1 736
2 The lamp of life.
3 be held at the same time as the rit, and it must be held in the lower
4 storey of the house, by night, the lamp being lighted in the southern
5 corner.
6 In Hazro, the dewd-dhami is also held on the same rit, by the kins¬
7 women and the priest's wife— all males being excluded. The priestess
8 begins by kindling a lamp and causing the wife to worship Ganesh.
9 Sweetened rice or bread is then distributed Next morning rice is boiled
10 or balioa made ; and the wife is bathed and dressed in the clothes sent by
11 her parents. Another woman is then seated by her to represent her
12 husband, and' on her knees are put all the clothes received for him.
13 Seven vessels and covers of cowdung are then made, and cardamoms,
14 rice, barley, mung (pulse), piwa and two copper coins are placed in
15 each. These vessels are then put between the two women, and
16 the wife removes the covers, which the other woman replaces.
17 This is done thrice. Then both dip their fingers in milk and water
18 and each tries . to seize the other's fingers thrice. Both then chew
19 cardamoms, which they spit over each other, and finally the rice or
20 halwa is given to the priestess, who also gets five annas or Be. 1|.
21 Next day she is called in again and lights the lamp, which she extin¬
22 guishes with milk and water. This ends the rit.
23 In Baba wal pur, on the other hand, the deiod-Mdmt is preformed by
24 the husband's father, who lights a lamp in a comer of the house, making
25 an effigy of Ganesh and worshipping his ancestors, with Ins face turned
26 to the north or towards the Ganges. While worshipping he must un¬
27 loose the string of his chola or shirt, or the gods will not accept hie
28 devotions.
29 In Mandi the nts of the fifth and seventh months are not observed
30 at all, but in the beginning of the eighth month the athwalidn 1 is cele¬
31 brated by putting an idol of Ganpati on a red chauMj and this the wife
32 worships for a month, during which period she must not bathe, change
33 her old clothes, or cross a river. In the beginning of the ninth month
34 follows the bardnwin, at which the wife's kinswomen assemble to bathe
35 her, make her put on new clothes and look at a handsome boy to ensure
36 her own child being a son. This boy is dismissed with a present of
37 money. Then the wife is made to stand up, and a kerchief is tied round
38 her waist, cakes, money, gold and silver, flowers, a cocoanut, a pome¬
39 granate, and a mixture of rice, sesame and sugar, sent by her parents, are put
40 in her lap. Of the money, part goes to the priest, and the rest to the
41 midwife. On tlm occasion her nearest relative also gives the wife
42 money and ornaments for her own use. Then the wife revere Ganpati,
43 and a vessel (, katas ) of earth, brass or copper is put in an octagonal jantar
44 (diagram), and in it is placed a cocoanut, with an image of Vishnu. The
45 wife is then directed to worship the Teal as and after that a haw an is per¬
46 formed, a he-goat 9 being sacrificed to appease the fire deity. Brahmans
47 and near relatives are then fed, and the kinswomen sing Bono’s and
48 make merry all night. This rite is observed in every pregnancy.
49 1 The £un filer. <pun san. In the parent Slate of Suket the athwan is observed in the
50 eighth or ninth month. The woman’s parents send her clothes for *hemlf and the child,
51 The clothes are perfumed. A rr pee is also sent. They also send one or two gtu meats for
52 the Lusband’b mother.
53 * Or vicariously a cocoanut, which is split, into two pieces.