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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
briglat half of Ashrin, the prince of Jasdan married couples of high class Hindus untie goes to visit the image in a procession, offers the knots of their marriage-scarves before lāpsi to Avad Mātā, and then a feast is cele this deity. In the Durbīrgadh there are brated. Formerly it was the custom to kill tombs of seven ghoris with whose assistance
buffalo before the goddess on this day: the first king of Gondal is said to have won but only lāpsi is now offered instead. It is his crown. There is also a family goddess of usual to take some wine also on this the Bhadeja Rajputs in Gondal known as occasion, 1
Ashīpuri, a vow in whose honour is believed On the Chitalia hill, two miles from to fulfil all desires, Jasdan, there is a temple of Shitalā, the god- There is a female spirit named Meldi in dess of small-pox, where children who have Moraiya who is worshipped by bhurās on the lately recovered from that disease are taken 14th day of the dark half of Aslivin. On to offer salutations to the goddess. Silver that day they heat oil in an iron pan and images of human eye, milk, sugar, curds, take out cakes from the burning oil with ungrapes, cocoanuts, a sheet of blank paper, protected hands. A goat and a cock are also and a number of other things are presented sacrificed on this occasion, and the meat is to the goddess on such an occasion. Some partaken of in order to win the favour of the persons vow to visit the goddess with a burn goddess." ing hearth on their heads. Such vows are There is a beda tree near Movaiya about discharged on a sätem, i.e., the 7th day of which the following story is told. Long ago the bright or the dark half of a month. On there was a kanbi (farmer) in Movaiya who Shili Sātem, the 7th day of the dark half of used to sce a boy moving in front of him with Shravan, there is a large gathering of people an uncovered head whenever he was ploughat the place.
ing his field. One day the kanbi lopped off The village-gods of Upleta are Kaleshwar, the hair from the boy's head who followed Pragateshwar. Somnath, Nilkanth, Dadmo him to his home, entreating him to return the and Khetalio, Pragateshwar is said to have lock of hair. The kanbi lowerer did not emerged from the carth of his own accord leed him, and concealed the lock of hair in a and is therefore called Swayambhu (self. jar containing gram. The boy then served existent). The same is said about Nilkanth the kanbi as a field-boy, when one day he and Somnāth also. The temple of Dadmo was asked by his master to take gram out of lies a little away from Upleta. Persons the jar for sowing. The boy, who was a suffering from cough observe vows in his bhut, found his lock of hair there, and when lionour and partake of parched gram. There once he had obtained it, he took a very is a devi near Pragateshwar before whom a heavy load of gram to the kanbi and bade sacrifice is performed on the 9th day of him good-bye. But before the boy had fled the bright half of Ashvin, and cakes, bread, with his lock of lair, the kanbi begged of khichdi and khir are offered.
him a boon that a beda tree should grow in In Gondal there is a temple of Gondalio his field, where rows could be observed in Näg and one of Nāgnath Mahadev. Pure honour of the bhut. milk is the usual offering made to both the The villagers in Sayala accompanied by deities. Gondalio Nāg is installed in Dur-several bhuvās and by musicians who beat the bārgadh and is white in appearance. Newly dhols and the danklan go outside the village
1 The Schoolmaster of Jasdan.
2 The Schoolmaster of Upleta, 3 The Schoolmaster of Gondal Taluka and the Head Mistress of girls' school, Gondal. 4 The Schoolmaster of Movaiya.
