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FOLKLORE OF THE KONKAN
61
or grains of rice are waved round the child At Ibhrámpur in the Ratnagiri District, it and thrown away. It is believed that, when is believed that a person whose eyes have black ointment is applied to the eyes, checks, come under the influence of evil stars or forehead of a child, there is no fear of its possesses the power of the evil eye. Ashes being affected by an evil eye. This also are taken on a mango leaf, and charmed depends on the position of the stars at the with the mantras or incantations for an evil birth of a child. If anybody sees a beautiful eye, and then they are applied to the forehead thing and praises it, there is a chance of its of the affected person. being affected by an evil eye. It is believed The people of Poladpnr in the Kolába District that children, animals, trees, and even wood believe the effects of an evil eye to be as and stones, are apt to be affected by an evil follows. A healthy child becomes sickly and eye. In order to avoid injury from an evil cries, a man may suffer from indigestion or loss eye, cocoanut shells or a shoe are tied on a of appetite, a cow or a she-buffalo yielding conspicuous part of a tree or a creeping plant, plenty of milk suddenly ceases to give miik black beads known as Vajrabuttu are tied or gives blood in place of it, a good image is round the necks of children, and cowries and disfigured or brokon, and even stones are shatblack beads are tied round the necks of animals. tered to pieces by the effects of an ovil eye. Even grown up persons are affected by an evil The following devices are used to ward eye. When a man is very ill or frequently be off such evil effects. A black mark is comes unconscious, cocoanuts, fowls and boiled made on the forehead of children. Black rice are waved round him and thrown away1 beads called Drustamani, and Vajrabuttu When the effects of an evil eye cannot be
are tied round their necks. Marking nuts removed by ordinary methods, the evil influence
and cowries tied with a black thread are is said to have entered through the bones, fastened round the necks of animals • Hádi drusta padali.' In order to remove it
little black spot is marked on an image. people bring the bone of an animal in the A worn out shoe or a sandal is tied to the evening, and after besmearing it with oil and
fruit-yielding trees. Salt and mustard seed turmeric powder, wash it in hot water. It
are waved thrice round the face of a child is dressed in a yellow cloth, and black and
repeating "Ishta mishta konyá pápinichi red ointments are applied to it. It is then
drushta" and thrown into the fire. Sotue waved round the affected person, and thrown
people roll a cotton thread round a curry away in some public place where three roads stone, wave it three times round the patient, meet, %
and then put it into the fire ; if the thread For evading the effects of an evil cye,
burns, tho evil eye is held to have been
removed. If the ovil eye be on the food, three salt, mustard seed, hair, garlic, dry leaves of onions, dry chillies, and seven small stones
morsels of food are first raised to the mouth, from the road are put on the fire. The fire
and then thrown into the fire. Sacred ashes
are applied to trees and creeping plants is then waved round the body of the affected
to remove the effects of an evil eye." . person and thrown away. Charmed black
The people of Khopoli in the Kolába cotton strings are turned over the burning
District believe that the evil eye can be incense and tied round the arm or the neck. diverted from living creatures only, and not Charmed ashes from the temples of certain
from inanimate things such as a stone or an deities are also applied to the forehead of earthen image, Sacred ashes are applied the affected person,
to the forehead of the suffering child by - School Master, Mitblv, Ratnagiri.
2 School Master, Anjarle, Ratnagirie : s School Master, Achare, Ratnagirl.
* School Master, Ibhrampur, Ratnagiri. 5.Sobool Master, Poladpur, Kolába.
