28 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XI] I, 



may be the way in Avhich these rituals may be performed, 

 . during the whole time that they may be going on, the most pro- 

 found silence is observed and must not on any account be 

 broken within the precincts of the threshing-ground until the 

 threshed- out corn is measured and distributed. 



If we go to the Pan jab and the United Provinces of Nor- 

 thern India, we find the custom existing there of distributing 



what is known as *) jrprr ( K^f ) . When the rea ped corn is 

 being threshed out on the threshing-ground, small quantities of 

 the threshed-out grain are distributed to the village deity, the 

 guru or spiritual preceptor, the purohit or familv-priest, the 

 Brahman and the village grazier. These perquisites are known 

 as angounga in the United Provinces, as seaoodee or thapa in 

 the extreme North-West of India, and as anjali ( *jar^ or 

 ij^\ ) in Bundelkhand. During the interval commencing from 

 the distribution of the angounga to the time whei t he threshed- 

 out grains are weighed, a profound silence is observed and 

 strangers are not allowed to be present at the scene of the 

 threshing operations. With so much rigour is this taboo against 

 the presence of outsiders enforced that it is said that, on one 

 occasion, a criminal happening to come to the threshing-ground 

 the threshers, who were vowed to observe the strictest silence, 

 simply beekoned to the former to go away so that he .night 

 not prof ane the hallowed ceremony with his presence. As the 

 result of their strict compliance with the taboo against speak- 

 ng while the threshing operation was goin^ on, they were 

 eTc" e' UP a Ma S istrate f or having connived at his 



«i» ™? lt h °?i ho , wever ' is observed during the preliminary 

 * Yr>°n th ^. thr . eshm S operation in some parts of the Benares 

 w? 1 7' h \ Dlvlslons a nd of the North-Western Province. 

 V\ hen the harvested crops are about to be gathered into a heap, 

 a man sits down with a ploughshare in his hand which he stick 

 into the ground and on each side whereof ,„ne hum grass and 

 cow-dung are placed. [Note that both of these are spirit searers.l 



l^S er .if n ° ther , man ' froin behind the back of the person 

 seated on the ground, throws some corn over the latter's head. 



fhTS!i th \T n Slttl 1 ng , 0n the S round P lac es this corn all round 

 I t?Vo ^ and ' during ali the time that he m *Y be doing 

 ontSw wv, PreC i Utl T that this operation is not seen by an 3 

 T^tl' *i n the P lou gbshare has been completelv covered 



and Thtl ft 8 Tt the man Seated on the g round ****** U P ; 

 Jendtr 2 f T' wh ° are P resent ™ the threshing-ground, 



render iw sistancejnheaping up the harvested crops.' 



bmT^b^^ssP of tndian 2W By H M 1BW - *"*-• 



2 Op. cit., p. 20. 



