17 



and is devoted to the worship of Lutchmy or the Goddess of pros- 

 perity. The Hindoos who may have once kept it, contract an obli- 

 gation to celebrate it perpetually both themselves and their descen- 

 dants. The women on this occasion tie a thread of yellow cotton 

 round the right wrist. 



9. Oopacurmam — This feast is observed by the Bramins on the 

 day when the moon is in the constellation Shravana in the month of 

 Shravana by beginning to read the Rig-veda. The young un* 

 married Bramins have their heads shaved and all who wear the 

 sacerd@tal thread bathe themselves in the tanks or nvers and there 

 throw ©fF their old strings and take new ones. This day is also de- 

 dicated to ask pardon of God, for the sins committed, during the 

 course of the year. 



10. Crishnajayenty — The eighth day of the decreasing moon 

 of the lunar month Shravana, is the^ anniversary of Vishnoo's in- 

 carnation in the form of Grishna — and is celebrated both in the 

 houses of the Hindoos and also in the Pagodas of Vishnoo. The 

 Hindoos form various figures out of clay representing Crishna 

 and his family and worship them during the night when they ob- 

 serve a fast. In the Pagodas, the festival is celebrated for nine days 

 during which the image of Vishnoo, is carried in procession through 

 the streets. This festival is particularly observed by the shepherds 

 in commemoration of Crishna's having been brought up amongst 

 them. They erect porches or pandals of cocoanut leaves and of 

 cloth at the doors of the temples, and in some of the cross-ways » 

 In the middle of these pandals a cocoanut is hung, in which there 

 is a piece of money. This cocoanut hangs by a string, one end of 

 which is inside th^ pandal, that it may be drawn up and down at 

 pleasure. The cast of shepherds, or at least all those who still ad- 

 here to ancient customs, walk in procession through the streets, 

 and when they come to these porches, to entitle them to pass them 

 they are obliged to break the cocoanut with sticks, which those 

 within endeavour to prevent by pulling it up and down, and by 

 throwing water in th«ir faces. This water is mixed with turmerick 

 powder. 



11. Venayaca Chat ur the — On the fourth day of the increasing 

 moon of the 6th month Bhadrapada, is the festival of Venayaca 

 Chaturthe, which is celebrated in the houses of Hindoos as well as 

 in the Pagodas of Seevah. Venayaca is the deity of wisdom, and 

 remover of obstacles, whence in the commencement of all under- 

 takings, the opening of all compositions, &c., he receives the 

 reverential homage of the hindoos. He is represented as & 



