Indian Antiquary Vol 54

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 39

FEBRUARY, 1925)
A NOTE ON THE ANTIQUITIES OF SALBARDI VILLAGE
18. Burial.-They bury their dead in the usual way with the head to the north, the feet to the south and the face towards the west. If they can get hold of a Mullah to read the service, so much the better; his fee is only eight annas or a rupee. The bereaved family are fed by the kin for three days, during which their ordinary occupations are suspended in token of mourning. On the fourth day a little dried juwar (andropogon sorghum) is parched and distributed with sugar. Visits of condolence are paid by the friends, who are feasted but contribute eight annas or so to the alms for the dead.
19. Inheritance.- Only male agnates inherit. First the son-(sons in equal shares, sons and deceased sons' sons per stirpes); then the father, then the brother, and in default of brother, the nephew; and then the uncle, and in default of uncle, the cousin-this forms the general order of precedence.
20. Maintenance of women.-Widows, daughters and the male issue of daughters are excluded from the inheritance. Not that the widow is part of the inheritance as elsewhere, for her bride-price, should she choose to remarry, goes to her parents ( $ 15). Like the daughter, who is, however, part of the inheritance, she is entitled to maintenance from the deceased's estate until she remarries. Inchastity, needless to say, does not cancel her rights in this respect. A NOTE ON THE ANTIQUITIES OF SALBARDI VILLAGE.1
BY R. B., HIRA LAL, B.A. SALBARDI is a small village with a population of about 300 souls, situated partly in the Betûl district and partly in the Amraoti district. It is 44 miles south of Badnůr and about the same distance (40 miles) north-east of Amraoti. The portion included in the Betal district contains a natural cavern, inside which is placed a lingam, which is worshipped on the Sivaratri day by thousands of pilgrims, mostly belonging to Berâr. The cave is a deep hollow, reached by a circuitous underground passage through a series of precipitous metamorphic rocks. The roof consists of the same material, from which, somehow or other, water oozes out and in small drops slowly falls on the lingam placed beneath it. This is taken by ordinary people to be a miracle, which in vests the place with the sanctity it enjoys. In spite of the fact that the passage is a difficult one to cross, obliging the pilgrim to crawl at some points, where the space between two rocks narrows into a small hole just enough to allow the body to pass through, people flock to it and even pay blackmail to the malguzar for the privilege of getting inside and paying devotion to the Mahadeo inside. An estimate of the crowd on the Sivaratri day may be made from the collections taken by the malguzdr at the entrance. It is about Rs. 800, if not more, when the charge is an anna or two per head. The pilgrims, especially late arrivals, continue to visit the cave for four or five days after the Sivaratri.
Inside the cave all is dark, and one has to go accompanied by a barber with a masál (torch). There are cracks in the rock in some places, whence a little dim light can be seen. The place where Mahâdeo is installed is a fairly high hall, which can accommodate 100 or more persons. Adjoining it there is another ball with any amount of guano manure, which the bats furnish. This is called the bari or field, where Mahadeo grows ganja (hemp) and dhatura, both of which crops are invisible to physical eyes. Here also lies his akhdd where he daily practises his exercise. A long subterranean passage leading towards the north is yet unexplored. Here any number of bats may be seen hiding in the dark. The story about this passage is that once 360 goats were sent down this unknown abyss, and that one of them came out at the Mahadeo shrine at Pachmarhi, about 85 miles away from Sålbardi, indicating that the Sålbardi Mahadeo is connected with the great Mahadeo of Pachmarhi. There are two passages by which people enter or leave the cave. From one 1 This note was contributed to the Journal in 1910, but was unfortunately mielaid until a recent date.-ED.