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THE FOLKLORE OF GUJARAT
Every Jain devotee, while visiting the images of his gods, draws a Sathia (Swastika)' before them and places a valuable object over it. The sign is held so sacred that a Jain woman has it embroidered on the reticule or kothali in which she carries rice to holy places.*
the
I am the very light of the sun and the moon,' observes Lord Krishna in his dialogue with Arjuna, and the moon also receives divine honours like the sun. Moon-worship secures wealth, augments progeny, and betters the condition of milch-cattle. The suitable days for such worship are second and the fourth days of the bright half of every month (Dwitiya or Bij and Chaturthi or Choth, respectively) and full-moon every day (Purnima or . Punema). On either of these days. the devotees of Chandra (the moon) fast for the whole of the day and take their food only after the moon has risen and after they have seen and worshipped her. Some dainty dish such as kansart, or plantains and purist, is specially cooked for the
occasion.
A sight of the moon on the second day of the bright half of every month is considered auspicious. After seeing the moon on this day some people also look at silver and gold coins for luck, The belief in the value of this practice is so strong that, immediately after seeing the moon, people refrain from beholding any other object. Their idea is that silver, which looks as bright as the
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moon, will be obtained in abundance if they look at a silver piece immediately after seeing the moon, Moon worship on this day is also supposed to guarantee the safety of persons at sea. In the south, milk and sugar is offered to the moon after the usual worship, and learned Brahmans are invited to partake of it. What remains after satisfying the Brahmans is divided among the community." On this day, those who keep cattle do not churn whey nor curd milk nor sell it, but consume the whole supply in feasts to friends and neighbours. The Ahirs and Rabaris especially are very particular about the use of milk in feasts only: for they believe that their cattle thereby preserved in good condition,"
are
The fourth day of the dark half of every month is the day for the observance of the chaturthi-vrat (or choth-vrat). This vrat is observed in honour of the god Ganpati and by men only. The devotees fast on this day, bathe at night after seeing the moon, light a ghi lamp, and offer prayers to the moon. They also recite a path containing verses in honour of Ganpati, and, after worshipping that god, take their food consisting of some specially prepared dish. This vrat is said to fulfil the dreams of the devotees.10
The day for the chaturthi-vrat in the month of Bhadrapad (the 11th month of the Gujarati Hindus) is the fourth day of the bright half instead of the fourth day of the dark half11, and on this day (Ganesh
1 Mr. Girijashankar Karunashankar, Songadh.
*The Swastika is found at Pompeii and in the Greek 'key' pattern. It is also found on Persian and Assyrian coins and in the Catacombs at Rome. It is to be seen on the tomb of the Duke of Clarence, who was drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine, at Tewkesbury, and occurs in Winchester Cathedral, where it is described as the fyle-foot.-R, E, E.
2 Mr. D. K. Pandya, Schoolmaster, Dhhank, Compare a similar idea in the Kuran in the chapter An Nur (the Lights): "Allah is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth. The semblance of his light is the nyche wherein there is a light."-K. B, Fazlullah.
3 Mr. J. A. Jani, Schoolmaster, Aman.
Mr. N. D. Vora, Schoolmaster, Rajpara; and Mr. B. K. Dave, Schoolmaster, Kotda-Sangani,
Kansar is coarse wheat flour sweetened with molasses and cooked in water until the whole quantity of water is absorbed and taken with ghi.
Paris are cakes of fine wheat flour, fried in ghi.
Mr. K. D. Desai,
The Schoolmaster, Rajpara,
10 Mr. K. P. Joshi, Limbdi, and B. K. Dave, Kotda-Sangani,
Mr. D. K. Pandya, Dhbank.
Mr. D. K. Pandya, Dhhank,
Mr. K. P. Joshi, Limbdi.
11 Mr. G. K. Bhatt, Songadh.
