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THE FOLKLORE OF GUJARAT
The appearance of the moon and the fall on Wednesday, intense cold is said to be position of the horns of her crescent at the result. Their occurring on a Tuesday, particular times are carefully watched as threatens absence of rains, and on a Monday, omens of future events. Cultivators believe a Thursday or a Friday, foreshadows ex. that if the moon is visible on the second day cessive rainfall. of the bright half of Ashādh (the 9th month Thunder on Jeth-Sud-Bij, or the second of Gujarati Hindus), the sesamum crops day of the bright half of Jyeshtha, is a bad of that season will be abundant; but if the omen and threatens famine. moon be hidden from sight on that day, the The spots on the moon have given rise to weather will be cloudy during the whole of numerous beliefs, mythological as well as Ashūdh, and will prove unfavourable to ve. | funciful. One of them is that they are the getable growth. If the moon appears result of a curse, pronounced by the sage reddish on a Bij day (or the second day of Gautama on Chandra, Indra, the god of rain, the bright half of a month), and if the was infatuated with the charms of Alalya, northern horn of the crescent be high up, the wife of Gautama, and with the help prices in the market are believed to rise ; of Chandra laid a cunning plot to gain his if, on the other hand, it is low, it prognosti- ignoble object. Accordingly, one night, cates a fall in prices. If the two horns are Chandra set earlier than usual and Indra on a level, current prices will continue, assumed the form of a cock and crowed at
Similarly, the northern horn of the cres- midnight in order to dece ve Gautamı into cent, if it is high up on the Bij day of the belief that it was dawn, and therefore Ashādh, augurs abundant rainfall; if it is his time for going to the Ganges to perform low, it foreshadows a season of drought.2 his religions services. The trick was
If the moon presents a greenish aspect on successful, and the holy sage being thus the full-moon day of Ashādh, excessive rains got rid of, Indra assumed the form of may be expected in a few days; if on that Gautama himself and approached Ahalyā, day she rises quite clear and reddish, there who was surprised to see her lvusband (as is very little hope of good rains; if she is she thought) so quickly returned. The wily partly covered by clouds when she rises and god allayed her suspicions by explaining then gets clear of the clouds, and then again that it was not yet time for the morning disappears in the clouds in three ghadis, three ceremonies, and thus enjoyed the favours polors,* or three days, rain is sure to fall, due to her husband. Gautama, in the
If on the 5th day of the bright half of meanwhile, finding the water of the Ganges Chaitra, the moon appears to the west of the cool and placid, and discovering that it was Rohini constellation, the prices of cotton not yet dawn, returned to his hermitage. On are believed to rise; if to the east, they are
reaching home he detected the treachery of said to fall; and if in the same line, the Indra, who tried to escape in the disguise of current rates are believed to be likely to a tom-cat. The exasperated sage then continue.
cursed Indra, Chandra and his wife : Indra The Bij (2nd day) and the ninth day of to have a thousand sores on his person, Ashädh (the 9th month of the Gujaratis Ahalya to turn into a stone, and Chandra to and the 4th month of the Hindus of the have a stain on his fair face, Deccan) falling on a Sunday is a combina- Another mythological story is that Daksha tion that foretells excessive heat. If they | Prajāpati, the son of Brahma, gave all his
* Mr. N. M. Dave, Sankā.
· The Schoolmaster, Khāndhär. • Oae ghali is equal to 24 minutes and one pohor (prabara) lasts for three hours. * Mr. M. P. Sha's, Schoolmaster. Zinzuwada.
Mr. N. M. Dave, Sänkā. Mr. M, P. Shah, Schoolmaster, Zinzuwada.
. Mr. N. M, Dava, Siak, . 7 The Schoolmasters of Dhbank, Rajpara and Limbdi.
