Folk Lore Notes. Vol. I—Gujarat

by A. M. T. Jackson

If the evil spirit possessing a patient is a purvaj, i.e., the spirit of a deceased ancestor, either Nārāyan-bali Shrāddha or Nil-Parvani Shrāddha or Tripindi Shrāddha is performed in order to propitiate it, and a party of Brāhmans is invited to dinner. In case the purvaj is a female, a cocoanut is installed in a gokhalo (a niche) in the wall to represent it, ghi lamps are lighted, and frankincense is burnt every morning before it. On the anniversary of the death of the purvaj a party of gorānis (unwidowed women) is invited to dinner.[71]

If a woman is believed to be possessed by a dākan, she is made to hold a shoe in her teeth and is taken to the village boundary, where the shoe is dropped, and a circle is drawn round it with water from a bowl carried by the party. The holding of the shoe by the teeth signifies a vow on the part of the dākan never to re-enter the person of the exorcised woman.[72]

The following are other occasions for religious dancing, namely during the Nav-rātra holidays (i.e., the festival which commences from the 1st day of the bright half of Āshvin and lasts for nine days); at the time of offering oblations to the village-gods; on the occasion of setting up a pillar in memory of a deceased person; at the time of the Nilotsava[73] ceremony.

At the time when Randal the wife of Surya is installed and worshipped, a party of young women dance in a circle before the goddess to the accompaniment of garabis.[74]

The eighth day of the bright half of Āshvin is dedicated to the worship of the Mātās and devis (minor goddesses), and on this day, bhuvās have to dance each before his favourite mātā. This they have also to do on the 1st day of the bright half of Āshādh. Bhuvās are also invited to dance on the Diwāsā day i.e., the last day of Āshādh.[74]

The bhuvā occupies a high place in the esteem of the village people, and commands much respect. In the first place, his position is that of a medium between the gods and goddesses on the one hand and human beings on the other.[75] He is the interpreter of the will of the gods, which he expresses to the public when in a state of trance. Besides he is believed to have power over the evil spirits which are visible to a bhuvā though cannot be seen by ordinary eyes.[76] He is the guardian of the village, his duty, being to protect the people from the malignant influence of the evil spirits.[76]

In the next place, it is also the office of the bhuvā to treat the sick. In cases when medicine is unavailing and where the malady is supposed to be the work of some evil spirit, the opinion of the bhuvā is sought by the relations of the patient and is given by the test of the scrutiny of grain.[77] When the sick person is found to be under the influence of a spirit, the common mode of exorcising is to take an utār to the cemetery. An image of a human being is prepared out of the flour of adad (phaseolus radiatus) and is passed round the body of the sick person. The bhuvā then holds the image near his heart and stretches himself on a bier with the image on his bosom. In this condition the bhuvā is taken to the cemetery, and the evil spirit is believed to be driven by these means out of the patient’s body.[78]

The bhuvā distributes dorās (magic threads) and anklets among the people. Such things are coveted for their efficacy in warding off the influence of evil spirits and are often sought after by people for their cattle as well as for themselves.[79] The prosperity of the dānklān-vagādnārs (those who beat the drum) depends to a large extent on the success of the bhuvā’s business, and for this reason, the drummers are often very good advocates of the bhuvā and take every opportunity of glorifying his powers and merits.

The respect which a bhuvā commands in this way is sometimes increased by the performance of such tricks as his putting lighted torches into his mouth, placing his hand in boiling oil, and similar performances.

But although there may be some bhuvās who profit by imposing upon the credulity of the villagers, there are many bhuvās who do not work with the expectation of any reward, and are only actuated by benevolent motives. Many of them honestly believe that at the time when they are thrown into a state of trance, the mātās or deities actually enter their bodies and speak their wishes through them as a medium.