NO. 39.— 1889.] PADDY CULTIVATION CEREMONIES. 19 



When this is over the paddy on the borders of the threshing- 

 floor is tossed again on to the centre heap with flails, and 

 the buffaloes a second time driven over it (anbaruwan- 

 dakkanaivd ), so that the corn may be threshed well. When 

 •the corn is sufficiently threshed, straw is tossed with flails 

 / meduivan-halabdnaivd) on to the bank round the threshing- 

 floor ( wdriya-kanda J. 



The unthreshed corn which still remains in the centre is 

 then finally threshed (goyikama-ldnava), and the straw 

 thrown on to the ivariya-kanda. If it is a large stack there 

 are three meduwan or preliminary tossings of the straw 

 before the goyikama or threshing ; if an ordinary stack two 

 meduwan; if a very small stack one madun only. 



After the goyikama the buffaloes are untied and driven 

 away, and the paddy fanned with a katupilla branch to 

 remove the chaff and other rubbish. 



Next with the poro-lella the paddy is heaped up in the 

 centre of the threshing-floor (rdhi-karanaivd), and a twisted 

 rope made of straw is put round the heap of paddy (rdhiya) 

 A small quantity of ashes, small chips from the bol-atta, 

 from the deti-goyiyd,a,nd. from the goyi-Ulla orporutva, and a 

 small quantity of hair from the tails of the buffaloes (anba- 

 ruiuo are taken and wrapped in a little straw called dndiya 

 and kept on the top of the heap of paddy ( dndiya-tiyanaivd J, 

 and the heap of paddy covered with straw. The san^e day (if 

 there is no rikta or unlucky hour), or the next day, the 

 rdhiya is uncovered and the paddy grains spread on the 

 kamata to dry, and again heaped up. 



At the lucky hour the cultivator takes the winnow ( yatura ) 

 into his hand, bows down six times before the heap of paddy, 

 kneeling on two sides of it, and at each bowing three times 

 (nawamudun-wandindwd). After taking paddy from the 

 rdhiya into the winnow he then spreads it on the kamata 

 (beta-garanawa) in a line, called beta-kanda* "in the shape 

 of a rainbow or half-moon" (beta-kanda-bandinaivd), and 



* Plate II. 



c 2 



