________________
2
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
Navaratra holidays when, if no humanshaped image is set up, a trishul at least is drawn in red-lead and oil,1 Some of these evil deities require, at the time of their installation, the balidan (sacrifice or oblation) of a goat or a he-buffalo. Also, when a spirit is to be exorcised, the symbol of the familiar spirit of the exorcist is set up and invoked by him. After the installation, no systematic form of worship is followed in connection with them.2 Regular forms are prescribed for the real gods of the Puranas. But upon these the low-caste people are not authorised to attend.
Still, in practice there are two forms of worship ordinary or sämanya-pūjā and special or vishesha-pujā,3 Ordinary worship is performed by bathing the deity-which can be done by sprinkling a few drops of water over it-burning a ghi, or an oil, lamp before it, and by offering a cocoanut and a pice or a half-anna piece. The last is taken away by the bhuva, or priest, who returns generally half or three-quarters of the cocoanut as a prasad of the god.
There are no particular days prescribed for such worship, but Sundays and Tuesdays would seem to be the most favoured. On such days, offerings are made for the fulfilment of a vow recorded in order to avoid a badha, or impending evil. In the observance of this vow the devotee abstains from certain things, such as ghi, butter, milk, rice, juvar, betelnut till the period of the vow expires. When a vow is thus discharged, the devotee offers flowers, garlands, incense, food or drink according to the terms of his vow. The dhupa, ie., burning incense of gugal (balsamodendron) is one of the commonest methods of worship.
The days for special worship are the Navaratra holidays, the second day of the bright half of Ashadh, the ninth month of the Hindu Calendar, Divasa" or the fifteenth day of the dark half of Ashadh, and Kali-chaudas or the fourteenth day of the dark half of Ashvin, the last month; besides other extraordinary occasions when a spirit has to be exorcised out of a sick persen.
The Navaratra days are said to be the most auspicious days for devi-worship. People believing in the power of the mātās observe fast on these days. Most of them at least fast on the eighth day of the Navaratra known as Mātā-ashtami, taking only a light meal which consists of roots, as a rule, especially the suran (Amorphophallus campa nulatus), and of dates and milk. On the Navaratra days red-lead and oil are applied to the images of the devis, and a number of oblations, such as loaves, cooked rice, lāpsit, vadānt and baklā§ are offered. The utmost ceremonial cleanliness is observed in the preparation of these viands. The corn is sifted, cleaned, ground or pounded, cooked, treated with frankincense, offered to the gods and lastly partaken of before sunset, and all these operations must be performed on the same day; for the offerings must not see lamplight.10 Girls are not allowed to partake of these offerings. All ceremonies should be conducted with much earnestness and reverence; otherwise the offerings will fail to prove acceptable to the matās or devis.10
On Mätä-ashtami and Kali-chaudas devotees sometimes offer rams, goats or buffaloes as victims to the devis or devas in addition to the usual offerings of lapsi, vadan and bāklā 10 The night of Kali-chaudas is believed to be so favourable for the efficacious
*The first nine days of Ashvin, the last month of the Gujarat Hindu Calendar, known otherwise as Mātinā dahada-mata's days. The influence of the matas is very strong in these days.
Mr. M. D. Vayas, Shastri, Bhayavadur. Mr. K. D. Desai,
Mr. B. K. Dave, Schoolmaster, Kotda-Sangani. Mr. K. D. Desai,
Mr. K. D. Desai.
The Deputy Educational Inspector, Gohelwad,
Mr. N. D. Vora, Schoolmaster, Rajpara,
7 Mr. N. D. Vora, Schoolmaster, Rajpara.
† Lapsi is coarse wheat-flour fried in ghi and sweetened with molasses or sugar.
Vadan-bean flour-generally of gram or peas-is allowed to remain in water with spices until the paste. cquires a sufficeint degree of consistence, when it is rolled into small biscuit-sized balls and fried in oil. $ Bakla are small round flat cakes of dry boiled beans. Mr N, D. Vora, Schoolmaster, Rajpara.
10 Mr.N. M. Dave, Schoolmaster. Sänkā.
