Indian Antiquary Vol 46

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

Page 417

THE FOLKLORE OF GUJARAT
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possessed, declare to the people which par- tied round the neck of the diseased animal. ticular deity is exasperated, whereupon that fastened over the gates through which the deity is conciliated either by offering dain- cattle pass, or suspended over the street by ties or a goat or a ram, or by the observance which the cattle go out to graze, 5 The jantra of Ujāni. A dhārāvadia stream of milk- is as follows: is poured on to the ground adjoining the village side, and torans of asopālav leaves
Shrisakha Dhanurdhari Gajidhanat Krishna
sakha. (Jonesia asoka) are fastened on the doors of the offended deity's temple. It is also Dhananjaya Lalanlarkha Kapidhwaj. Jayahari. customary to place baklån and vadän at
Gudakesh a spot where three rouds meet in order to
Pitabhava # Narsinh Parth. propitiate the evil spirits, who frequent such
Sometimes the paper on which the jantra places.
i is written is placed in a hollow bamboo stick Smail-pox is supposed to be the result of
which is then fastened over the gates the displeasure of the goddess Shitala. In all The jantru is believed to have the power to cases of small-pox the victim is left to suffer,
cure the disease. the only remedy being the observation of
Muva-keshibi causes saliva to flow contivows in honour of the angry goddess.
nuously from the mouths of animals. A Different things are dedicated to the goddess
gagarbediun (a piece of leather thong or a according as the disease affects one part of the
picce of black wood, on which magic spells body or another; and they are usually offered
have been cast) is suspended over the village on a Sunday or a Tucsday. The usual offer
gates or is tied to the neck of the animal, ing consists of kulera,* a tāv (a sheet of
in the case of this disease occurring ? paper), fried juvāri, fried gram, and other
In such diseases as kharavā, sunaku, motu. articles varying according to the symptoms.3 dukh (lit, the great malady), valo, pel-tod,
To ward off this disease the women of the Bandhäi-javan, a jantra is tied by a piece village sometimes prepare cakes, ganthias,f of indigo-coloured cloth or by a piece of etc., on the sixth day of a month, the thread of the same colour, round the neck preparations being partaken of on the next of the animal, and is also fastened over the day, when no fresh food is to be cooked. village-gates. A tora is prepared of the
Kharavä affects the hoofs of cattle, in ears of juväri corn with a cocoanut in the which it produces irritation; it is generally centre, and after magical incantations have due to worms in the hoofs. A jantra (a been pronounced over it, is suspended over mystical arrangement of words) of the twelve the village-gabes. All animals passing under names of Mahāvir (the great warrior, i.e. the toran are believed to be proof against Arjun) is written on a piece of paper, and the disease,
1 The Schoolmaster of Dadvi,
2 The Schoolmaster of Mota-Devalia. The Schoolmaster of Dhank.
The Schoolmaster of Kolki. 5 The Schoolmaster of Dhank.
• The Schoolmaster of Ganod. 7 The Schoolmaster of Kolki. • Small round cakes of wheat flour sweetened with molasses and fried in ghi. + A preparation of fine gram flour treated with spices, which alter baing made into a thick paste, is
passed through a sieve into boiling oll. Shrisakha, Gajidbank and Pitabhavi are most probably corruptions of Shrishasakbi, Gandivadbanvi
and Prithābhava respectively; Lalanlar bi perhaps of Lama Darakbya. $ A disease which causes severe pain in the stomach of the affected animal
A disease which stiffens the limbs of animals and renders them incapable of any movement.