Indian Antiquary Vol 61

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 261

DECEMBER, 1932 1
TRE GAY-DAN FESTIVAL
235
name of the idol (Siva). These popular practices despised by the Brahmans were well-known in old times."11 At Mohenjo-daro were discovered curious ring stones and some phallus-like objects—the latter somewhat resembling in form the so-called 'Chessmen 'pillars of Assam, possessing a religious character symbolical of the agents of generation, the worship of which goes to a very remote age in India. Rai Bahadur Ramaprasad Chanda says: "Sir John Marshall proposes to trace the cult of the phallic emblem of Siva to the chalcolithic period by recognising in the 'Chessmenlike' objects and ring stones found at Mohenjo-daro lingas and Yonis respectively."19
There are certain features common to the worship of Lakşmi in the gardi vrata and that of Lakşmi on the Kali pôja day. Take, for instance, the expulsion of Alaksmi. In the Monghyr district on the bhata caturdaši day the Hindus make an image of cowdung representing Alakomi or Dariddar, and drag her out and humiliate her, suiting the action to tho rude chant of the magic doggerel : Lachhmi ghar, Dariddar bahar.
Similarly in the Hugli district an effigy of cowdung representing Alakami is made and, after a sort of perfunctory worship, it is made over to the children, who drag it outside, chant. ing loudly the while :
অলক্ষ্মী বিদেয় হয়,
লক্ষ্মী আসে ঘরে। In many places in Bengal on the night of Kalf půjd (amarasyd) first Alakşmi is worshipped by the householder and, after her expulsion, Lakşmî is installed in the house. This is also formally enjoined in the Bongali panjika : Pradose Sri Sri Laksmí o Alaksmi prtja.
The dread aspect of Lakşmi is Alaksmi; her worship is therefore significant on the day of the worship of the great Mother Goddess, Kal. And the Markandeya Purana supports this: "The gupta-rupi Devi, the Devi who is 'unmanifested,' takes the three forms of Lakşmi, Maha Kali and Sarasvati......As giver of wealth and prosperity she is Lakşmi, and as destroyer of wealth and prosperity, Alakşmi or Jyoştha Devi." On both the occasions of garši vrata and Kali paja there is
(1) the worship of the Mother Goddess on the last day (as once rockoned) of the year; (2) the illumination ; (3) ancestor worship in (a) dipdnvita pdrvana bråddha, offered to the pitys or ancestors
on the bhuta caturda&f day, and (b) reminiscence in the form of worship of the
dead mother-in-law in the account of gåráf vrata from eastern Maimansingh; (4) securing welfare to cattl6;
(5) recital of doggerel verses to drive out vermin.
I am reminded of similar circumstances attendant on the annual ritual of Osiris celebratod on the Egyptian new year's day in the worship of the cow-headed Isis, the Mother Goddess, and the nocturnal illumination, commemorating the dead ancestors (cf. the lighting of the celestial path of the ancestors of the Hindus on the divdik day) who revisit their old homes once a year.
In the Birbhûm district on the day following Kali prijd a small rude hut is made of straw. bamboos, jute and dried flowers of sara (Saccharum arundinaceum), which is then burnt down: I do not remomber the details of the ceremony, which I saw in my childhood. An account is given in Man in India (vol. TJI) of the burning of human effigies of straw in some parts of Bengal on the last day of the Bengali month of Kartika, which is known as bhul or bhola, the purport of which is to kill vermin, and promote vegetation. What is the significance of this bonfire on the day following the Kali pajd and the last day of Kartika, which
11 Ibid., pp. 14, 15. 1 .1.3.1. Memoir No. 41. p. 36.