16 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S.. XIII, 



Then some turmeric (a spirit-scarer) is distributed to all the 

 people. Lastly, the image is denuded of all its ornaments, 

 solemnly placed upon the ground and left there. The light on 

 the head of the sacrificed buffalo is put out ; and the head 

 itself is carried off by the Madiga. The image of the Groat 

 Mother is conveyed to the adjoining village in the belief that 

 her wrath, which has caused the outbreak of disease, is trans- 

 ferred thereto. The wooden cart is supposed to carry the 

 disease-spirit into the neighbouring village. 1 



The second variant of this disease-transference ceremony 

 is performed in some of the villages of the Telugu country 

 nearer the sea-coast. Whenever an epidemic breaks out, the 

 headman of the village gets a now earthenware pot, daubs it all 

 over with turmeric-paste and kunkum, and places in its inside 

 some clay bracelets, necklaces and ear-rings, three pieces of 

 charcoal, three pieces of turmeric, three pieces of incense, a 

 piece of dried cocoanut, a woman's cloth, and two annas worth 

 of copper-pices. The pot is then hung up in a tree near the 

 image, as a pledge that, if the epidemic subsides, the villagers 

 will hold a festival in honour of the village-goddess. When it 

 disappears, a shed thatched with palmyra-leaves is erected near 

 the place where the image stands. A clay image of the goddess 

 is specially made for this occasion, besmeared with turmeric- 

 paste and kunkuma, and placed within this shed. An earthen- 

 ware pot, filled with buttermilk and boiled rice, is placed below 

 the image. This pot is also daubed all over with turmeric-paste 

 and kunkuma, adorned with margosa leaves, covered with an 

 earthenware saucer and carried by the village potter in pro- 

 cession through the village during the daytime to the obligate, 

 ol the braying of pipes and horns and the rub-a-dub-dub of 

 tom-toms. Ihe potter takes the rice and buttermilk for his 

 perquisite. This festival always lasts for an odd number of 

 days, excluding all numbers with a seven in them, as for exam- 

 ple 7, 1 , ,27, and so on. On the night before the day appointed 

 for the offering of animal- sacrifices by the villagers, a male 

 buffalo is sacrificed on behalf of the whole village. This is done 

 by a Madiga who cuts off its head, if possible at one blow, over 

 aheap of boiled rice which becomes soaked with its blood. 



S? *, ° r / leg , is , then cut off and P^ced crosswise in its 

 mouth; the fat of the entrails is smeared over the eves and 



i°Jw^ ; ^ t e he ? d is P laced in front oi the image. A 

 If^f t m i 13 the ? . Placed on the hea P °i rice soaked with the 

 ™2L?-« f Cnfi f d buffal °- (I shall now pass over the 



ceremonies performed and the sacrifices offered during the 



as 



- 



In the evening of the last day of the festival" a cart with eight 



Madra™;,^ ^^l^t™**" M ""'" m ***** {V ° l V "* ' $) ' 



