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THE FOLKLORE OF GUJARAT
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tiends), of the fifty-two vetals, of yakshas means - Bow to the young Hanuman, the and yaksluinis and of all evil spirits in tormentor of ghata, the guardian of water, general, who nre believed to obey his the iron safe, the lock of vajra, the son of commands.1 Vows are observed in honour the gods and the demons. Take your seat of Hanuman if a persoa is possessed by a the receptacle of Mahadev, O stubborn god, bhat or a pret, or if he is scared by a jhapat O Nail of adamant.' After the repedition of (sudden encounter) with a devil, or if he the mantra, four nails are driven into the happens to step inadvertently within the four corners of the seat of the votary, and kundalar of an utár, Persons who are pos- it is believed that the sadhana is thus sessed by evil spirits are exorcised by the rendered sure of success." bhuvas by reciting the sancira mantra in The god Hanuman is sometimes worshiphonour of Hanuman.?
ped when a serious epidemie is to be warded Kāli-Chaudas, ie, the 17th day of dark off. The usual mode of propitiating him in half of Aslint is considered to be the most such cases, and also in exorcising spirits, is favourable day for practising the black art; to pour red lead and oil over his image, to and the god Hanuman is accordingly wor- make an offering of udad seeds (Phaseolus shipped with much ceremony by bh'u vas on radiatus) and molasses, and to invest the that day.1
intage with a wreath of one hundred and All bhuts, prets and spirits are thus eight flowers of ankadat or of as many believed to obey the cornmands of the god leaves or berries of the same plant. Hanuman. In the course of a sādhana (i, e. The influence of the god is believed to be the process of procuring the fulfilment of so powerful in some places that it is said certain desires through the favour and by that a bhut or a pishacha is at once exorcithe agency of spirits) the latter are con- sed from the body of a person who observes jured in the name of Hanuinan, so that the certain ceremonies there. In some places sādhana may not prove inefficacious. For the mere sight of the image of the god has this purpose the Hanuman raksha mantra is the same effect, and it is beliered that repeated one hundred and eight times before ghosts shriek and Ay from the bodies of the image of the god, the devotee remaining possessed persons, if these visit the images of standing all the time. A lamp of clarified Hanumān. In Kodolia, about half a mile to butter is also lighted, and frankincense is the west of Lilapur in Gujarat, there is a burnt. The mantra runs as follows:- Om temple of Hanuman where persons suffering namo Hanuman bālā ghatapidam, panikā from fever go on a Saturday, and take a meal rakhavāla, lohaki kothadi, bajarka talā, before 2 p. m. at which time the god goes deva-dänava-kumar, nikal Hanumān isan, out to graze his cows. This proceeding is Mahadev basan, Hanuman hathela, bajarkā, believed to work a cure in cases of fever khilā.' It is neither pure Sanskrit, nor and is called anagak. A mere glance at Gujarāti, nor Hindustani, but roughly it the temple of Hanuman at Khandia and
The Schoolmaster of Rajpara.
2 The Schoolmaster of Dadvi. * The Schoolmaster of Limbdi Taluka.
• The Deputy Educational Inspector, Pránt Hilar. • The Schoolmaster of Lilapar,
Kundalan is the circle formed round the wtär by a bhuva, after he has placed the war in a cemetery or over a crossway.-The Schoolmaster of Dadvi.
This is the day to learn such arts as that of math, chot, miran, eta, i.e., the art of doing bodily injuries by means of magic even to persons who are at a distant place. The process is gone through in a cemetery at the dead of night.-The Schoolmaster of Rajpara.
I A poisonous plant, the leaves of which are used in fomenting in cases of palpitation and of stomach troubles.--The Deputy Educational Inspector, Prant Hálar.
