50 
E. T. Atkinson— Notes on the history 
[No. 1 , 
with a sister who married. The eleventh of the srdddha-paksJia is known 
as the Indriyd ekddah', but has no particnlar observances attached to it 
apparently. 
Asoj sudi. —The first nine nights of the light half of Asoj called the 
Asoj navardtri are, like the first nine nights of Chait, especially devoted 
to the worship of S akti. The first day is called Devt-sthdpana, on which 
the idol is set np and the preparations are made. The eighth is the 
‘ 7nahdshtami^ or great eighth, when the pions fast all day and make 
ready for the great or last day, when kids are sacrificed and the proceed¬ 
ings continue during the whole night. The tenth of the light half of 
Asoj is here called the Vijaya-dasami or the tenth of victory, and on this 
day a festival is held to commemorate the commencement of Rama’s 
expedition to Ceylon (Lanka) for the release of Sita. It is locally known 
as Pdyata or simply Pait, from the well-known sweetmeat petha which 
forms an important item of the feast given to friends and relatives on 
this day. Some also now pay honour to the young green sprouts of the 
more useful crops, such as wheat, gram, rape, as well as on the Karka 
sa7ikrdnta, when the custom is universally observed. The village gods 
Groril and Ghatku or Ghatotkacha have festivals on the mahdshta7nt. The 
eleventh is known as the Pdpdnkusa-ekddasi or eleventh of the anhusa 
(elephant goad) of sin, and in some copies as Pdrsvapari. The day of 
the full moon is called Kojdgari, and from this day the gambling of the 
Diwali commences. 
Kdrttih. —The eleventh of the dark half of Karttik is known as the 
Pdma ehddasi or eleventh of Rama and Lakshmi. The entire dark half 
is called the Pipa-pahsha or ‘ fortnight of lamps.’ The Padma-Purana 
alludes to the eleventh of Rama as appropriate to the gift of lighted 
lamps as well as to the NaraJca-chatiirdasi or fourteenth and fifteenth. 
The thirteenth is set apart for the gift of lamps to Yama, and flowers 
should be offered on the two following days, when bathing also is enjoined. 
The PipdwaU amdvasyd or last day of the dark half is known as the Sukha- 
rdtri or happy night which Yishnu passed in dalliance with Lakshmi and 
also as the PnvdU. Women take part in the observances of the night 
and some keep the previous day as a fast and devoutly prepare the mate¬ 
rials for the night’s worship when none are allowed to sleep. Even the 
lighting of lamps for the purpose of gambling in any place dedicated to 
Vishnu is considered to be a pious and meritorious act at this season. 
The Vaishnava friars known generically as Bairagis minister at most of 
the Vaishnava shrines and festivals and acknowledge the spiritual supre¬ 
macy of the chief of the S'riranga temple and matha near Trichinopoly in 
the Madras Presidency. 
The Kdrttika Mdhdt7nya of the Padma-Purana is devoted to a de- 
