Folk Lore Notes. Vol. II—Konkan

NATURE POWERS.

The worship of minor local deities is connected with such low castes as Guravas, Bhopis, Marátha Kunbis, Dhangars, Wághes, Murlis, Mahárs and Mángs in the District of Kolhápur. It is believed by the Bráhmans that once an image is consecrated and worshipped, it should be worshipped uninterruptedly every day, and he who neglects to worship such an image daily incurs the sin of Brahma-hatya or Bráhman-murder. For this reason Bráhmans generally do not worship minor local deities. In former times Bráhmans who worshipped these deities were excommunicated by their caste-men. Such Pujáris were compelled to wear a folded dhotur or waist cloth, and were forbidden to put on the gandh or sandal paste mark in straight or cross lines. They were allowed to put on the tila or circular mark of sandal paste. Another reason why Bráhmans are not the Pujáris or worshippers of such deities is that Bráhmans cannot accept or partake of the Naivedya offering of cooked food, fowls, etc., made to them. Lower class people can partake of such offerings, and are therefore generally the worshippers or ministrants of minor local deities.

At Palshet in the Ratnágiri District, there are two grámdevis, viz., Jholái and Mhárjái, and the pujáris of these deities are respectively a Gurav and a Mahár. [1] The pujáris of goddesses are generally men of the lower castes. The guardian goddesses of the villages of Pule, Varavade, Nandivade, and Rila have Kunbis as their pujáris; while the pujáris of the goddesses Mahálakshmi, Bhagvati, Mahákáli, and Jogái are generally chosen from the Gurav caste. [2] In the Konkan the Ráuls (Shudras) are the pujáris of the deities Vithoba, Ravalnáth and Bhaváni; the Ghádis are the pujáris of the deities Sáteri and Khavaneshwar; while the deities Mahádev and Máruti are worshipped by pujáris belonging to the Gurav caste. [3] The goddesses Makhajan and Jakhmáta at Sangameshwar in the Ratnágiri District are worshipped by pujáris who belong to the Gurav and Bhoi castes respectively. The god Ganpati at Makhnele has for his pujári a Wáni. The pujáris of the temple of Shiva at Lánje in the Ratnágiri District are Wánis. [4] It is said that the pujári of Pundárik at Pandharpur is a Kiráta (fisherman) by caste. [5]

The pujári of the goddess Narmáta at Sidgad in the Thána District is a Koli; whilst the pujáris of Kánoba, Khandoba, and Vetál are of the lower castes. [6] The goddesses Mahálakshmi of Kolvan and Vajreshvari have their pujáris chosen from the lower castes. [7] The pujáris of Jari-Mari, Mhasoba, Bahiroba, Cheda and other deities which are said to prevent contagious diseases, are always men of the lower castes. [8]

The pujáris of the guardian goddesses of the villages Petsai, Dasgaum and Nizámpur are a Mahár, a Kumbhár or potter, and a Marátha, respectively. [9] The pujári of the guardian goddesses of Chaul in the Kolába District belongs to the lower castes. [10] The goddess Mángái has always a Mahár as her pujári. [11] Everyday the god Shiva is required to be worshipped first by a pujári of the Gurav caste. The pujári of Bahiri, a corruption of the word Bhairav, one of the manifestations of Shiva, is a man belonging to the lower castes. Similarly the pujáris of Bhagavati, Bhaváni, Ambika, Kálika, Jákhái, Jholái, Janni, Kolhái, Vadyájái, Shitaládevi, Chandika, etc., are persons belonging to lower castes. [12]

It is considered by the Hindus very meritorious and holy to worship the Sun; and by Bráhmans the Sun is considered to be their chief deity. The Gáyatri Mantra of the Bráhmans is a prayer to the Sun-god or the Savita Dev, and the Bráhmans offer arghya or oblations of water to the Sun thrice a day. Those who want health, wealth and prosperity propitiate the Sun-god by prayers and ceremonies. The Ratha Saptami is considered to be the principal day for special worship and festivities in honour of the Sun-god. On this day, on a low wooden stool, is drawn, in red sandal paste, a figure of the Sun in human shape seated in a chariot drawn by seven horses, or by a horse with seven faces. This figure is then placed in the sun-shine, and it is then worshipped by offering it arghya or spoonfuls of water, red powder, red flowers mixed with red sandal paste, camphor, incense and fruits. Some people kneel down while offering the arghyas to the Sun. These arghyas are either three or twelve in number. Some persons make a vow not to eat anything unless they have worshipped the Sun and performed the twelve Namaskaras by falling prostrate and bowing with folded hands twelve times, and at each time repeating one of the twelve names of the Sun. [13]

In the Ratnágiri District some people worship the Sun on the Sundays of the month of Shrávan. A ceremony held on the Rathasaptami day, i.e., the 7th day of the bright half of Mágh, is deemed a special festival in honour of the Sun-god. On that day people draw, on a small wooden stool, an image of the Sun, seated in a chariot drawn by seven horses, and worship it with great reverence. Milk is then boiled on a fire made of cow-dung cakes in front of the household Tulsi plant. If the milk overflows to the east, it is believed that there will be abundance of crops, but if it flows to the west it is taken as a sign of the near approach of famine. [14] The Sun-god is also worshipped on the following occasions, e.g., Trikal, Gajaccháya, Ardhodaya, Mahodaya, Vyatipát, Makar-Sankránt, Kark-Sankránt and the Solar eclipse. [15] Though there are few temples dedicated to the Sun, the village of Parule has the honour of having one called "the temple of Adi-Náráyan." Non-Bráhmanical classes are not seen worshipping the Sun in this district, despite the fact that the Sun is said to be the embodiment of the three principal deities of the Hindus. [16]

