1917.] North Indian Agricultural Ceremonies. 39 



of the LLP., and aJso for the performance of many magical rites 

 tor the cure of ailments and hydrophobia 'J with some butter, 

 sweetmeats, and cakes. He lights a fire by way of sacrifice 

 J Compare this with the instances, mentioned supra, of lighting 

 i he fire (in the Rohilkhand Division) on the threshing-floor, and 

 1 he fire-offering made (in the Bareilly district) to tin? heap of 

 winnowed grains] and makes an offering of sonic of the eatables 

 and eats the remainder in perfect silence} 



This taboo is also strictlv observed in connection with a 

 curious festival which is celebrated in a good many of the 

 feudatory States of Central India. It is known as the Maun 

 r >haraun or the Festival of the Silent Pasturing of Cattle. 

 Those who take part in its celebration get up at the peep of 

 dawn, wash and bathe, besmear their bodies with oil, and be- 

 garland themselves with wreaths of flowers about their necks 

 While they are undergoing these operations, they observe profound 

 silence and make their wants known by mean* of gestures. When 

 everything is ready, they go to the grazing-ground in solemn proces- 

 sion in profound silence. Every one of the celebrants holds a 

 peacock's feather over his shoulder for the purpose of scaring 

 away demons. [Compare this with the curious custom of 

 frightening the cattle (prevalent in the district of Hoshangabad 

 in the Jubbulpur Division, C.P.) in which strings of peacocks 

 feathers are tied to their horns 3 presumably as spirit-scarers J. 

 They remain in silence with the cattle for an hour or two and then 

 come back home. Thereafter, a wrestling-match is held amon^ 

 the Ahirs or cowherds. When the dark shades of evening fall. 

 a gun is fired, and the Maharaja breaks his fast a 3 also his vow 

 i >f silence.* 



While on the subject of rural ceremonies connected with 

 t he securing of welfare of the cattle, I may mention that the 

 taboo against speaking and the presence of strangers is also 

 observed on the occasion of performing rites for the transfer- 

 ence or expulsion of cattle-diseases. Whenever a murrain 

 breaks out among the cattle in the Oraon country (in Chhota 

 Nagpur), the Oraon bachelors select a day for performing the 

 above-mentioned ceremony, an intimation of which date is given 

 by the village-kotwar to all the villagers. On the evening of 

 that day, every family in the village places one or more old 

 earthen vessels in front of its hut. After the evening meal ha- 

 been partaken of, all the family -members, save and except the 



1 Vide mv article North Indian Folk- Medicine for Hydrophobia and 

 Scorpion-sthh) in J. and Proc, A.S.B. (N.S.), Vol. XL, p. 21<J : as also 

 Crooke's An Introduction to Popular Religion and Folklore of Northern 

 India (Allahabad Edition of 181)4), p. 330. 



2 Bareilla Settlement Report. By S. M. Moen^. Allahabad : 1874 



p. 382. • 



3 Settlement Report of Hoshangabad. By Sir C. A. Elliott, Allaha- 

 bad: 1867. p. 17. 



* North Indian Notes and Queries, Vol. I., p. 154. 



