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Chaturthi) the moon is not worshipped. The very sight of her is regarded as ominous, and is purposely avoided,1 The story is that once upon a time the gods went out for a ride in their respective conveyances. It so happened that the god Ganpati fell off his usual charger, the rat, and this awkward mishap drew a smile from Chandra (the moon). Ganpati, not relishing the joke, became angry and cursed Chandra saying that no mortal would care to see his face on that day (which happened to be the fourth day of the bright half of Bhadrapad). If any one happens to see the moon unwittingly on this day, he may expect trouble very soon.2 There is one way, however, out of the difficulty, and that is to throw stones on the houses of neighbours. When the neighbours utter abuse in return, the abuse atones for the sin of having looked at the moon on the forbidden night. The day is therefore called (in Gujarat) Dagad-choth, i, e., the Choth of stones.
even
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
On the fourth day of the dark half of Phalgun (the 5th month of Gujarati Hindus) some villagers fast for the whole of the day and remain standing from sunset till the moon rises. They break their fast after seeing the moon, The day is, therefore, called ubhi (ie., standing) choth,
Virgins sometimes observe a vow on PoshiPunema or the full-moon day of Pausha (the 3rd month of the Gujarati Hindus). On this day a virgin prepares her evening meal with her own hands on the upper terrace of her house. She then bores a hole through the centre of a loaf, and observes
† The original is
Poshi Poshi Punemadi,
the moon through it, repeating while doing so a verset which means: O Poshi-Punemadi, khichadi (rice and pulse mixed together) is cooked on the terrace, and thre sister of the brother takes her meal. The meal usually consists either of rice and milk or of rice cooked in milk and sweetened with sugar, or of kansar. She has to ask the permission of her brother or brothers before she may take her food; and if the brother refuses his permission, she has to fast for the whole of the day. The whole ceremony is believed to prolong the lives of her brothers and her future husband. The moon is also worshipped at the time of grihashanti, i, e., the ceremonies performed before inhabiting a newly-built house."
If the moon is unfavourable to a man born under a particular constellation, on account of his occupying either the 6th, the 8th or the 12th square in a kundalit (see below)
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* All observers of the Chaturthi-vrat worship the god Ganpati on this day, and offer him one thousand trifoliate sprouts of durva (cynodon dactylon). The dish specially prepared for the occasion is Golanalädu-sweet-balls of wheat flour fried in ghi andmixed with molasses.-Mr. N. M. Dave, Sänkä,
Mr. N. M. Dave, Sänkä,
3 Mr. K. D. Desai,
prayers are offered to the moon; and if the occasion is a marriage, a bell-metal dish, full of rice, is presented to Brahmans,8
* The Deputy Educational Inspector, Gohelwad, The Schoolmaster, Vanod.
Agashe rändhi khichadi,
jame bhaini benādi.
The Schoolmaster, Kotda-Sangani and The Schoolmaster, Jodia,
Mr. R. B. Pandya, Jetpur Sanskrit School.
Mr. L. D. Mehta, Schoolmaster, Mota Devalia.
A Kundali is an astrological diagram of the position of planets at any particular time. The number in the diagram change their positions according to the position of planets at any given time.-Mr. D. Desai, Mr. Chhaganlal Motira, Wala Taluka,
