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THE FOLKLORE OF GUJIRAT
159
un bruken earthen vessels are suspended over to some, this can be secured by onting sugar-cane it with cords from the wooden bower erected heated over the fire. Juvari stems licated over We'r the stone. An ass is brought to the spot, the tire are viven to eattle with the summe and a fool decked with a garland of worn-out object. shoes is mounted on it with his face turned Some believe that if salt heated over the Holi towards the tail of the ass. He holds the tail fire is given to eattle it protects them against of the nss in his lands as reins and is carried pidemies." in procession througl the village to be brought Virgins take home i little of the Holi fire back to the bower and married to another fool, and light five cow-cung cakes with it in the dust, ashes and water being freely used in the courtyard of their house. When the cakes are service. 1
burnt, the ashes are removed and the spot is In some localities naked images of a husband
puritied with a plaster of cow-dung. Vest,
they rw soine auspicious figures on the spot and wife nre set in a cart and taken through the village nccompanied with music, the
and worship them for a number of days in the
belief that this ensures good health to their crowd singing indecent songs all the way
brothers. long.
Among Gujarat Hindus no special ceremonies On the Holi holiday children are presented
are performed when a girl attains puberty, with harda (garlands of balls made of sugar)
except that on the third or fifth day she is bathed by their relatives and the friends of their
by an unwidowed woman and dressed in green families.
or suff'ron-coloured robes. She is given rice The Holt fire is extinguished by women on in milk, sweetened with sugar, and is presented the morning of the following day. The earthen with a piece of green satin." vessels containing wheat and gram which are In some places, the girl is bathed on the put into the pit of the Holi before the fire is
fourth day and given kansàr to cat. She then lighted are then taken out. The grain is cooked bows to her mother-in-law and makes her a preby the fire of Holi, and is called Ghugari. It sent of half a rupee. The mother-in-law is distributed among the villagers, the belief blesses her and presents hier with & bodice being that those who eat it are protected against cloth. disease by the goddess of the Holi.
After the bath, a mark with red powder is There are many other superstitious beliefs made on her forehead and she is taken to the held by people in connection with the temple of the family deity. Holi.
In some places, the red powder mark is made According to one belief, those who expose under the girl's right arm in the belief that themselves to the heat of the Holi fire keep this ensures to her the birth of many good health during the ensuing year. According children.10
1 The School Mistress, Barton Female Training College, Rajkot. * The School Master of Todia,
* The School Master of Songadh and Mr. K. D. Desai. • The School Master of Patan Vàv.
-5 The School Master of Songadh. 6 The School Master of Khirasara
* The School Master of Dhank. # The School Master of Vanod.
9 The School Master of Dadvi 10 The School Master of Chok.
