No. 26. — 1883.] PADDY CULTIVATION CUSTOMS, 



55 



Measuring and Storing. 



Then follows the measuring of the paddy, which in some 

 districts at least is carried out with equal superstitious 

 scrupulousness of detail. A mat is first laid on the ground, 

 and a large picked-bag of paddy (paturu malla ) placed on 

 it and covered with one end of the mat. The person about to 

 measure the grain bows thrice to the bag, and thrice moves 

 the laha measure, bottom upwards, round his legs ; then, 

 pressing it between his body and the bag, he rapidly places 

 the fingers of one hand over those of the other upon the 

 bottom of the measure three times, and turns it again round 

 the legs thrice every third time the hands are shifted.* 

 After this he sits down on the mat, tilts the bag over towards 

 him, and after saluting it thrice proceeds to measure. 



The cultivators of some part of the Galle District, before 

 proceeding to measure the padd}^, consider it essential to 

 draw on the heap with both the palms a rough representa- 

 tion of the trisula, or trident, the signification of which 

 they do not profess to understand.! 



The paddy is taken home at another lucky hour. There 

 the seed paddy is first dried in the sun, and put up in bags 

 of 12 or 15 kuruni each. The rest of the paddy is similarly 

 treated, except the portion — a laha or two — set apart for the 

 gods (akydla ; Deviyanne vi)% at the threshing-floor, which 

 is so dealt with last. At a further lucky hour the bags of 

 seed paddy are first secured in the loft, and afterwards the 



* To the world-wide prevalence of this " mysterious practice of touch- 

 ing objects to baffle the evil chance," the Sinhalese goyiyd and the Tamil 

 or Moor cooly are no less witnesses, when ignorantly striking the laha, 

 or the bushel- box, with open hand before measuring grain, than was 

 Royalty some centuries back by assenting to touch for ", the King's 

 evil." 



f The trisula, Shiva's emblem (especially common in Coorg at places 

 connected with superstition), denotes that the three great attributes of 

 Creator, Destroyer, and Regenerator are combined in him. 



J " There is yet another due ochyaul, which belongs to their gods, and 

 is an offering sometimes carried away by the priests, and sometimes 

 they bestow it upon the beggars, and sometimes they will take it and 

 hang it up in their houses, and at convenient time sacrifice it them- 

 selves. It is one of their measures, which is about half a peek.'" — Knox, 

 p. 101-2, 



