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THE FOLKLORE OF GUJARIT
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to visit the temple of Khodiar Mātā on the of their residence, and produces a desire to 15th day of the bright half of Shrāvan. move to a safer home. Very often on such The bhuvas wind a piece of cotton-thread occasions the bhunäs or exorcists are possessround the village, and sometimes pour out ed by the Devis, or Mātās, and declare the will milk or water in the same place in order to of the gods regarding a new settlement. sveure its safety from any cpidemic. On Sometimes a change of home is recommended the same occasion four divers, who are gene- tot he villagers in a dream : sometimes it rally healthy young athletes, are presented heavenly voice is said to direct the change, with an earth:n pot each and are made to in addressing one of the villagers." stand in the village-tank till the water An astrologer has first to be consulted as to reaches to their necks. They are asked to the auspicious date on which the boundaries dire simultaneously in the water at a signal of the new settlement should be marked out. from the headman of the village, and to get Three or four days before the delimitation, out immediately. Each of them is named learned Brahmans are sent to purify the after one of the four months of the rainy chosen site by the recitation of sacred season and the amount of water in the pot of mantras. On the appointed day the headman cach is supposed to indicate the amount of of the village leads a procession to the site, rain which would fall in the respective and performs the ceremony of installing the months of the next year. After leaving the village gods. It is said that, at the time of water the divers break the pots on the spot, founding a new settlement, it is necessary to and the fragments are taken away by the install and worship the panch-deva or the people, to be kept in their jars of corn, in five deities, namely, Hanuman, Ganpati, the belief that they will bring prosperity Mahidev, Vishnu and Devi. Hanuman is in the ensuing season. The four divers are installed at the village-gates, and is propithen made to run a race on the maidan, and tiated with an offering of churmu and vadan. he who wins the race gets a small plough The images of Ganpati and Vishnu are set aud a cocoanut as a prize. The winner is up in a central place in the village, temples called hälino-jit yo, and it is believed that he being built for them in due course. Mahadev will be successful in all his undertakings. is generally installed on the village-boundary.
On the same day the bhuvas place a small and has a temple built for him afterwards. four-wheeled chariot of the Mātī outside the Devi may be set up anywhere: her installavillage, and it is believed that the chariot tion is not permanent nor does she receive enrries off the plaguc, cholera and similar systematic worship. But more generally diseases with it. Such ceremonies are per- only Ganpati, Hanuman and Māta are formed in most of the villages on the Balev installed on this occasion.5 Occasionally holiday (i. e., the Närel-Purnima day, or other deities, such as the Earth, Shesh Xāg,* the 15th day of the bright half of Shrī the Navagrah (the nine planets), the pole. van).1
star and Kshetrapīl are also worshipped. The foundation of a new settlement is The village-gates are fixed after the cerecarried out in various ways. A series of un-mony of installation, and a torar- string of usual accidents befalling the residents of n asopålav leaves (Jonesia asoka) with a cocoavillage makes them doubtful of the security nut in the centre-is fastened across them
The Schoolmaster of Sayala,
? K. D. Desai. 3 The Schoolmaster of Khirasara.
· The Schoolmaster of Chhatrase. 5 The Schoolmasters of Jodia and Khirasara.
6 The Schoolmaster of Rajpara • The celebratel serpent of one thousand heads who supports all the worlds.
