1884.] 
of Ttdigion in the Ilimdlaya. 
45 
as Nava Durga, the nine forms of Dnrga. These are in common accepta¬ 
tion here ;—S'ailapntri, Bralimacharini, Chandaghanta, Knshmanda, Skan- 
damata, Katyayini, Kalaratri, Mahaganri and Siddharatri. Dnrga is also 
worshipped under her other forms as Kali, Chandika, &c., at this season. 
Those who eat flesh, sacrifice kids to the goddess, using the Nirriti name 
in the presentation ; and those who do not eat flesh, offer grain and flowers 
and use the name of one of the milder forms in the consecration. On the 
ninth of Chait sucli known as the Rdma-navamt, festivals are held at the 
temples of the Yaishnava form Kamapadaka in Almora, Uliyagaon and 
Masi. The Chait nava-rdtri is also the season of the great sangati or fair 
at the Sikh temples of Guru Kam Rai in Dehra and STinagar. The 
eleventh of the light half is known as Jcdfnadd, when widows worship 
Vishnu and offer grain, fruit and flowers to the deity either in a temple 
or to a sdlagrdma stone in their own home. The day of the full moon is 
observed as a festival in the temple of Akasabhajini in SAun. On this day 
also the houses of the pious are freshly plastered with a mixture of earth 
and cow-dung and no animal is yoked : hence the name Ajotd. 
BaisdJch. —The eleventh of the dark half of Baisakh is known as the 
VardrtJiini ekddasi and is observed by widows like the Jcdmadd of the light 
half of Chait. The third of the light half is called the AJcshaya or Akhai 
tritiyd, and no one ploughs on that day lest some misfortune might occur. 
The Sikhs call it the Sattwa-Uj and observe it as a festival. The 
Gangd-saptami dr seventh devoted to the river Ganges is marked by 
special services in several places along the Ganges. The observances 
prescribed for the Mohani-ehddasi, or eleventh styled Moliam, are seldom 
carried out in Kumaon except by those who, having suffered much in this 
life, are desirous of obtaining a better position at their next birth. Old 
men and women amongst the poorer classes worship Vishnu on this day. 
The fomdeenth of the light half is known as the Nara-Simha chaturdaH 
which is observed in the Vaishnava temples. The day of the full moon 
called the Mddhcwa purnimd is also held sacred and assemblies are held at 
several of the S'aiva and Naga temples on this day, such as Pinakeswara, 
Gananatha, Bhairava in Phaldakot, Bhagoti in Dhaundyolsyun and Sites- 
wara, also at Vasuki Naga in Danpur and Nagadeva in Salam. 
Jetlh. —The eleventh of the dark half of Jeth is called the Apara eJcd- 
dasi or ‘ super-excellent eleventh,’ the best of all the elevenths of the 
dark half which are held sacred by the pious. No noted fair takes place on 
this day and it is merely a nominal festival in these hills. The last day of 
the dark half is called Vata-sdvitri amdvasyd, when Savitri, the personified 
form of the sacred GdyatH verse, is worshipped by a few. The second of 
the light half of Jeth is known as the Anadhydya dwiUyd, and on this day no 
new task is given by a teacher to his pupils. The tenth of the light half is 
