GR AMINE JE. C03 



it, owiug probably to fear cbecking the free flow of saliva. 

 Vincenzo Maria da Santa Caterina mentions in Ms travels that 

 rice and turmeric are offered in India to tbe gods to obtain 

 children and the cure of female diseases, and that young 

 girls make a vow to offer rice, should they obtain a good 

 husband. In the consecration of the Brahmachari, the 

 father of the youth carries in his hands a cupful of rice, 

 and the assistants after the bath cover the candidate with 

 rice. Asvalayana says that the disciple asks alms to learn 

 the Vedas ; he obtains the rice as alms and must cook it before 

 sunset. His commentator, Naravana, adds that when the 

 rice has been cooked, tlie disciple sliould say to tis master, 

 "tte food of the pot is ready." In sacrifices to Rudra, 

 according to Asvalayana, tlie husk of rice was tlirown into the 

 fire along- with the smallest grains, and the tail, skin, head, 

 and feet of the animal, and that the latter hefore being killed 

 was sprinkled with rice and barley-water. 



In times of fasting and penitence, grains of rice and barley 

 are watered and blessed and offered to the gods. In funeral 

 ceremonies rice and other food is offered to crows. Accordmg 

 to Manu, the twice-born are directed to offer five great sacrifices, 

 viz., with wild rice (Nivara), with various pure substances, or 

 with herbs, roots, and fruits. 



The practice of worshipping the new rice at the time of the 

 harvest is common throughout India. In Bengal, on a Thursday, 

 in the month of Pansha (December- January), after the crop 

 tas been reaped, a rattan-made grain measure called rek, filled 

 with the grain upon which are placed gold, silver and copper 

 coins and some cowrie shells, is worshipped as the representative 

 of the goddess of fortune. This worship is repeated m the 

 naonths of Chaitra, Sravana, and Kartika. In Western India 

 the new rice is worshipped at the Dasara and Devali festivals, and 

 in Madras the same event is celebrated by the Pongol ceremony, 

 ^W the new rice is boiled for the first time and eaten with 

 great rejoicings. Among the Native Catholics the same cere- 

 mony is perpetuated in the " blessing of the new rice," which 

 is done by the priest in the field before the crop is cut. 



