________________
FOLKLORE OF THE KONKAN
73
Vad or the Banian tree-A prince named tree sacred to god Ganpati, the son of Shiva, Satyawán died of snakebite under the Vad are considered to be holy by the Hindus. tree. His wife named Sávitri, who was very A common custom among Hindus is for a chaste and dutiful, requested Yama, the god of person who has lost his two wives and wishes death, and succeeded in securing from him the to marry a third, to be first married to a Rui life of her husband Satyawán. As the prince
plant, and then to the actual bride. His marriSatyawán returned from the jaws of death
age with the Rui plant is considered as a third under the Vad tree, this tree was specially
marriage. After the marriage, the Rui plant worshipped by her, and it is therefore believed
is cut down and buried, and thus the marriage that Sávitri has ever since then been responsi
with the third bride is considered to be a fourth ble for the practice of worshipping the Vad
marriage. The marriage with the Rui plant tree by women for the purpose of securing a
has been adopted in the belief that the third long life to their husbands. It is also believed
wife is sure to die unless the spirit of the that the god Vishnu takes shelter under the
deceased is made to enter the Rui plant. Vad at the time of the general destruction of
When a girl is born under the influence of the world. The worship of this tree is
inauspicious planets which may be harmful to similar to that of the other deities, and women
her husband, she is first married to a tree or take turns around it at the close of the worship
an earthen pot, and then to the bridegroom. or puja.
The marriage with the earthen pot is called The Tulsi plant is worshipped daily by the Kumbhaviváha, or the pot-wedding. It is Hindus in general, and women in particular, by believed that, by observing this practice, the keeping the plant near their houses. The god danger to her husband is avoided. The danger Vishna is worshipped particularly by the leaf
passes to the tree to which she is first married, of this plant. The Tulsi plant is considered
Among the lower classes in the Thána Disby the people to represent the goddess Luxmi,
tricts a poor man unable to marry owing to his the wife of Vishnu. Hindu women will not
poverty is first married to a Rui plant and take their meals before worshipping the Tulsi
then to a widow. This marriage with a widow plant daily in the morning. It is also said that
is called pát lávane. This remarriage of a the god Vishno, in his eighth incarnation called
widow among the lower classes is generally Krishma, bad loved Vrunda, the wife of a
performed at night, and under an old mango tree. demon. After her death she was burnt, but
It is never performed in the house. A widow op' ber burning ground there grew the Tulsi
who has remarried cannot take part in any plant. As Krishna loved Vrunda very dearly,
auspicious ceremony such as a marriage, etc.8 he began to love this plant also, and hence the image of Bál Krishna, or the god Vishnu,
At Vankavli in the Ratnagiri District there is married to this plant every year on the 12th
is a custom among the low class Hindus of a
woman who has lost her second husband and day of the bright half of Kártik (November).3
wishes to marry for the third time, first As it is also believed that the god Vishnu
marrying a cock, i.e., she takes the cock in her resides in the Tulsi plant, the worship. of this arms at the time of her marriage with the third plant is equivalent to the worship of the god husband. Vishnu.
Persons who have no children make a vow to Besides the above mentioned trees, the Palus Khandoba at Jejuri that the firstborn, male or (Butea frondosa), the Bel, a tree sacred to god female, sball be offered to him. The females, Shiva, and the Shami (Prosopis spicigera), a offered in fulfilment of such vows are called
Ráo Saheb Shelke, Kolbápur.
2 School Master, Mitbáv, Ratnagiri. 3 School Master, Dahánu, Thána.
4 School Master, Ubbádánda, Ratnagiri. 5 School Master, Devgad, Ratnagiri.
& School Master, Mitbáv, Ratnagiri. ? Schrol Master, Khopoli, Kolába.
& School Master, Edwan, Thána. 9 School Mastec, Vankavli, Ratnagiri.
