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340
HE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1906.
Kali killi dödne, vóhdi chiriwaļi.
Pikri pihy singir, vóhţi chårewali.
Thy clothes are hung on the peg, wife of the
marriage bracelet. Thy jewels are placed on the stool, wife of the
marriage bracelet. In scanty dress, wife of the marriage bracelet. Thou hast gone outside, wife of the marriage
bracelet.
Salu bhíchhan járke, vohți chúrémáli. Tien gaiyon nikal bahar, tóhți chúre wili.
Parification Rites. After child-birth a woman is unclean for 21 days. In the period of menstruation she does not go to a well, and after it she washes her clothes and bathes.
After a funural all bathe who may have touebed the dead body or the grave. Many Chuhras reverence sanghar,.in order that sanghat or trouble may be averted.
Sanghar kd vart. - They have a special favour for Vaishon Devi. They put mehndi on girls' hands, and tie a maull, or cotton bracelet, round their wrists, feeding the girls also in the dêrt's name, that the children may be preserved.
Dévf då vart -On Thursday night they have darúd,praying for the dead. They pour water into a cup, and take bread in their bands. They eat a little, drink a little, and give the remainder to a child. They have no special days.
III. - RELIGION.
a. The Dedication of a Temple to BAIA Shah. I understand that the principal devis of the Hindus, e. g., Kaļi Devi, are low caste. This is especially noteworthy.
When a shrine is made to Bala, the Chuhsas nakea mound of earth in which they bury a gold knife, u silver knile, a corper knife, the head of a goat, and a cocoanut, all bound in 1 yards of red cloth. Having levelled the mound, or rather dressed it and made it neat and tidy, they raise on it a sort of aitar of mud, in wirich they make three niches for lamps. Having put oil in the lampe and lighted them they place them in the niches. Goat's flesti is cooked, of which part is eaten and part distributeu to the poor. A chela performs the sacrifice, after which they all eat together
The order of religious ceremony is as follows :- A basket (changérd) is placed near the mud altar, . which resembles a raised grave more than anything else, and in the basket there is cher , made of tour, butter and sugar. In front of the altar the chéla burns ghi with spices, such as camphor. He sprinkles the assembled company with lassí (butter milk or rather whey) for cooling purposes. Five pice ure out in the ght, which become the chéla's, as a fee. Silver or gold is put in a cup of water and the water is sprinkled on the people. This is chanda. The chela stands before the altar, the people standing behind him. He recitests :
The Dodieatory Litany. Bi Khudá, ti huda!
O God, O God! Xhuda kt bar razi.
God's great will be done. Hath ka diya ļalé bald.
May the gift of the band avert evil. Sab pe Khuda rahm rara.
May God have mercy on all. Ik Nám sach paun dhanë:
There is one true Name : Shah mahay Ball.
The great Shah Bala Téré dar kot nahi kama.
There is no want with thes. Pakilé jug ki vartya?
What did they use in the first age ? Sóné ká alan,
Standards of gold, Sóné ká pilan,
Cushion of gold, 17 Sangkar is the pod of the jand tree, which is use as a regelable by the roures classes, especially it tim of scarcity.
14 Dardd J&tia = obsequies. 2 with the passage which follows may be compared the variant in The Legends of the Panjab, III pp. 536, 540.
