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10
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
ing his hosts or hostesses to perform certain mind, and well-to-do people give in alms as ceremonial gestures. On
es On the last of the much as they can afford of all kinds of
the last of the number of days which the devotee has
grain. decided to observe, the vrat is celebrated The Chaturmäs-vrat, very common in and Brahmans are feasted. This celebration Kathiawar, is a favourite one with Hindus. of the vrat is known as vratu javavun.1
The devotee, in performing this vrat, abThe special occasions for Sun-worship
stains from food on those days during the monare the Sankranti days and the solar soons on which, owing to cloudy weather, eclipses.
the sun is not visible. Even if the sun is In cach year there are twelve Sankranti concealed by the clouds for days together, days on which the sun moves from one sign
the devout votary keeps fasting till he sces of the zodiac to another. Sun-worship is
the deity again. performed on all these Sankrantis, but 1 Barren women, women whose children die, Makara-Sankranti, which falls on the 12th or and especially those who lose their male 13th of January, is considered the most im. children, women whose husbands suffer from portant." The uttarāyana-parvan falls on this disenses caused by heat, lepers, and persons day, i, e., the sun now crosses to his north- suffering from ophthalmic ailments observe ern course from his southern, and the time the vow of the sun in the following manner. of that Parvan is considered so holy that a
The vows are kept on Sundaysand Amavasyā person dying then directly attains salvation." days, and the number of such days is deterOn this day, many Hindus go on a pilgrim
mined by the devotee in accordance with the age to holy places, offer prayers and sacri
behests of a learned Brahman. The woman fices to the sun, and give alms to Brahmans observes a fast on such days, bathes herself in the shape of sesamum seeds, gold, gar
at noon when the sun reaches the zenith, and ments and cows. Much secret, as well as
dresses herself in clean garments. Facing open, charity is dispensed,5 grass and the sun, she dips twelve red karan flowers in cotton-seeds are given to cows, and lapsi* red or white sandal ointment and recites the and loaves to dogs. Sweet balls of twelve names of Surya as she presents one Sesamum secds and molasses are eaten as a flower after another to the sun with a bow.t prasid and given to Brahmans, and dainties On each day of the vrat, she takes food sucli as lāpsi are partaken of by Hindu house- only once, in the shape of lāpsi, in bajas of holds, in company with a Brahman or two, khākhara or palish leaves ; white food in the who are given dakshina after the meals.c form of rice, or rice cooked in milk is some
On solar eclipse days, most of the Hindu times allowed. She keeps a ghi-lamp burn. sects bathe and offer prayers to God. Dur- ing day and night, offers frankincense, and ing the celipse the sun is believed to be sleeps a night on a bed made on the floor 10. combating with the demon Rahu, prayers be- People who are declared by the Brahmans ing offered for the sun's success. When the to be under the evil influence (dasha) of sin luns freed himself from the grasp of Surya, observe vows in the sun's honour and the demon and sheds his full lustre on the go through the prescribed rites on Sundays. enrtlı, the people take ceremonial baths, Such persons take special kinds of food offer prayers to God with a concentrated and engnge the services of priests to recite
1 Mr. K. D. Desai, Mr. G, K. Bhatt, Schoolmaster, Songadh. Mr. N. J. Bhatt, Moti-Durad. • Mr. Ranchbodji Becher Tandya, Shastri, Jelpur, Sanskrit Pathashala Mr. M. M. Rana, Rajkot. • Wheat flour fried in ghi with molasses. Mr. K. D. Desai.
Mr. M. M, Rana, Rajkot. • Mr. K. D. Desai.
Mr. N. D. Vora, Schoolmaster, Rajpara. † The names are: 1 Aditya, 2 Divakar, 3 Bhaskar, 4 Prabhakar, 5 Sahasranshu, 6 Trilochan, 7 Hari
tāshva, 8 Vibhivasu, 9 Diyakrit, 10 Divadarshatmaka, 11 Trimurti, 12 Sürya. Mr. N. D. Vora, Rajpara,
