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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(MAY, 1909.
2. Figures used on religious festivals in Gurgaon,
(a) Solono. On the Solono day a figure, called sond (Plate I, fig. 2.), is drawn in red on the housewall. It is said to represent the asterism Sravana, and is worshipped by placing sweetmeats before it, which are afterwards given to Brahmans.
(b) Nag Panchami. On the Nag Panchami, 5th of lanar Bhadon, the figure shown on Plate I, fig. 1, is drawn in black on the house-wall. It represents the snake god in his dwelling and is believed to prevent the house from being infested with snakes.
(0) Katik and Diwali In Gurgaon, Bảniâs and Brahmans draw the figare on Plate II, on the house-wall. It must be begun on the 4th and finished on the 8th of lunar Katik.
The first part (a) is called sign and represents Radhiki (Rådhå), spouse of Krishna. This is worshipped on the 8th of lunar Kâtik by placing sweetmeats before it.
The second part (6) represents the goddess Arcanashya and is worshipped at noon on the Diwall by placing before it rice and milk, which are afterwards given to Brahmans.
The third part (6) represents Lakshmi as the goddess of wealth, and is worshipped at midnight on the Diwall by placing money before it. An all-night vigil is kept on this occasion.
(a) Deo-uthan. On the Deo-uthân day in Katik when the gods awake from their sleep the figure in Plate III is drawn in the courtyard of the house and worshipped by placing before it fruit and vegetables in season. The women of the household call in a Brahmanî, and with her they sing songs and beat the mat with which the figures are covered, and then, it is believed, the gods are awakened from their sleep. The male representation to the right is of Narayan.
(0) Narayan. On Narayan's day white dots are made on the tops of the figures, in parallel rows on the house-wall; and figures of birds and animals, all in white dots, are also drawn.
(3) Figures of deotas. In Sirmûr a house is at once abandoned if the sign or image of a deota is painted on it, in the belief that it was thereby become sacred.
4. Weddings. Chariots, peafowl and many other objects are drawn on the house-walls at a wedding. In Gurgaon, in addition, a picture of the god Bindkik or Bindaik, 8 covered over with an earthen jar fastened to the wall, is drawn several days before the wedding of a male member of the family, and is worshipped daily to avert calamity.
5. The Debra. In Kangra, every house should possess a dehrd, upon which a ball of clay, made by an elderly woman of the family, is placed on the birth of a child. This ball is called Bhain or Atam Devi.
At the wedding of a boy or girl the enclosure of the dehra is plastered over with cowdung and the figure of the dehrd drawn anew with ground rice in red and yellow. See Plate I, fig. 1.
The enclosure in which the dehrá is drawn is decorated with pictures of Ganesh, Devi, Shib and Parbati adorned with flowers, and so are both sides the door. In the courtyard of the house a chariot is drawn with wheat flour on a portion of the yard plastered with cowdung.
• Sanskr. Vinnayaka or Vinn Ayika (P).
