72 MR. R. B. BAINBRIDGE ON . 



west, the householder himself. A place is plastered with water in front of the thek 

 and the three Chamdas, saying, " O Ber Gosain , Darmdre Gosain Chamda having brought 

 us wealth and prosperity we now offer in return the pujah promised " ; then the 

 ground, the three Chamdas, the thek, the he-goat's forehead and the Demno's forehead 

 are marked in the order named with sindur, also the Pitta Beddu's forehead. The 

 relatives and their wives, the Demno and others have thick tassar bands fastened 

 round their necks : this is essential ; the offerings of rice and pochai are then placed 

 before the Chamdas. 



As soon as the Chamdas are raised, the man holding up the householder's Chamda 

 shouts a set of very indecent questions. 1 He in turn is questioned and answered by 

 his " confrere" holding up the second Chamda. In the meantime the old woman's 

 Chamda performs on its own account. There is no attempt to suggest : a spade is 

 a spade indeed ! The villagers join and repeat things, the most gross and improper, 

 although the women-folk are within hearing distance ! Finally, there is general license 

 until the Chamdas are hung up inside the house. 



The Demno, having by this time become sufficiently self-hypnotised, springs on 

 the top of the thek, the he-goat's head is taken off by the Tdllus brothers ; the omen 

 is good if it falls clear at one blow, if not, the indication is that the pujah has not 

 been accepted, and that it has to be done again when circumstances permit. As 

 soon as the head falls, the Demno seizes the trunk and, placing his mouth to the severed 

 neck, drinks the blood ! He then says, " The godling, Sdhdri Ndddu, who gives you 

 all good things has arrived." He now commences searching in the makai, saying, 

 Here it is — no , it has fled ' ' ! until he finally seizes and produces it and gives it to the 

 Tdllu. This Sdhdri Ndddu is always kept for pujahs and devotional purposes, and 

 is a piece of quartzite, or other oval-shaped stone, found in streams. During this 

 performance the Demno displays considerable sleight of hand. Sindur is applied to 

 the Sdhdri Ndddu and it is then put into an earthern vessel, covered over and hung 

 up in the house. After this the Chamdas are taken into the house and hung up north 

 and south. Then the feasting begins. The relatives on the wife's side get a big 

 hog 2 and a special offering of pochai. These things are divided and then the wife's 

 relatives present money and the husband's relatives also present money. All this time 

 the dancing has been going on ; and the women join the dances as soon as the Cham- 

 das are hung up. These carousals continue for two or three nights, as the case may 

 be, and general license prevails among the young men and maidens. People come 

 from great distances for this Chamda pujah, bringing with them their own food, and 

 take part in the dancing and in the general license. 



Five days having elapsed the Chamdas are again brought outside the house ; 

 they are washed with water, and offerings of sindur , and makai-rice, and pochai are 

 made to them. A fowl is killed and the Chamdas are sprinkled with blood. This is 

 followed by a dance, — of the men only, — lasting for an hour or so, the indecently gross 



1 It is impossible to translate these questions and answers : they are too grossly indecent ! 



2 Chaur Mdku pig or hog in this particular connection. One to the husband's relatives = Kind Moku 



