________________
JULY, 1925)
LEGENDS OF THE GODLINGS OF THE SIMLA HILLS
139
all killed by Sirmûr and their houses burnt, so the Gahleo mawis (i.e., those of them who escaped) concealed the deotd in a cave in the cliffs above Gheld. Thence his voice would be heard, with the sound of bells and the scent of dhøp, so a Brahman of Pujarli18 went to the Jave and brought the deotd to a temple at Pujarli. He is regarded as their family deota by the people of Pajarli, Nagan, Karali and Banal. As he is dudhadhdri, goats are not sacrificed to him. When the spirit of the deord enters (chirna) his gur, the deotd says through him : Nalwa, Gahlrodna ap chhdye, na an chhara, 'Nahlo and Gahlo ! You spared neither yourselves nor me!'-because the mawis had involved him in their own ruin.
35. The Deotd Garon of Panjaul.-Dum Deotå lived in a temple at Panjaul, a village in pargana Chajoli of Kumhårsain, and a pujare of DasAna in Ghond State used to come every day to worship him at Panjaul. One day when crossing the Giri, he saw five pitchers floating down the river and succeeded in catching one of them. This he brought to Panjaul, concealing it in the grass and taking it back with him to his home. He forbade his wife to touch it, but she disobeyed him, and when she opened it, Wasps flew out and stung her. Her cries brought the pujari home from his fields, and seeing her plight he threw cow's urine and milk over her and the pitcher. She and the Wasps then disappeared, but in the pitcher the pujdri found an image which he carried to Panjaul, and then placed it in the temple beside Dům deota. This deotd is called Garon, because it was found in the Giri, and it is daily offered cow's urine and milk. It is worshipped also by the people of Panjaul. But its chief temple is at Deothi in Ghond, half the people of which State worship it, while the other half affect Shri-gul.
36. The Deola Kot at Kalmun in Chebishi.--Not more than 50 years ago Kot deotd of Kot in Kulla came to Kalmun in Chebishi pargana with Gush&on, a Koli, who lived in that village. One Talka, julahd of Kot, in Kulla, was a great friend of Gushảon, but after a time they quarrelled, and Talků, whose family god was Kot deotd, invoked him to distress Gushdon. This deotd is said to be one who will distress anyone who calls upon him to trouble another. GushAon then went to Kalmûn and with him brought Kot deotd, but he fell sick and the Brahmana said that it was Kot who was troubling him. Kot deotd then said that if Gushdon would build a deorf (platform) for him, he would cure him ; otherwise he would kill him. So Gushảon was compelled to build a deors, and then he recovered.
When Kot is displeased with anyone, he demands a fine of eighteen tolds of gold, though subsequently he may accept as little as two annas. He is said to be so powerful that. when he was distressing Gush&on, and Malendæ dcotd was asked for aid, the latter sent his bhor Jhaták to drive Kot away from Kalmûn, but Kot would not go. They fought, but Kot could not be subdued. Since then, whenever Malendů appears as a spirit in anyone, kot at once appears in a Koli-before him, and so Malendû can do nothing against him. Kot has no bhor and no jdgir.
37. Matla Deo of Shelota.-This deotd's temple is at Shelota in pargana Chebishi of Kumhårsain. Matld came out of matte (clay) and hence he is called Matla. Before RADA Kirti Singh founded the State, & mdwannd used to live at Shelota, and one day while his little Bons were playing in a field called Sati Begain, an image sprung from the earth, and they began to play with it. They placed it on the edge of the field, presented khalja (gum of the chir pine-tree) to it as dhüp, and waved a branoh of the tree over it, but Matlå deotd was displeased at this and killed them on the spot. Their parenta searched for them, when they had not
13 His family was called Molta, and only one house of it still survives. The present Brahmans of PajAlt hail from Tikargach in Bashaher. The Pajârâs of Pujárli appear to be called Kacher is (by of or family), and they founded Kacherl, a village near Kumh Arsain.
