Indian Antiquary Vol 46

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 358

10
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
ing his hosts or hostesses to perform certain ceremonial gestures. On the last of the number of days which the devotee has decided to observe, the vrat is celebrated and Brahmans are feasted. This celebration of the vrat is known as vratujavavun,1
The special occasions for Sun-worship are the Sankranti days and the solar eclipses.
In each year there are twelve Sankranti days on which the sun moves from one sign of the zodiac to another. Sun-worship is performed on all these Sankrantis, but Makara-Sankranti, which falls on the 12th oi 13th of January, is considered the most im. porrant,2 The uttarayana-parvan falls on this day, i. e., the sun now crosses to his north ern course from his southern, and the time of that Parvan is considered so holy that a person dying then directly attains salvation,3 On this day, many Hindus go on a pilgrim. age to holy places, offer prayers and sacrifices to the sun, and give alms to Brahmans in the shape of sesamum. seeds, gold, garments and cows.4 Much secret, as well as open, charity is dispensed grass and cotton-seeds are given to cows, and lapsi* and loaves to dogs. Sweet balls of sesamum seeds and molasses are eaten as a prasad and given to Brahmans, and dainties such as lapsi are partaken of by Hindu households, in company with a Brahman or two, who are given dakshina after the meals,"
5
On solar eclipse days, most of the Hindu. sects bathe and offer prayers to God. During the eclipse the sun is believed to be combating with the demon Rahu, prayers being offered for the sun's success. When the sun has freed himself from the grasp of the demon and sheds his full lustre on the earth, the people take ceremonial baths, offer prayers to God with a concentrated
mind, and well-to-do people give in alms as much as they can afford of all kinds of grain'.
The Châturmas-vrat, very common in Kathiawar, is a favourite one with Hindus. The devotee. in performing this vrat, ab stains from food on those days during the mon. soons on which, owing to cloudy weather, the sun is not visible. Even if the sun is concealed by the clouds for days together, the devout votary keeps fasting till he sees the deity agains.
Barren women, women whose children die, and especially those who lose their male children, women whose husbands suffer from diseases caused by heat, lepers, and persons suffering from ophthalmic ailments observe the vow of the sun in the following manner. The vows are kept on Sundaysand Amäväsyä days, and the number of such days is determined by the devotee in accordance with the behests of a learned Brahman, The woman observes a fast on such days, bathes herself at noon when the sun reaches the zenith, and dresses herself in clean garments. Facing the sun, she dips twelve red karan flowers in red or white sandal ointment and recites the twelve names of Surya as she presents one flower after another to the sun with a bow.t On each day of the vrat, she takes food only once, in the shape of lapsi, in bajas of khakhara or palash leaves; white food in the form of rice, or rice cooked in milk is sometimes allowed. She keeps a ghi-lamp burning day and night, offers frankincense, and sleeps at night on a bed made on the floor 10
People who are declared by the Brahmans to be under the evil influence (dasha) of Sürya, observe vows in the sun's honour and go through the prescribed rites on Sundays Such persons take special kinds of food and engage the services of priests to recite
Mr. K. D. Desai,
Mr. G. K. Bhatt, Schoolmaster, Songadh. Mr. Ranchhodji Becher Pandya, Shastri, Jelpur, Sanskrit Päthashālā
• Wheat flour fried in ghi with molasses.
Mr, K. D. Desai,
Mr. N. D. Vora, Schoolmaster, Rajpara.
3 Mr. N. J. Bhatt, Moti-Murad, Mr. M. M. Rana, Rajkot. Mr. M. M. Rana, Rajkot.
Mr. K. D. Desai.
The names are: 1 Aditya, 2 Diväkar, 3 Bhääkar, 4 Prabhakar, 5 Sahasranshu, 6 Trilochan, 7 Hari
tashva, 8 Vibhavasu, 9 Diväkrit, 10 Divadarshätmaka. 11 Trimurti, 12 Surya.
Mr. N. D. Vora, Rajpara,