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



doing this, the man seated on the ground gets up, takes his 

 stand to the south of the heap and circumambulates it thrice— 

 by going westward during the first and third times, and by 

 going eastward on the second occasion. While he is circum- 

 ambulating it, he keeps his hand farthest from the heap of 

 grain, Avhile with the other he holds a winno wing-fan, 1 and taps 

 the heap with it. When the heaping operation has been 

 finished, all the celebrants sprinkle the heap of cleaned grain 

 with Ganges water [Note that water is a protective against the 

 influence of malignant spirits. Also compare the act of sprink- 

 ling with Ganges water with the placing of the pot fid of water 

 to the north of the threshing-pole preliminary to the threshing 

 operation in the Rohilkhand Division. In the Bareilly district, 

 however, after the offerings of fire, butter and coarse sugar 

 have been made to the heap of winnowed -out grains, water is 

 poured all round it, and the whole ceremony is wound up with 

 the distribution of the sugar to those present], 2 salute it and 

 then cover it up with a cloth [presumably to protect it from 

 the evil eye of the " eye-biters"]. It is allowed to remain thu 

 till the time for measuring the cleaned grain comes. There- 

 after a line is drawn upon the ground and all round this heap, 

 inside which charmed circle none may go save and except the 

 man who will measure the cleaned grain. It is a sine qua non 

 of all these rites that they should be performed with the strictest 

 silence. 9 The act of circumambulating the heap of winnowed 

 grain thrice is known as performing the ceremony of Chang or 



Chank faf«ti or «J^). 



In the Etawah district of the U.P., however, the aforemen- 

 tioned rites are performed with some variations. The culti- 

 vator places, three spans off to the north of the heap of win- 

 nowed grain, a threshing-floor rake, a bullock's muzzle, and a 

 rope. [I am unable to make out the significance of these three 

 articles]. Thereafter, in the space between these articles and 

 the pile of grain, he places a small offering composed of some 

 ears of grain, some leaves of the gigantic swallow-wort and a 

 few flowers. [Note that the swallow-wort is a sacred plant: 

 and the flowers and the ears of corn are scarers of evil spirits *]. 

 This offering is placed on a piece of cowdung cake. [Note that 

 cow-dung is a spirit- searerj. Then he covers up the heap of 

 grain with a cloth presumably to protect it from the baleful 



For the magical powers popularly ascribed to the winnowing-fan. 

 ride my article "The Worship of the Earth-Mother" in the Hindustan 

 Review (Allahabad) for July 1916, page 55. 



2 Bareilly Settlement Report. By S. M. Moens. Allahabad: 1874. 



p. In. 



• Vide the Karnal Settlement Report. By J. Wilson. Lahore: 1886. 



* Crooke's An Introduction to the Popular Religion and Folklore of 

 Northern India (Allahabad Edition of 18(M), pp. 182, 206, 209 ; pp. 200-1- 



