52 
E. T. Atkinson— Notes on the history 
[No. 1, 
scrapes a portion of the earth with a Jcuthala (whence the name Jcudkhyo) 
and sows a portion. One to five lamps are then placed on the ground 
and the surplus seed is given away. At the halJchyo ceremony, the jpitya 
are placed on the ploughman, plough and plough-cattle, and four or five 
furrows are ploughed and sown and the farm-servants are fed. The be¬ 
ginning of the harvest is celebrated by the Jcaldi, when ten or twelve 
ears of the new grain are brought from the fields and offered to the 
household deity. Pots of cow-dung are placed over the doorway and 
near the household deity, and four ears crossed two by two are placed in 
them. After the harvest is over one or two surpas or sieves of grain are 
distributed amongst the servants. All these ceremonies are accompanied 
by simple prayer for prosperity in general and on the work about to be 
performed in particular. 
Pus. Man. —The eleventh of the dark half of Pus is called the 
phala eJcddasi, and the eleventh of the light half is known as the Bhojani 
ekddasi. The fourth of the dark of half of Man or Magh is known as the 
Sanhashta cliaturtln, which like the similarly named day in Bhado is 
sacred to Ganesa. The eleventh is the Shat-tila ekddasi when the devout 
are allowed but six grains of sesamum seed as food for the whole day. 
The fifth of the light half called the SWi or Vasanta-^pancliami marks in 
popular use the commencement of the season of the Holi. The name 
‘ 8'rP is derived from one of the titles of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth 
and prosperity, and according to some includes Sarasvati, the goddess of 
learning. Even in Kumaon where the customs and ideas of the plains 
have not yet thoroughly permeated the masses, amongst some classes, 
A 
young children beginning to learn are taught to honour Sarasvati on this 
day, whilst the Baniya worships his scales, the soldier his weapon, the 
clerk his pen, the ploughman his plough, and others the principal emblem 
of their professions or callings. The name Vasanta-’panchami connects the 
festival with the advent of spring and the young shoots of barley, at this 
time a few inches in length, are taken up and worn in the head-dress. 
The Vasanta-panchami corresponds closely with the old Latin feast, the 
fifth of the ides of February which was fixed as the beginning of spring in 
the Roman calendar. On this day, people wear clothes of a yellow colour 
in honour of spring and indulge in feasts and visiting their friends. 
Erom the fourth to the eighth of the light half of Magh festivals are 
held which are known collectively as the Pancha parva : they are the 
Ganesa-chaturthi, the Vasanta-panchamd^ the Surya-sJiashtM, the Achald 
saptami and the Bhishmdshtami. The Ganesa-chaturthi is observed 
by few in Kumaon, but the Vasanta-panchami is held in honour all 
over the two districts. The Surya-shashtM is held on the same day 
as the S'itala-shasli tM of the plains, but has no connection with it. Here 
