested himself, and, after killing the rdleshasás, disappeared. Some of them, however, begged for pardon, and so Krishna forgave them and bade them dwell in the northern hills, without molesting god or man. This order they all obeyed, except one who dwelt at Chawkhat, some seven miles north of Chûri Dhår. In the beginning of the present age, the Kali Yuga, he harassed both men and cattle, while another demon, Neshirâ, also plandered the subjects of Bhokrû,16 chief of Shâdgå, in the State of Sirmûr. The former asur also raided the States of Jubbal, Tarôch, Balsan, Theðg, Ghônd, &c. The people of these places invoked divine protection, while Bhokrû himself was compelled to fiee to Kasmir, and being without heirs, he made over his kingdom to his minister Devi Ram. For twelve years Bhokrû and his queen devoted themselves to religious meditation, and then, directed by a celestial voice, they returned home and performed the aswamedha, or great horse-sacrifice. The voice also promised Bhokrg two sons, who should extirpate the demons, the elder becoming as mighty as Siva, and the younger like Chandêshwar and saving all men from suffering. Ten months after their return, Bhokrú's queen gave birth to a son, who was named Sri Gul. Two years later Chandêshwar17 was born. When the boys were aged 12 and 9 respectively, the Raja resolved to spend the evening of his life in pilgrimage and went to Hardwâr. On his way back he fell sick and died, his queen succumbing to her grief, at his loss, three days later. Sri Gul proceeded to Hardwar to perform his father's funeral rites, and crossed the Chûri Dhar, the lofty ranges of which made a great impression on his mind, so much so that he resolved to make over his kingdom to his younger brother and take up his abode on the peak. On his return journey he found a man worshipping on the hill, and learnt from him that Siva, whose dwelling it was, had directed him to do so. Hearing this, Sri Gul begged Chuhra, for this was the name of Siva's devotee, to wait his return, as he too intended to live there. He then went to Shadgâ and would have made over his kingdom to Chandeshwar, but for the remonstrances of his minister, who advised him to only give bis brother Nahula village, i, e., only a part of his kingdom and not the whole, because if he did so his subjects would certainly revolt. To this Sri Gul assented, making Dêvi Râm regent of Shadgå during his own absence.
Sri Gul then set out for Dehli, where he arrived and put up at a Bhâbra's shop. The city was then under Muhammadan rule, and once when Sri Gul went to bathe in the Jamnâ, a butcher passed by driving a cow to slaughter. Sri Gul remonstrated with the man but in vain, and so he cut him in two. The emperor sent to arrest him, but Sri Gul killed all the soldiers sent to take him, and at length the emperor himself went to see a man of such daring. When the emperor saw him he
16 The Bhakard of the Sirmor version. Sbadgå and Shayê would appear to be one and the same place. 11 The Chandesar of the Sirmur variant.
