82 
E. T. Atkinson— Notes on the history 
[No. 1, 
Another is addressed to Hannman, Narasiinha, Baitala and Bliairava : 
another is adorned with the trisula, the distinctive emblem of the 
montane S'aivas, and all are of the same character as the yayttras used by 
Hindus. 
NcimaJcarana. —The ndmakarana or naming the child takes place on 
the tenth to the twelfth day after birth. In Kumaon, it is held almost 
universally on the eleventh day and the ritual opens with a series of some¬ 
what abstruse general rules for selecting names. The Ganesa-pwjd is 
as usual first performed, stating the particular object for which it is 
undertaken. Then follows the Ndndi-h^addha and an oblation to the fire 
made with clarified butter. Then a mixture called the jpancha-gavya is 
formed of the following ingredients ;—the urine of a slate-coloured cow, 
the dung of a black cow, the milk of a copper-coloured cow, the curds of 
a white cow and the clarified butter of a pie-bald cow. This mixture is 
made up into small balls and a portion used as a burnt-offering (homa), 
and the remainder is strewn about the house and byres and also thrown 
on the mother of the boy to purify her. A homa is then made of coins 
which are thrown into the fire and afterwards become the property of the 
celebrant. The child’s name is next settled and written on a small piece 
of clean cloth and also whispered in his ear :—Thy name is so and so, 
may thou have long life, health and prosperity.” Gifts are then made to 
the celebrant and all retire tothe courtyard, where a figure of the sun, 
such as already described, is drawn on the ground and reverenced with 
the usual ceremony. The boy is allowed to see the sun this day and is 
made to plant his foot on a piece of money placed on the ground (bhurni 
upavesana) whilst calling on the names of the deities that hereafter he 
may be able to esteem money as the dirt under his feet. The party then 
return to the house, where the Mva-mdtri-pujd is performed. It consists 
in the rinsing of the mouth followed by the consecration of the argha 
and a dedication as in the mdtri-pujd, but the figures are only seven in 
number and are drawn on the wall of the house, not on wood, and the 
deities honoured are Kalyani, Mangala, Bhadra, Punya, Punyamukha, 
Jaya and Vijaya. These are worshipped with the usual ceremonies 
including the invitation, &c., and the vasordhdrd already described and 
then gifts are made to Brahmans. 
Janmotsava.-—The janmotsava takes place on the anniversary of the 
birth of a male and the ceremony connected with it may be performed 
either by the person whose birth-day is celebrated or by the family 
jmrohita on his behalf. In either case the person for whose benefit the 
rite is performed must rise early in the morning and have his body 
anointed with a mixture of sesamum, black mustard and water and then 
bathe in warm water and put on clean clothes. When bathing, a prayer 
is read which brings in the place and date, his name, caste and mce, and 
