THE RELIGION AND CUSTOMS OP THE URAONS. 147 



Of course, the people are very pleased, and he gets lots of paddy for his reward. He 

 then goes back to his house always accompanied by a crowd of drunken dancers. There 

 they spend the last night of debauchery. The next morning the baiga throws the two 

 statues into the river, and the feast is over. 



Bhut Bhitrana. — Some people in despair at remaining always poor take upon 

 themselves the risk of having a bhut as their guest. This is arranged by the pahan, 

 but he always admonishes the people that it is at their own risk and that he is not 

 responsible for what may happen. The baiga then accompanied by the man goes to the 

 habitat of one of the khunt bhuts of the villages. A fowl is brought and fed with arwa 

 rice but not sacrificed. Then the baiga explains to the bhut that the man wants to 

 become rich and that he invites him to live in his house. The consent of the bhut is 

 presumed, and he goes to the house of the man where the baiga sacrifices the towl. 

 Some arwa rice, some sindur, and the blood of the victim are then deposited in a small 

 earthen vessel and hung to the rafters of the house. There the bhut will remain. But 

 he is a very dangerous guest, and from that time the people of the house have to be very 

 careful not to displease him, and must try to pacify him by frequent sacrifices. They say 

 that from that day the man becomes prosperous, but not for lo^ng, as all the people of the 

 house are carried off one by one and killed by the bhut who is ever restless in his new 

 abode. 



The Ojha (Mati, Dewairj. 



The office of the Ojoha consists : — 



First. — In finding out which bhut is the cause of a sickness and telling by what 

 sacrifices he can be appeased. 



Second. — In subduing bhuts and ejecting them from bodies and houses. 



Third. — In finding out the dain bisahi or vice-dain who by her mantras has launched 

 the bhuts. 



Fourth. — In finding out the bhuts who are the cause of an epidemic and explaining 

 the means of getting rid of them. 



Fifth. — In finding out the bhut or bhuts who have stolen the blessing, giving seed 

 pots from the sacred fountain. 



Hence the different practices of — 



i. Ghosna. 



2. Niksari. 



3. Kanspandi. 



\. Gaon banawri. 



5. Gaon saji. 



The ojha has to learn for a long time, and has to pass an examination before he gets 

 his degree. There are regular schools in nearly every village. The guru or teacher is 

 either a Lohar or a bhuniyar and sometimes a Turi. At first nearly all the young men 

 of the village want to learn the trade, but soon the numbers dwindle away, as they see the 

 difficulty of mastering all the Mantras and incantations, so that only the cleverest and 

 most persevering among them can become ojhas. Every evening they spend three, four 



