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THE FOLKLORE OF GUJARAT
As all seeds and vegetation receive their nourishment from solar and lunar rays, the latter are believed in the same way to help embryonic development,
The heat of the sun causes the trees and plants to give forth new sprouts, and therefore he is called 'Savita' or Producer.2 Solar and lunar rays are also believed to facilitate and expedite delivery. 3 The medical science of the Hindus declares the Amåväsya (newmoon day) and Purnima (full-moon day) days-on both of which days the influence of the sun and the moon is most powerful to be so critical for child-bearing women as to cause, at times, premature delivery. Hence, before delivery, women are made to take turns in the sunlight and also in moonlight, in order to invigorate the fætus, thus securing that their delivery may be easy. [The assistance rendered by solar rays in facilitating the delivery is said to impart a hot temperament to the child so born, and that by the lunar rays & cool one.]' After delivery, a woman shoʻuld glance at the sun with her hands clasped, and should offer rice and red flowers to him. Sitting in the sun after delivery is considered beneficial to women enfeebled by the effort". It is a cure for the paleness due to exhaustion and infuses new vigour,
The Bhils believe that the exposure of a new-born child to the sun confers upon the child immunity from injury by cold and heat, 10
Thu practice of making recently delivered women sit in the sun does not seem to be
widespread, nor does it prevail in Kathiawar, In Kathiawar, on the contrary, women are kept secluded from sunlight in a dark room at the time of child-birth, and are warmed by artificial means, 11 On the other hand, it is customary in many places to bring a woman into the sunlight after a certain period has elapsed since her delivery. The duration of this period varies from four days to a month and a quarter. Sometimes a woman is not allowed to see sunlight after child-birth until she presents the child to the sun with certain ceremonios, either on the fourth or the sixth day from the date of her delivery. 12
A ceremony called the Shashthi-Karma is performed on the sixth day after the birth of a child, and the Nāmkaran ceremony-the ceremony of giving a name-on the twelfth day. The mother of the child is sometimes not allowed to see the sun before the completion of these ceremonies. 13 Occasionally, on the eleventh day after child-birth, the mother is made to take a bath in the sun, 14
Exactly a month and a quarter from the date of delivery a woman is taken to a neighbouring stream to offer prayers to the sun and to fetch water thence in an earthen vessel. This ceremony is known as Zarmazaryan 15 Seven small betel-nuts are used in the ceremony. They are carried by the mother, and distributed by her to barred women, who believe that, by eating the nuts from her hand, they are likely to conceive 10
1 Mr. D. K. Pandya, Dhbank.
* Mr. N. M. Dave, Sanka. Mr. N. D. Vora, Rajpara.
• Mr. D. K. Pandya, Schoolmaster, Dhbank, • Mr. Jetbalal Anupram, Schoolmaster, Ainan. • Mr. R. B. Pandya, Jetpur Sanskrit School - Mr. D. K. Pandya, Schoolmaster, Dbbank.
• Mr. N. J. Bhatt, Moti-Murid . Mr. N. D. Vora, Rajpara,
10 Mr. D. K, Shah, Schoolmaster, Charadwa. 11 Mr. K. P. Joshi, Schoolmaster, Limbdi,
19 Mr. Nandal Kalidas, Schrootmaster, Chhatrás 15 Mr. Chbagan lal Motiram, Schoolmaster, Wala Talu. "The Deputy Educational Inspector, Gohalwad 15 Mr. B. K. Dave, Kotda-Sangani, and the Schoolmaster, Movaiyam. * Mr. K. D. Desai.
