Indian Antiquary Vol 46

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

Page 505

THE FOLKLORE OF GUJARAT
157
The offerings thown into the Holi fire have full license during the Holi holidays to Generally consist of fried juvari grain, fried indulge in all sorts of pranks and abuses. gram and cocoanuts. Flowers of mango trees Some make wooden blocks with engravings and tender mango fruits are also thrown of vulgar and indecent words, dip them in into the Holi fire. It is believed that newly coloured water, and press them on the clothes married pairs, by worshipping the Holi fire, of passers-by. are blessed with long life, prosperity, and the Others make naked idols of mud, and place birth of children. After the principal cere- them on the tops of houses. mony is over, they worship it one by one with The day following the Holi is known as the ends of their upper garments tied in a knot Dhul Pàdavo or Dhuleti. On this day people and walk seven times round the fire with their indulge in the throwing of cow-dung. black hands folded, the husband leading the wife.1 pigments, urine, mud, coloured water and red
Infants dressed in gay clothes and decked powder. with garlands of dry dates and bits of cocoanut In some places, on the Dhuleti day, a game kernel are also taken to the Holi fire by their is played with a coconut. The players form parents. The latter worship the Holi Màts themselves into two parties and stand opposite and walk four times round the fire, taking the to one another. Midway between them is placed children in their arms. Next they offer a cocoanut. Each party tries to take away the cocoanuts to the goldess, which are either cocoanut, and prevents the other from so doing thrown into the fire or distributed among by throwing stones and cow-dung cakes. The those present.
party which succeeds in taking away the Women whose children die in infancy | cocoanut wins the game.5 observe a vow of remaining standing on the Amongst Dheds, Kolis, Ràvals and other low Holiday. When the Holi is lighted they castes & post of the wood of the tamarínd tree worship the fire, after which they may sit is planted in the ground and surrounded by down and take their meal. It is believed that women holding whips and cords in their hands. the observance of this vow ensures long life to A party of men run to the women to drive them children.
away and take possession of the post. The Although the Holi itself falls on the full-moon women prevent them from doing so by striking day of Falgun the rejoicings connected with it them with all their might with the whips and commence from the first day of that month. cords in their hands. This struggle commences The principal feature of the rejoicings consists at 10 A. M. on the Dhuleti day and continues in indulging in indecent and vulgar songs and till one o'clock in the morning on the following language. Vulgar songs or fage in honour day. At last the men succeed in carrying away of the goddess Holi are also sung. Songs the post, thus ending the game. are composed abusing each caste, and sung, In some places, a man is tied to a bier as if addressing passers-by, by groups of boys who he were a corpse, and carried on the shoulders
· The School Misters of Dhank wad Vanod, * The School Master of Todia. $ The School Master of Kolki.
* The School Master of Chhatrasa,
The School Master of Songadh. • The School Masters of Zinzavada and Todia.