The people of the Thána District believe that the Swastika is the central point of the helmet of the Sun, and a vow called the Swastika Vrata is held in its honor. A woman who observes this vow, draws a figure of the Swastika and worships it daily during the Cháturmás (four months of the rainy season), at the expiration of which she gives a Bráhman a golden or silver plate with the sign of the Swastika upon it. [17] Another vow named Dhanurmás, common to all districts in the Konkan, requires a person to complete his daily rites before sun-rise, and to offer a preparation of food called Khichadi to the Sun-god. The observer of this vow then partakes of the food, regarding it as a gift from that god. This is either done for one day or repeated for a month till the Dhanu-Sankránt. [18] On the Somavati-Amávásya day (the 15th day of the dark half of a month falling on Monday), and the Kapiláshasthi day, the Sun is held in especial reverence. [19] A curious story is narrated regarding the offering of Arghya to the Sun. It is said that the Sun rejoices at the birth of a Bráhman, and gives 1,000,000 cows in charity, believing that the Arghya which the Bráhman will offer later on will devour his foes, one drop of the Arghya killing 1,000 of them [20]. The repetition of the Gáyatri-mantra 108 times a day is supposed to release a Bráhman from the debt of 1,000,000 cows owed in this way to the Sun. [21] The Yoga-Sutras of Pátanjali however prohibit a man from looking at the setting Sun, though the sin thus incurred is made amends for by the offering of Arghya to that god. [22] It is interesting to note that women do not grind corn on the Ratha-Saptami day. [23]

Women bow down to the Sun on the 11th, 12th, 30th or 40th day after their delivery; but Kunbi women generally worship that god on the 7th day. [24] On this occasion some women show a churning handle [25] to the Sun-god and offer him some grains of rice. [26]

The Swastika is considered so holy in the Konkan that it is always drawn on the Antarpat; and at the time of the Punyáha Wachan ceremony which precedes a Hindu wedding, a Swastika drawn in rice is worshipped. [27] The principal deities of the Hindus, whenever they are invoked on special occasions, are seated on the Swastika. [28] The people of the Ratnágiri District worship the Swastika, regarding it as the symbol as well as the seat of the Sun-god. [29]

By some the Swastika is regarded as the foundation-stone of the universe [30] and is held to be the symbol of the god Shiva, and not of the Sun. [31]

The conception of Kunbi is said to have taken place by the influence of the rays of the Sun. [32]

The Swastika is considered as an emblem of peace and prosperity, and for this reason Bráhman women draw a figure of the Swastika in front of their houses. [33] The custom of moving round such sacred objects as the Banyan, the Pipal, the Tulsi or sweet basil plant, the Umbar, the Avala (Phylanthus emblica), etc., is prevalent in the district of Kolhápur. There are no cases recorded in which women after child-birth are exposed to the Sun. But on the 12th day after her delivery, the mother puts on new bangles and new clothes; cocoanuts, betelnuts and leaves, grains of rice, plantains and grains of wheat are placed in her lap. She then comes out and bows to the Sun. Wealthy persons on this occasion perform a homa sacrifice in their houses by kindling the holy fire and feeding Bráhmans. No one in this district believes that conception is caused, or is likely to be caused, by exposure to the rays of the Sun.

The Hindu women of the Konkan walk round Pipal, Tulsi, and Umbar trees every Saturday and on the Somavati-amávásya day, i.e., the 15th day of the dark half of a month when it falls on Monday. [34] Sometimes, however, women make a vow to walk round a temple or a sacred tree one-hundred thousand times; and for the fulfilment of this vow they walk round the temple or tree for about seven or eight hours every day. If they find it difficult to make up the number of rounds themselves, they ask their near relations to assist them in their undertaking. [35]

The Moon is worshipped by the Hindus on the 2nd of the bright half of every month. On this day it is considered very lucky to see the moon, and many people, particularly the lower classes, pull out threads from the clothes they wear, and offer them to the moon, saying "O! God, accept these old clothes of ours and be pleased to give us new ones in their stead." Some people worship the moon on the Sankasti Chaturthi, 4th day of the dark half of every month; and such people will not eat anything until they have seen and worshipped the moon on that day. The moon is not worshipped on the Ganesh Chaturthi day that is, the 4th of the bright half of the month of Bhádrapad, as it is considered very unlucky to see the moon on that night. It is firmly believed that any one who sees the moon on the Ganesh Chaturthi day even by accident will be falsely accused of theft or some other crime. In order to avoid this, people who have accidently seen the moon, throw stones at the houses of their neighbours, and if the neighbours abuse them in return, the mischief makers consider themselves freed by the abuse from the sin of having looked at the moon on a forbidden night.