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56
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
It resides at burial or cremation grounds. they favour any person, he enjoys health and Persons attacked by this spirit are taken to happiness for a period of twelve years. But Narsoba's Wádi or Gángápur, which are
after that period he is ruined. In addition to celebrated as shrines for the removal of the varieties of malignant spirits already desz
cribed, the following spirits are known at malignant spirits,
Shirgaon in the Máhim taluka of the Thána (14) Lársat is the ghost of a widow. It
District. They are-Hiriva, Wághoba, Ararás, generally resides in burial and burning
Gángud, Saitan and Chaitannadya. The spirit grounds, and attacks domestic animals and
known as Hirma requires the offerings of a their calves. It is also said to tear clothes and
bow and an arrow, bháng, bájri bread, and a eat corpses.
chatni of garlic. The Wághoba haunts jungles (15) Hadal or Hedali is the ghost of a and troubles domestic animals. Cocoanuts and woman who dies within ten days of childbirth lamps of ghi are offered to it. Asarás are the or during her menses. It is supposed to be deities that dwell in water. They inf'esc the an evil spirit, but it can be kept in check by the wells and ponds, and attack women and children use of a cane. It attacks all sorts of persons,
at noon time and in the evening. Red lead, but leaves them as soon as it is beaten.
caroanuts, flowers, parched rice (láhya) and This spirit is also known as Dákan in the
nádápudi are given to them.10
At Ibhrámpur in the Ratnagiri District it Kolhápur district.4 Satavi is the ghost of a
is said that the evil spirit Zoting goes about woman. It troubles women in childbirth, and
headless 11 kills their children on the 5th or 6th day after
The people of Medhe in the Rohe taluka their birth." Shakini is the ghost of an
believe that the spirit known as Girha, which unmarried girl. Talkhámba is the ghost of
resides in water, goes about headless, 12 an unmarried Shudra or a person from the low castes. The people of Vijayadrug believe
At Shirgaon in the Mahim taluka it is beliethat one wbo hates and troubles the Bráhmans
ved that the spirit Hirna goes about headless,
It troubles human beings and animals. The sea and speaks ill of their religious duties becomes
and the jungle are its places of abode. To a Brahma Sambandha after death.7 At Polád
avoid being troubled by it, bháng, cocoanuts, pur in the Kolába District the ghost Bápa is
fowls are given to it.13 represented by a stone painted with red lead
The people of Dahigaon in the Murbád and oil and placed at the boundary of a field
taluka believe that the Bhut known as Peesa It is the guardian of the field, and protects the
goes about headless 14 owners' interests. Offerings are made to it
Some evil spirits haunt trees such as the annually. If the annual offerings are neglect
Pipal, Bábhul and Adulsa. Some have their ed, it troubles the owner of the field. It also
haunts on a public road where three streets troubles others when disturbed. 8
meet, or in a dirty place, some haunt old The spirits known as Kálkáiche Bhut and houses, and the rest prefer to reside in Bahirobáche Bhut are not troublesome. When burial and burning grounds 15
School Master, Ubhádánda, Ratnagiri.
2 School Master, Chauk, Kolába, 3 School Master, Khopol, Kolába.
4 Rao Saheb Shelke, Kolhápur. 5 School Master, Chauk, Kolába,
& School Master, Basani, Ratnagiri, * School Master, Vijayadurg, Ratnagiri.
& School Master, Poladpur, Kolába. 9 School Master, Khopoli, Kolába,
10 School Master, Shirgaon, Tháng 11 School Master, Ibhrampur, Ratnagiri.
12 School Master, Medbe, Kotában 13 School Master, Shirgaon, Thána.
14 School Master, Dabigaon, bana 15 Ráo Sabeb Shelko, Kolhapur.
