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THE FOLKLORE OF GUJARAT
17
Every Jain devotee, while visiting the moon, will be obtained in abundance if they images of his gods, draws a Sathia (Swastika) look at a silver piece immediately after seeing before them and places a valuable object over the moon. Moon worship on this day is also it. The sign is held so sacred that a Jain supposed to guarantee the safety of persons woman has it embroidered on the reticule at sea. In the south, milk and sugar is offered or kothali in which she carries rice to holy to the moon after the usual worship, and places. *
learned Brahmans are invited to partake of I am the very light of the sun and the it. What remains after satisfying the moon,'observes Lord Krishna in his dialogue Brahmans is divided among the community." with Arjuna", and the moon also receives On this day, those who keep cattle do not divine honours like the sun. Moon-worship churn whey nor curd milk nor sell it, but secures wealth, augments progeny, and consume the whole supply in feasts to betters the condition of milch-cattle. The friends and neighbours. The Ahirs and suitable days for such worship are the Rabaris especially, are very particular about second and the fourth days of the bright the usc of milk in feasts only: for they half of every month (Dwitiya or Bij and believe that their cattle are thereby Chaturthi or Choth, respectively) and preserved in good condition. every full-moon day (Purnima or The fourth day of the dark half of every Punema). On either of these days the month is the day for the observance of the devotees of Chandra (the moon) fast for chaturthi-vrat (or choth-vrat). This vrat is the whole of the day and take their food observed in honour of the god Ganpati and only after the moon has risen and after by men only. The devotees fast on this they have seen and worshipped her. Some day, bathe at night after seeing the moon, dainty dish such as kansārt, or plantains light a ghi lamp, and offer prayers to the and purist, is specially cooked for the moon. They also recite a path containing occasion.
verses in honour of Ganpati, and, after A sight of the moon on the second day of worshipping that god, take their food conthe bright half of cvery month is considered sisting of some specially prepared dish. auspicious. After seeing the moon on this This vrat is said to fulfil the dreams of the day some people also look at silver and gold coins for luck, The belief in the value of The day for the chaturthi-vrat in the this practice is so strong that, immediately month of Bhadrapad (the 11th month of the after seeing the moon, people refrain from Gujarati Hindus) is the fourth day of the beholding any other object. Their idea is bright half instead of the fourth day of that silver, which looks as bright as the the dark halfil, and on this day (Ganesh
1 Mr. Girijashankar Karunashankar, Songadh.
•The Swastika is found at Pompeii and in the Greek 'key' pattern. It is also found on Persian and Assyrian coins and in the Catacombs at Rome. It is to be seen on the tomb of the Duke of Clarence, who was drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine, at Tewkesbury, and occurs in Winchester Cathedral, where it is described as the fyle-foot.-R, E. E.
Mr, D, K. Pandya, Schoolmaster, Dhbank. Compare a similar idea in the Kuran in the chapter An Nur (the Lights): "Allah is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth. The semblance of his light is the nyche wherein there is a light."-K. B. Fazlullah,
* Mr. J. A. Jani, Schoolmaster, Aman. • Mr. N. D. Vora, Schoolmaster, Rajpara ; and Mr. B. K. Dave, Schoolmaster, Kotda-Sangani.
Kansir is coarse wheat flour sweetened with molasses and cooked in water until the whole quantity cf. water is absorbed and taken with ghi. Puris are cakes of fine wheat flour, fried in ghi.
• Mi. D. K. Pandya, Dhbank. • Mr. K, D, Desai.
+ Mr, D, K. Pandya, Dhhank, • The Schoolmaster, Rajpara.
. Mr. K. P. Joahi, Limbdi. 10 Mr. K, P. Joshi, Limbdi, and B, K, Dave, Kotda-Sangapi, 11 Mr. G. K. Bhatt, Songadh,