Indian Antiquary Vol 46

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

Page 366

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
Chaturthi") the moon is not worshipped. The very sight of her is regarded as ominous, and is purposely avoided. The story is that once upon a time the gods went out for a rida in their respective conveyances. It so happened that the god Ganpati fell off his usual charger, the rat, and this awkward mishap drew a smile from Chandra (the moon). Ganpati, not relishing the joke, became angry and cursed Chandra saying that no mortal would care to see his faca on that day (which happened to be the fourth day of the bright half of Bhadrapad). If any one happens to see the moon even unwittingly on this day, he may expect trouble very soon. There is one way, however, out of the difficulty, and that is to throw stones on the houses of neighbours. When the neighbours utter abuse in return, the abuse atones for the sin of having looked at the moon on the forbidden night. The day is therefore called in Gujarat) Dagad-choth, i, e., the Choth of stones,3
On the fourth day of the dark half of Phālgun (the 5th month of Gujarati Hindus) some villagers fast for the whole of the day and remain standing from sunset till the moon rises. They break their fast after seeing the moon. The day is, therefore, called ubki (i.e., standing) choth.
Virgins sometimes observe a vow on PoshiPunema or the full-moon day of Pausha (the 3rd month of the Gujarati Hindus). On this day a virgin prepares her evening meal with her own hands on the upper terrace of her house. She then bores a hole through the centre of a loaf, and observes
the moon through it, repeating while doing so a verset which means : 0 Poshi-Punemadi, khichadi (rice and pulse mixed together) is cooked on the terrace, and the sister of the brother takes her meal. The meal usually consists either of rice and milk or of rice cooked in milk and sweetened with sugar, or of kansār. She has to ask the permission of her brother or brothers before she may take her food, and if the brother refuses his permission, she has to fast for the whole of the day. The whole ceremony is believed to prolong the lives of her brothers and her future husband. The moon is also worshipped at the time of griha. shanti, i, e., the ceremonies performed before inhabiting a newly-built house.
If the moon is unfavourable to a man born under a particular constellation, on account of his occupying either the 6th, the 8th or the 12th square in a kundalit (see below)
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prayers are offered to the moon; and if the occasion is a marriage, a bell-metal dish, full of rice, is presented to Brahmans.
All observers of the Chaturthi-urat worship the god Ganpati on this day, and offer him one thousand trifoliate sprouts of durva (cynodon dactylon). The dish specially prepared for the occasion is Golang. lädu-sweet-balls of wheat flour fried in ybi andmixed with molasses.-Mr. N. M. Dave, Sinka. 1 Mr. N. M. Dave, Sankā.
The Deputy Educational Inspector, Gohelwad, * Mr. K. D. Desai.
The Schoolmaster, Vanod, The original isPoshi Poshi Punemadi, Āgáshe rāndhi khichadi,
jame bhāini benädi. • The Schoolmaster, Kotda-Sangani and The Schoolmaster, Jodia. • Mr. R. B. Pandya, Jetpur Sanskrit School, Mr. L. D. Mebta, Schoolmaster, Mota Devalia.
A Kundali is an astrological diagram of the position of planets at any particular time. The numbers in the diagram change their positions according to the position of planets at any giver time.-Mr. D. Desai.
* Mr. Chhaganlal Motira, Wala Taluka,