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46
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
There are two Pirs at Vijayadurg who are worshipped by the Hindus. The same practice prevails at Rájápur and Khárepátan,1
at Chank in the Karjat taluka of the Kolába District some Hindus worship Pirs. The members of the Ketkar family of Chauk are the Pujáris or ministrants of the Musalmán saint known as Báva Málangad, This shows that even Brahmans worship Musalmán saints,2
The tomb of Bavá Málangad situated in the Kolába District is worshipped first by a Brahman and then by Musalmáns. The Bráhman worshipper performs this task more for the pecuniary benefit which he derives from the worship than from faith in the divinity of
the Pir,3
At Poladpur in the Mahád taluka of the Kolába District there are no instances of Musalman saints being worshipped by Hindus, but persons wishing to have children make vows to Pirs, and children born by the favour of such Pirs are required to assume the robe of a Fakir during the Moharram festivities.*
The practice of worshipping such saints exists at Khopoli in the Kolába District. Persons in trouble, or desirous of getting children, make vows to the saint Imam Hussein, and when their desires are fulfilled they dress themselves as Fakirs and beg at certain places during the Moharram festivities. A certain Lakshman Gangádhar Joshi of Rewdanda in the Kolába District is the Mujáwar (priest or ministrant) of a Musalman saint Chánsewalli and he holds an Inám in connection with his office of Mujáwar of the saint's Darga,
At Akshi in the Kolába District there is a tomb of a Pir which is worshipped by lower class Hindus such as Kolis, Mális and Bhandáris,"
The Hindus of Bhuwan in the Murbád taluka of the Kolába District worship the Pir
1 School Master, Vijaydarg, Ratnagiri, 3 School Master, Chidhran, Kolába.
5 School Master, Khopoli, Kolába. 7 School Master, Akshi, Kolába. 9 School Master, Málád, Thána.
of the locality. It is said that the cultivators of the village once lost their cattle, and that a Fakir attributed the loss to the rage of the
Pir. Since that time they are careful to worship the saint, and the result is that there has been Malinda i. e. bread and jágri, to the Pir every no disease among their cattle. They ofer Thursday,8
The Hindu inhabitants of Málád in the Thána District sprinkle water over the roads by which the tabuts are to pass, and allow their children to pass beneath the tabuts. Some throw sweetmeat on the tábuts, and distribute the same to the poor.9
At Shirgaon in the Máhim taluka of the Thána District some Hindus make vows to the
local Pir and take part in the tábut procession. They pour water over the feet of the tabut bearers, and throw abir (black scented powder) to the fakirs Malinda, or Khichadi,10 and flowers on the tábuts. They also distribute
The Mujáwar (priest) of the saint Walli Amir Shaha of Shahápur in the Thána District is a Marátha by caste,11
In the Kolhapur District Pirs are held in great reverence by Hindus. They make vows to the Pirs in order to get a son, and when their object is fulfilled they offer a preparation of Til (sesainum) and sugar called Rewadi, and other sweets called Chonge, Malinda and Pedhe at the time of Moharram. They also give Fakiri to their sons in the tábut season. Some of them even bring a tábut and Nál sáheb to their houses, and spend much money on them for illuminations, etc. They dance from one Nálpir to the other saying that the Nalpir has entered their bodies. While going through the streets they cry out very loudly the words 'Yalli Dhulla'. The holiday of the Moharram is obsereved for ten days. On the tenth day the tábuts and the Nálpirs are taken
2 School Master, Chauk, Kolába. 4 School Master, Poladpur, Kolába. School Master, Chowl, Kolába. School Master; Bhuwan, Thána. 10 School Master, Shirgaon, Thána.
11 School Master, Shirosi, Thána.
