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52
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
speak. 1
The leaves are pounded and put under the it is said that the cow which is given to a Bráhpatient's nose. In a few minutes, the person man while performing the funeral rites of a who is possessed by the spirit begins to dead person helps him to reach heaven. He gets
there by catching hold of her tail. There are The people of Chauk in the Kolába District three paths to the other world. They are believe that the main function of a Bhut is to Bhaktimárga, Karmamárga, and Yogamárga. frighten people, to beat them, and to make them The Karmamárga is believed to be superior to perform unpleasant tasks and thereby to obtain all.8 At Málád, a belief prevails that the path food from them. At Poládpur it is believed to the other world is through the Himalayas. that if a person is able to bring a Bhut under While going through the mountains of the his control he can make it do every kind of Himalayas, souls find happiness or sorrow work for himself. The people of Abshi believe according to their actions in life-time. The that kindling fire without any reason and people also believe that the soul returns every throwing stones at certain houses are the main month on the date of the man's death to accept functions of Bhuts. At Vávashi in the Pen Kágvás i, e, cooked food given to the manes, táluka, it is believed that Bhuts, while walking, and reaches heaven at the end of one year. never touch the earth but always move through
At Dahigaum in the Murbád taluka, it is the air, and that they have no shadow. The
customary among the Hindus to smear with old men of Shirgaum in the Máhim taluka
cow dung the place fron, which a dead body has advise young children not to respond to the call
been removed to the burning ground. The of any body at night unless the person calling
place is then covered with rice flour, and is is an acquaintance. For such calls are some
hidden under a basket, an oil-lamp being kept, times those of an evil spirit.
burning near by. The persons who accompany In the Kulhápur District, it is believed that the corpse return home to look at the lamp, and the character of a Bhut is like that of a humanit is believed that the soul of the deceased will being. When a person is attacked by a spirit, pass to any creature or species of which a great change is observed in his language and footprints are seen on the rice flour 10 actions. He begins to speak in the language
At Kolhapur it is believed that the soul of a of the Bhut by which he is attacked. If the person after death attains that state to which ghost is of the female sex, the person speaks the he aspires at the last moment before his death. language of females. It is believed that the Virtuous persons who die without any desire souls of those who have been murdered or tor- reach heaven and remain there in the form of tored assume the form of a spirit known as the stars, where they are believed to enjoy the Sambandh, and trouble the murderer or the happiness of heaven. Some of them are sent torturer, by entering his body. It is said that in to this world when they wish to return, Sinners some cases the spirit does not leave the body of are said to reach hell in consequence of their such a person till he dies, thus exacting revenge misdeeds, but some remain in this world in the for his past misdeeds. In Khopoli in Ratnagiri form of Bhuts, 11
1 School Master, Chawl, Kolába,
2 School Master, Cbauk, Kolába. 3 School Master, Poladpur, Kolába.
4 School Master, Aksbi, Kolába. 5 School Master, Vávashi, Kolába.
& School Master, Shirgaum, Thána. RooSÁheb Shelse, Kolkapur.
* School Master, Kbopoli, Kolába . School Master, Malád, Thána.
10 School Master, Dahigaon, Thána. 11 RAɔ Saheb Shelke, Kolhapur.
