70 MR. R. B. BAINBRIDGE ON 



now made for pochai, and money is collected for the purpose of buying a he-goat 

 (white) and such things as pan, supdri (betel leaf and areca nut), ganja and a pankha 

 (fan) are essential, also an earthern pot with a cover. Another dance takes place 

 in the village, and those who become possessed, dance in the centre of the village. 

 The girl who was first possessed dances with the fan in her hand. The Ldllu Sarddre 

 (dancing master) then kills a fowl at the Qep J hand a ( sal post tin the centre of the 

 village), now called Sarkdri J hand a, and he sprinkles it with the (blood and with 

 water. The " chosen girl " with her fan then marches out of the village followed by 

 the Ldllu Sarddre, and the girls, all dancing and shouting, " Dance dance, come, 

 come, children, girls, dance dance ' ' and so on. The Ldllu Sarddre carries the offerings 

 in a sup (flat basket) and the earthen pot contains the ganja, supdri and sweets. 

 Some pochai also is taken. The " chosen girl " halts when the spirit suggests that 

 she has arrived at a suitable place. The men here make a miniature house of bam- 

 boos and grass, while the party keeps on dancing round and round. A bamboo of 

 full length is planted in front of the house, also a sal post two or three feet in height 

 and 12 inches in girth. The sal post has roughly fashioned teeth cut on the top. A small 

 mound of earth is made below. All these things are touched with sindur and the 

 offerings brought are placed here, and then the goat is killed by the Ldllu Sarddre. 

 The ' ' chosen woman ' ' sits and drinks the blood from the neck of the goat as in the 

 case of the Demno. The Ldllu Sarddre then takes an egg and some water, and, sprink- 

 ling the crowd, casts the egg away, saying, " Now all things are finished, and Gurya 

 has come outside, may there be peace and good health and prosperity." Everyone 

 now returns to the village. When the house and post become dilapidated, a similar 

 procession and dance take place and the godling is housed once again. This godling 

 is the guardian of the village and is supposed to remain outside and thereby prevent 

 other evil influences from entering the village. 



Chamda Gosain. 



Chamda Gosain lives in the house and he is represented by three bamboos, each five 

 cubits in length. These are one for the husband, one for the wife, and one for the 

 old woman, such as grandmother. The bamboos are oiled and dried by a fire and 

 are then wrapped in path uddli (indigenous fibre) until they become a maund or more 

 in weight. They are then painted with black and red bands. A big plume of peacock 

 feathers is fastened to the top of a piece of rounded wood, which, in turn, is fixed to 

 the top of the bamboo ; each bamboo is similarly dealt with. The path falls three feet 

 or so below the bamboos, and, in fact, forms a thick veil all round it. Chamda pujah 

 takes place in April as a rule. The arrangements are made after all harvests have 

 been garnered. Chamda worship has its origin in sickness. In such cases the Charri 

 Beddu and Demno are consulted, who, in turn, consult the oracle and order a pujah 

 to be offered to Chamda Gosain . Only the well-to-do can afford to perform this pujah 

 and the Charri Beddu and Demno do not, therefore, select poor people for the purpose. 

 (It will be observed, from what appears later, that the chief godlings can only be 



