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1934
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(NOVEMBER, 1908.
Before the horse starts from the temple, a hole is dug under the chariot and a saucer made of kneaded flour, containing oil and burning wicks, together with cooked rice and cards, are placed in it. This is called balidan, and is supposed to be a substitute for a human victim. The horse is supposed to trample over it, and thas to secure his safe journey to the town.
No one knows why a horse was selected as Balaji's conveyance. My own idea is that it may be due to Devajt being a cavalry officer, in which case the horse would be a special object of esteem for him. His burname Chorghode seems to support this view. This was the name for the reserve horse in the Bhonslå army, the literal meaning being the thief or hidden horse.
from the Kanbi family was free of charge, but when that was discontinued the priest had to pay for the offerings he daily brought. The displeasure of the god was notified to all concerned, and it was ruled that if the Kunbi family should have no milch cows, they should purchase the offering and present it to the god, since the latter would not accept anything, except through tliem. On festival days no medium is, of course, required, and the god gladly accepts all offerings made to him, as they are much more valuable on such occasions than on ordinary days. In spite ot all the meuiul services extracted from these Kunbis, they are not allowed to enter the sanctum or to touch the idol, which their ancestor Bhikå daily washed and worshipped, except for one day in the year as a special grace. This day is Gokula Ashtami, the anniversary of the birthday of Krishna, which falls in the month of August, This privilege is, apparently, allowed to keep the family in good humour.
HIBA LAL.
The only other places where & similar horse ceremony is performed are Bell and Umror in the Nagpur District, and Girdar in Wardha, and they have been started in imitation of the Chimar ceremony. But the assemblage is not as great as at Chimur.
I witnessed the ceremony on the night of February 1908, when the spectators were close upon five thousand. The fair lasts for a fortnight, though the ceremonies are finished in four days, the last one being known as Gopal.kala, in which a pot of cards is broken, and the assembled people rush to get a little of it, as they believe that it secures prosperity in the coming year.
Among the privileges which Bhika Kunbi's family enjoys, are the cleaning and sweeping of the temple and its compound, which must be done by a female of that family and not by a servant appointed by it. It has been impressed on their minds that service by proxy is not acceptable to the god, nor does he relish any offering other than that obtained from that family. Once it so happened that the priest found a grain of cooked rice in the vurds supplied by this family. This was pollution; so he stopped taking the offering from them. In about a month he, however, discovered that the god was not satisfied with the offering he made; so he reverted to the old procedure, in spite of a possibility of the oblations being impure, as it was of no consequence when the god was so disposed. Of course, the supply
THE ANTARALLAS OF MALABAR. THOSE who are below the Brahmans and Kshattriyas and above the Sadras in caste status are designated Antarallas (Intermediate Castes). They may be broadly divided into three sub-groups, vix., the Nampidis, the Amba. lavasis, and Bsmanthas.
1. NAmpidis. - These are regicide Nambadris, whose ancestor assassinated a Perumal or Viceroy of Kerala, as desired by the Brahmans. They are, therefore, considered to have lost their social status as Brahmans, and are now classed along with the Antaralla castes. They wear the thread and repeat the Gayatri. The Nambodris officiate as their prients at marriage ceremonies, srddhas, and purification at the end of birth and death pollution, which lasts for ten days. The Nåmpidis follow the marumakkathayam (matriarcbal) law of inheritance. Their girls are married after paberty. The tali is tied by their own castemen. Nambudris or their own castemen may unite themselves in Sambantham (irregular marriage) with the women of this caste. Their women are called Manolpads.
1 Compare the Panjir prootice of human sacrifice which Mr. Cain has described as follows:-"In former years it was a cuatom amongst them, before starting out on a journey, to procure a little child and bury him in the ground up to his shoulders and then drive their loaded bullocks over the unfortunate victim, and in proportion to the bullocks thoroughly trampling the child to death, so their belief in the successful journey i creased: ante, Vol. VIII., p. 219.
