*

51

MARASA VARKALIGARU.

FEBRUARY, 1873.]

his deliverance from so imminent a danger, was in his turn bewitched by the unearthly beauty of the creature standing before him. He accord ingly embraced her, and the result was the immediate production of three Lingas, respect ively called Jinné Linga, Kallé Linga, and

become mothers.

The modus operandi is as

nearly as possible the following:—About the time of the new moon in Chaitra, a certain

Bhairava Linga, which were the very embodiment

propitious day is fixed by the aid of the village Jöyisa, or astrologer, and the woman who is to offer the sacrifice performs certain ceremonies, or pújë, in honor of Siva, taking her meals

of Siva's essence.

only once a day, in the evening.

He thereupon assigned the

first to the Jains, the second to the Kurubars, and the third to the Marasa Vakkaligaru for

worship. It only remained for Siva to punish the traitor whose treachery had very nearly put an end to his own existence. He accordingly con demned the rayat to cut off his forefinger, which was the offending member, as atonement for his

sin. The poor rayat did so without hesitation. In the meantime his wife appeared on the scene,

and petitioned the god to accept her own ring and little fingers in lieu of her lord's forefinger, as the loss would be too great to men, who are

required to labour with the hand for their bread. Siva was greatly pleased with the self-sacrifice of the rayat’s wife, and granted her petition. It is the progeny of this virtuous woman who observe the vow to the present day. The place where the wicked giant was burnt to death may still be recognized by a hill in the Kölär tāluka,

called Siti Betta, where there is a mine of Vibhūti, or sacred ashes. Such is the history of the origin of this singular rite, given by a class of itinerant beggars called Pichiguntadavaru, who form a living encyclopædia of such traditions, and whose tales are implicitly believed by the Marasa Vakkaligaru, who are themselves unable to

account for the strange custom. The episode in the Bhāgavata, which relates to the rise and fall of Bhasmāsura, or more

For three

days before the final operation, she has to support herself with milk, sugar, fruits, &c.— all substantial food being eschewed. On the

day appointed, a common cart is brought out, and is painted in alternate stripes with white and red ochre, and is further adorned with streamers,

gay flags, flowers, &c., in imitation of a car. Sheep or pigs are slaughtered before it, their number being generally governed by the number of child ren borne by the sacrificing female. The cart is then dragged by bullocks, preceded by the usual music, the woman and her husband following, with new pots (karaga), filled with water and small pieces of silver coin, borne on their heads, and accompanied by a retinue of friends and relatives. The village washerman has to spread

clean clothes along the path of the procession, which stops near the boundary of the village, where a leafy bower or shed is prepared, with three pieces of stone installed in it, symbolizing the

god Śiva. Flowers, fruits, cocoanuts, incense, &c., are then offered, varied occasionally by an additional sheep or pig. A wooden seat (Mane) is then placed before the image, and the sacri

ficing woman places upon it her right hand, with the fingers spread out. A man holds her hand firmly, and the village carpenter, placing his chisel on the first joints of her ring and little

fingers, chops them off with a single stroke of

prevail among the ignorant Marasa Vakkaligaru

his right hand. The pieces lopped off are thrown into an ant-hill (Hutta), and, as soon after as possible, the tips of the mutilated fingers, round which rags are bound, are dipped into a vessel containing boiling gingili til (oil). This opera

are alone described here.

tion, it is believed, prevents bleeding and swelling,

These people may roughly be classed under three heads—viz., (1) those whose women offer the aforesaid sacrifice; (2) those who offer a

and accelerates the cure. The fee of the carpenter

appropriately Wrikásura, is totally different from the above story; but, as stated at the outset, the popular impressions on the subject which

golden substitute; and (3) those who do not perform the rite. These sections, however, freely intermarry with one another, and it is only in the performance of the sacrifice that the differ

is one kanthirāyi fanām (four annas eight pies) for each maimed finger, besides presents in kind.

The women undergo the barbarous and painful ceremony without a murmur, and it is an article of the popular belief that were it neglected, or if nails grow on the stumps, dire ruin and misfor-.

Class I. embraces exclusively worshippers of Bhairava Linga, or Bhandi Děvaru. The

tune will overtake the recusant family. Staid matrons who have had their fingers maimed for life in the above manner, exhibit their stumps

ceremony is performed by women after they

with a pride worthy of a better cause. At

ence between them exists.