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32
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
is first purified with cow-dung-plaster,1 For ten days after a death, the members of the deceased's household and his relatives sleep on beds spread on the bare ground.2 If the demise be very affecting, the nearest relatives sleep on the floor for periods which may extend to three months, six months, or even for a year, and sometimes the penance lasts for their whole lives.1
It is customary, among some sects, not to allow the sathara-i, e., the spot lately occupied by a corpse in the house-to be sună or unoccupied for a single night. Someone must sleep on the spot for twelve consecutive days from the date of demise.3
Pilgrims, after pilgrimage, abandon sensual pleasures, take their meals only once every day, and sleep on the floor.1 It is customary to sleep always on the ground while in holy places. Devotees, ascetics, sadhus, and their disciples sleep on the ground.2
The God Indra has twelve meghas or clouds under his control, and he directs each of them to pour out their waters wherever he likes. When in the least irritated in the execution of his orders, Indra's voice is heard in this world in thunder-claps which rise to a terrible pitch if the deity becomes downright angry. Thunder is also said to be the loud laughter of Indra when in a happy mood.*
Mr. M. M. Rana, Rajkot. Mr. Jairam Vasaram, Jodia,
Another belief is that during the rainy season, Indra plays gedi-dāndāt, and the strokes given to the gedi in the course of the game, produce what we call thunder; or, that the clouds are god's footballs, and thunder is produced by his foot striking them, while at play during the rainy season." Some believe thunder to be due to the loud sounds produced by various musical instruments which are played upon on the occasion of the marriage-ceremony of Indra. Accord ing to others, thunder is produced by the cannon of Indra ; or, as some again say, by the trumpetings of Airavat, the elephant of Indra; or, we hear thunder when Indra draws his bow and adjusts an arrow to the bow-string, in order to bring about the fall
of rain."
A further belief attributes thunder to the very rapid pace of the chariot of Bhagwan, 10 Some people, however, say that it is produced when Bhima (one of the five Pandavas) wields his prodigious club or bludgeon,11 In the opinion of others, Vidyut or Tanyatun, the offspring of Lamba, the daughter of Daksha, and the wife of Dharmaraj thunders in the rainy season,12 It is also suggested that the god of rains shakes the heavens and thus produces thunder.3 The shastras, it is said, declare that thunder is caused by the sounds of the dundubhi-or
2 Mr. D. K. Pandya, Dhhank. Mr. L. I. Joshi, Surela.
Mr. K. P. Joshi, Limbdi.
6 Mr. N. D. Vora, Rajpara, or of Bhagwan, according to Jairam Vasaram, Jodia.
Mr. N. M. Dave, Sankā,
Mr. N. D. Vora, Rajpara,
10 The Schoolmaster of Paolauvav.
The Shastri of Jetpur, Pathashala.
11 Mr. G, K. Dave, Sultanpur,
13 The Schoolmaster of Rajkot Girls' School.
Intending pilgrims sometimes impose such self-denials upon themselves, vowing abnegation from partcular articles of food or wear till they have performed their pilgrimage. Some renounce the use of ghi, some of milk, others of betel-leaf or nut, others swear not to wear a turban or a dupatta-till they are given the merit of a pilgrimage.-Khan Bahadur Fazlullah.
This game, much resembling the English boys' game of Tip cat, is also known as gilli-dända. The gedi or gilli is a small piece of wood, two or three inches in length, an inch or less in diameter and sometimes tapering at both ends. The danda is a small round stick, of the same thickness and a foot or more in length, by which the gedi is played. There are two sides to the game as in cricket, though not composed of a definite number of players. There are a number of ways in which the game can be played.-K. D. Desai.
