Folk Lore Notes. Vol. I—Gujarat

by A. M. T. Jackson

Husen-pīr was a native of Kadi and a Saiyed by birth. In his youth, with his father’s permission, he decided to remain unmarried, and took to travelling. In the course of his wanderings he halted for a week on the spot where his shrine stands at present, and was so charmed with the place, that he asked the owner of it, a Rabāri, Almora by name, for permission to reside there always. The Pīr was accompanied by two followers of the Mujāvar fakir sect. The present Mujāvar attendants at the shrine are descended from them, and stand in the 12th or the 15th degree of descent.[41]

One evening (it was the 5th day of the dark half of Bhādrapad) the Pīr accompanied by his two followers went to the Bhādar to offer the evening prayers. After the prayers were over, he told his followers that a flood was soon coming in the river, and asked both of them to leave him and return with their horses. One of them left the place as directed: but the other placed his head on the Pīr’s lap and was drowned along with his master in the flood, which came down as if in obedience to the Pīr’s words. Before dying the Pīr granted a boon to the Mujāvars that their line of descent would never fail for want of their heirs, and that their heirs would always be his attendants.[41]

The same night the Pīr informed the Khojas of Keshod and Kutiana that his corpse and that of his Mujāvar follower lay unburied at a particular spot. The Khojas, accompanied by the Rabāri Almora, visited the place in the morning and made ready to carry the corpses to Junāgadh. They found to their astonishment that the corpses could not be removed. Almora then recollected the request of the Pīr, and told the Khojas of his favourite place. The corpses were then carried to their present place of rest, and all efforts of the Khojas to proceed further proved unavailing. At that time there was a village called Keralun about a mile from the present site of Ganod. It is, however, uninhabited and in ruins and its site is now known as the timbo of Keralun. The Khojas erected a shrine over the place where the Pīr was buried, and the tombs of his relatives were afterwards erected in the vicinity. Vows observed in honour of the Pīr having proved fruitful in many cases, the Pīr’s fame spreads wider every day. The Gondal Durbar has granted a wādi (a piece of land) for the maintenance of the Mujāvar family, who also receive the things that are offered to the Pīr. The Khojas consider it a merit to dedicate a portion of their earnings to this Pīr. People of all castes from Ganod offer one kori[42] at the time of the marriage of a girl at their house. The knots of the marriage-scarves of newly-wedded couples are untied here, and the ceremony of shaving children for the first time is also performed in the presence of the Pīr. The usual offering to the Pīr consists of churamu and kansār: some people, however, offer a goat or a ram and call it pānechednāriel.[43]

There is a hollow log of wood on the boundary of Lath, a sub-village of Gondal and a mile to the South of Ganod. Long ago a fakir, while accompanying a band of outlaws bārvatias, was killed in a scuffle and was buried here. A bābul tree grew over his tomb, and came to be known afterwards as Lakkad Pīr (the wooden Pīr). The tree after a time withered till its stem was reduced to a small log with a hole in the centre. People observe vows in honour of this Pīr for the cure of cough and bronchitis in children. After recovery, the children are made to pass through this bākān or hole and an offering of kansār is made to the Pīr. It is not only the Musalmāns who observe vows in the Pīr’s honour: Hindus also have the same strong faith in him.[43]

Nearly twelve miles from Vanod lies the temple of Bechrā Mātā, who is the patron goddess of the Pāvaiyā sect. A male buffalo is offered to her as a victim on the 15th day of the bright half of every month. Near the temple there is the holy kund of Mānsarovar, the legend about which has already been related in these notes.[44]

The village of Dādvi possesses the shrine of Mangalshā Pīr. Friday is the day for special worship of the Pīr, when dainties and cocoanuts are offered, and a flag is hoisted. Frankincense is burnt every evening.[45] There is also a temple of Māchho, the goddess of the Bharvāds, who offer her lāpsi and cocoanuts on every bij day. They also light a ghi lamp and lop off the ears of a goat or a ram, and offer the blood to the goddess.[45]

In Kolki a bāvā of the Bharvād caste named Hado Bhagat is said to have set up the images of all the gods in a certain temple. It is believed that he possessed miraculous powers. His descendants do not sell goats to Kasāis (butchers[46]).

There is a temple of Khodiār Mātā in Chok. The goddess is worshipped by Atits, who offer her lāpsi on every Dasarā day. There is also a temple of Hanumān, where the Khākhis bring an offering to the god every Saturday.[47]

In the village of Motā Devaliā are the temples of Bholānāth, Mahādev and Pipaleshwar Mahādev. Both the deities are worshipped by Atits, who perform the ceremony with the usual materials of frankincense, a ghi-lamp, cooked food, and who also blow a conch. It is said about Pipaleshwar Mahādev that none can stay at night in the temple. Once a Brāhman, who insisted on passing the night there, was hurled to a distance of two fields. There is also a temple of Swāmi-Nārāyan and three temples of Thākorji where the ceremony of worship is performed every morning and evening in the usual way with frankincense, a ghi lamp, and ārati. The shrine of Nilā-Pīr on the village boundary is revered alike by Hindus and Musalmans.[48]

In the vicinity of Chhatrasa, there is a temple of Kishordās Hanumān. On Kāli-Chaudas day the people of the village offer churamu and vadān to the god. The shrine of Gebalashā Pīr is situated two miles away from Chhatrasa, on the boundary line between that village and Kalānā. Sweet-balls, or sometimes only molasses, are offered to this Pīr on the fulfilment of vows observed in his name. Near the village gates lies the shrine of Daudshah, of whom it is said that he deprives thieves of their eye-sight, if they try to enter Chhatrasa. In the Vishnu-mandir, annakūt[49] is offered to Vishnu by the attendant priest, on the first day of the bright half of Kārtik.[50]