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FOLKLORE OF THE KONKAN.
CHAPTER I.
NATURE POWERS.
THE worship of minor local deities is connected with such low castes as Guravas, Bhopis, Marátha Kunbis, Dhangars, Wághes, Murlis, Mahárs and Mángs in the District of Kolhápur. It is believed by the Bráhmans that once an image is consecrated and worshipped, it should be worshipped uninterruptedly every day, and he who neglects to worship such an image daily incurs the sin of Brahma-hatya or Bráhman-murder. For this reason Brahmans generally do not worship minor local deities. In former times Bráhmans who worshipped these deities were excommunicated by their caste-men. Such Pujáris were compelled to wear a folded dhotur or waist cloth, and were forbidden to put on the gandh or sandal paste mark in straight or cross lines. They were allowed to put on the tila or circular mark of sandal paste. Another reason why Brahmans are not the Pujáris or worshippers of such deities is that Bráhmans cannot accept or partake of the Naivedya offering of cooked food, fowls, etc., made to them. Lower class people can partake of such offerings, and are therefore generally the worshippers or ministrants of minor local deities.
At Palshet in the Ratnagiri District, there are two grámdevis, viz., Jholái and Mhárjái, and the pujáris of these deities are respectively a Gurav and a Mahár.1 The pujáris of goddesses are generally men of the lower castes. The guardian goddesses of the villages of Pule, Varavade, Nandivade, and Rila
1 School Master, Palshet, Ratnagiri, 3 School Master, Parule, Ratnagiri. School Master, Rájápur, Ratnagiri. School Master, Málád, Thána.
have Kunbis as their pujáris; while the pujáris of the goddesses Mahalakshmi, Bhagvati, Mahákáli, and Jogái are generally chosen from the Gurav caste.2 In the Konkan the Rauls (Shudras) are the pujáris of the deities Vithoba, Ravalnáth and Bhaváni; the Ghádis are the pujáris of the deities Sáteri and Khavaneshwar; while the deities Mahadev and Máruti are worshipped by pujáris belonging to the Gurav caste,.3 The goddesses Makhajan and Jakhmáta at Sangameshwar in the Ratnagiri District are worshipped by pujáris who belong to the Gurav and Bhoi castes respectively. The god Ganpati at Makhnele has for his pujári a Wáni. The pujáris of the temple of Shiva at Lánje in the Ratnagiri District are Wánis. It is said that the pujári of Pundárik at Pandharpur is a Kiráta (fisherman) by caste."
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The pujári of the goddess Narmáta at Sidgad in the Thána District is a Koli; whilst the pujáris of Kánoba, Khandoba, and Vetál are of the lower castes, The goddesses Mahalakshmi of Kolvan and Vajreshvari have their pujáris chosen from the lower castes, 7 The pujáris of Jari-Mari, Mhasoba, Bahiroba, Cheda and other deities which are said to prevent contagious diseases, are always men of the lower castes, 8
The pujáris of the guardian goddesses of the villages Petsai, Dasgaum and Nizampur are a Mahár, a Kumbhár or potter, and a Marátha, respectively. The pujári of the
2 School Master, Adiváre, Ratnagiri, 4 School Master, Makhnele, Ratnagiri. School Masters, Agáshi and Arnála, Thání, 8 School Master, Shahápur, Thána.
School Master, Dasgaum, Kolába.
