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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
Hindus worship annually on the Dasara day the arms and all the instruments or implements by which they earn their livelihood. The corn sieve, the winnowing basket, the broom, the rice-pounder, the plough, the Awuta or wood bill, and other such implements are worshipped on this day. The agriculturists respect their winnowing fans and corn sieves, and do not touch them with their feet.
In the Kolhapur District all the instruments and implements are worshipped by the people one day previous to the Dasara holiday. This worship is called Khándepujan. They also worship all agricultural instruments, and tie to them leaves of Pipal and mango trees.1
A new winnowing fan is considered to be holy by the Hindus. It is filled with rice, fruits, cocoanuts and betelnuts, and a Khana-a piece of bodice cloth-is spread over it. It is then worshipped and given to a Bráhman lady in fulfilment of certain vows, or on the occasion of the worship of a Bráhman Dampatya or married pair.
The broom is considered to be holy by the Hindus. Red powder-Kunku-is applied to a new broom before it is taken into use. It should not be touched with the feet.
At Rewadanda, in the Kolába District, some people worship a wood-bill or Koyata on the 6th day from the birth of a child. The rice. pounder, or Musal, is worshipped by them as a devak at the time of thread and marriage
ceremonies.2
Fire is considered to be holy among the high class Hindus. It is considered as an angel that conveys the sacrificial offerings from this earth to the gods in heaven. It is considered as one of the Hindu deities, and worshipped daily by high class Hindus. A Bráhman has
1 Rao Saheb Shelke, Kolhapur.
3 School Master, Ibbrámpur, Ratnagiri.
to worship the fire every day in connection with the ceremony Vaishwadeva oblations of boiled rice and ghi given to the fire. It is also worshipped by the Hindus on special religious occasions.
Fire is worshipped at the time of Yadnas or Sacrifices. Sacrifices are of five kinds. They are
Devayadna, Bhutagades or Brahmayadna, Rishiyadna or Atithiyadna, Pitruyadna and Manushyayadna. The offerings of rice, ghi, firewood, Til or sesamum, Java or barley, etc, are made in these yadnas. It is also worshipped at the time of Shrávani or Upákarmathe ceremony of renewing the sacred thread annually in the month of Shrávan
Among the lower classes fire is worshipped on the Mahalaya or Shraddha day. They throw oblations of food into the fire on that day.
The fire produced by rubbing sticks of the Pipal or Shevari tree is considered sacred, and it is essentially necessary that the sacred fire required for the Agnihotra rites should be produced in the manner described above.
Agnihotra is a perpetual sacred fire preserved in Agnikunda, a hole in the ground for receiving and preserving consecrated fire. A Brahman, who has to accept the Agnihotra, has to preserve in his house the sacred fire day and night after his thread ceremony, and to worship it three times a day after taking his bath. When an Agnihotri dies, his body is burnt by the people who prepare fire by rubbing sticks of Pipal wood together.
There are some Bráhmans who keep the fire continuously burning in their houses only for Cháturmás or four months of the year. The fire which is preserved and worshipped for four months is called "Smárta Agni,"
School Master, Rewadanda, Kolába. 4 School Master, Adivare, Ratnagiri.
5 School Master, Anjur, Thána.
