POO N AH. 
moved from Kiskinda to attack Rawan on the 10th of the moon 
As win, which is celebrated as the Veejya Dasmee, or the 10th of 
victory, generally called the Dusserah. The first night Ram halted 
under the shade of a tree called Gokurnee,* which derives its name 
from the resemblance of its blossom in shape to a cow's ear ; go, in 
Shanscrit, signifying cow, and km'u, ear. Ram then performed his 
devotions under the tree, which w^as itself one of the objects of 
them. When the devotions were finished, the monkeys by whom 
he w^as attended brought him leaves of the Gokurnee, as the only 
offerings then in their power to make. In a short time, however, all 
the leaves of the tree were expended. They then brought the leaves 
of another tree, that was at hand, called Aptah ; and, when they 
were all expended, the leaves of a third tree, called Shummee, were 
brought. Ram then ordained, that, if he should be succesful in his 
expedition against Rawan, devotion should for ever be paid to 
those trees on the Veejya Dusmee, that is, to one at a time; to the 
Gokurnee,, if procurable; if not, to the Aptah, or last, to the Shum- 
mee. After the monkeys had made their offerings to Ram they in- 
terchanged the leaves among themselves." 
This is the history of the origin of the festival, as given to me 
by a learned Brahmin, who consulted his friends on the subject. 
The Aptah was the tree used here: I saw the] leaves; it is a 
species of Bauhinia. When a tree is not in a convenient situation, 
a branch of it is procured, as was now the case. The ceremony is 
described in the Shanscrit books, that treat on the ceremonies of 
the Hindoos to be observed each month throughout the year. The 
sanae Brahmin gave me the following account. " The devotion paid 
* This was brought me at Chinchoor ; I think it is a Cassia, The shummee was 
also brought : it is a Mimosa, 
