The Industrial Arts of India Volume 2 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1884 Excerpt: ...the answer is, "Yes, it has boiled pongot;" and from this the festival takes its name. The third day is the Pongol of cows, and altogether the festival lasts seven days. Indra is worshipped as the rain which caused the rice to spring, and Surya and Agni as the sun which ripened the new grain in the ear. Comfits are exchanged between all who meet, and enemies make up past quarrels, and creditors let off their debtors. No Brahman is ever present, and the purohita, or "man put forward," i.e. the family priest, is not a Brahman, but the father oi the house, or the eldest son, as in Vedic times. In Bombay, the festival, which seems to be there connected more directly with Surya, the sun, and Varuna, the sea, than with Indra, has been completely Brahmanised, but still remains one of the simplest and most beautiful celebrations in the Hindu calendar. At the moment the sun enters the sign of the Makara, the people go down to the sea, accompanied by the Brahmans, to bathe. They rub their bodies with sesamum seed, the favorite seed of the sun for the clear light the expressed oil gives, and wash themselves as directed by the Brahrnans. Returning to their homes, they present each Brahman with a cup of bell metal filled with sesamum seed and money; in acknowledgment of which the Brahman gives them his benediction, pouring red-colored rice on their heads. Then all begin rejoicing; visiting each other, and feasting together all day long; and wherever friends meet, they put comfits of sesamum seed into each other's hands, saying, "Take, eat of these comfits ot sesamum seed, and think of me kindly throughout the coming year," Even in Bombay, it is worthy of notice that throughout this day praise and prayer are offered only to the sun, Surya, a...