i8o
 

ALBERUNTS INDIA.
 

15th Asva¬
yuja.
 

i6th As'va-
yiij'i.

23rd Asva¬
yuja-
 

Bhadrapada,
new moon.
 

3rd Bhadra¬
pada.
 

6th Bhadra¬
pada.
 

8th Bhadra¬
pada.
 

sister of Mahadeva, when they offer the first-fruits of
sugar and all other things to her image which is called
Bhagavati. They give much alms before it and kill
kids. He who does not possess anything to offer,
stands upright by the side of the idol, without ever
sitting down, and will sometimes pounce upon whom¬
soever he meets and kill him.

On the 15th, when the moon stands in the last of
her stations, Revati, there is the festival Puhdi (?),
when they wrangle with each other and play with the
animals. It is holy to Vasudeva, because his uncle
Kamsa had ordered him into his presence for the
purpose of wrangling.

On the 16th there is a festival, when they give alms
to the Brahmans.

On the 23rd is the festival Asoka, also called dhoi,
when the moon stands in the seventh station, Punar¬
vasu.    It is a day of merriment and of wrangling.

In the month Bhadrapada, when the moon stands in
the tenth station, Magha, they celebrate a festival
which they call pitripKtkshct, i.e. the half of the month
of the Fathers, because the moon's entering this station
falls near the time of new moon. They distribute alms
during fifteen days in the name of the Fathers.

On the 3rd Bhadrapada is the festival Hctrbdli (?), for
the women. It is their custom that a number of days
before they sow all kinds of seeds in baskets, and they
bring the baskets forward on this day after they have
commenced growing. They throw roses and perfumes
on them and play with each other during the whole
night. On the following morning they bring them
to the ponds, wash them, wash themselves, and give
alms.

On the 6th of this month, which is called Gdihctt (?),
when people give food to those who are in prison.

On the 8th, when the moonlight has reached half of
its development, they have a festival called dhruva-