Indian Antiquary Vol 55

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

Page 19

JANUARY, 1926 ]
SPIRIT WORSHIP IN THE NILGIRIS
At last I saw some one whisper to him, and he must have told him something about a watch that I had lost, for he suddenly said very loudly: "Haven't you lost something?"
"Yes", I said, “but I am not worrying about it."
"Oh! you don't care about it ”, and looking at my watch fixedly: "You have got another and will get more."
“Yes," I said, "the loss does not worry me." “Will you give me your watch, if I discover the other ?" “Yes. Here it is. Take it.'
The 'God' was apparently tired of me, for he passed on and there were more requests, more grants and more blessings. Presently he stopped again in front of me:
"Why did you come here?" "My friend asked me to come to see the worship, and, you see, here I am ".
At this point I had had enough, and so I slipped a four-anna piece into a plate carried behind the 'God' by the Pajari. The God' passed on, and the Pajari asked me if I wished to worship the images in the hut. I consented, and slipped another four-anna piece into the plate. Meanwhile the 'God' went on dancing in the ring, and when I came out of the hut, he said: “You are a good devotee. You have full faith in me. If you will give the musicians a rupee, I come and perform at your own house." "All right," I said, “ do come." And so we parted.
Next day was a gala-day in front of my residence. Hindus, Muhammadans and Christians were present, and there was a grand tamasha. I was assured by a friend that the 'God' made forty rupees, besides receiving a head-load of offerings in kind that afternoon. I saw women coming with trays full of fruit and sweets, making requests and receiving promises in Delphic language, bowing to a man whom in ordinary circumstances they would not have touched. Not even would they have touched water polluted by his despised fingers. But when pos. sessed '! he was a 'God', and I saw an old Brahman woman give him half a plantain with her own hands, and retain the other half as prasad (leavings). At the end of the tamdsha my old friend Subrahmanyam demanded three rupees for the musicians instead of one rupee as the
God ' had suggested, and I had in the end to pay them two rupees. Such is the morality of the possessed".
Next morning Subrahmanyam came to me again with stories as to the requests which had been granted by the possessed' man and other incidents. (1) In the evening an impudent Musalman insulted the 'God', and blood came out of his
right eye, and he lost the sight of it. (2) A woman asked for a son and was promised one at her next conception. (3) A woman asked for promotion for her husband, and the 'God'definitely promised to
influence the Collector to make him a tahsildar. (4) A woman had a child, whose eyes were closed by some disease. The 'God' told her
that the child would open its eyes that night, and it did. (5) The wife of a certain official who was a graduate, said that her husband had
beoome impotent and he was at once relieved of his impotence. "But” said old Subrahmanyam, "that man is a fool. He is a reformer, you know, and a sceptic, and actually quarrelled with his wife for going to the tamasha. There are many educated men who have no sense". Old Subrahmanyam was not an accomplice,
but I thought him to be one of the dupes. (6) the wife of a tailor was possessed by a demon and went to the 'God' for relief. He
called to the demon and commanded him to leave the woman. She was at once cured. Here old Subrahmanyam broke out into raptures : "What a miracle !".