One of the reasons why it is considered sacred is that it was used as a weapon by Baldev, the brother of the god Krishna.
A sambelu is one of the articles, required for performing the reception ceremony on a bridegroom’s entering the marriage pandal.[46]
It is believed that a fall of rain is expedited by placing a sambelu erect in a dish when there is a drought.[47]
Among Shrigaud Brāhmans, on the marriage day, one of the men of the bridegroom’s party wears a wreath made of a sambelu, a broom and other articles. Some special marks are also made on his forehead. Thus adorned, he goes with the bridegroom’s procession and plays jokes with the parents of both the bride and bridegroom. His doing so is supposed to bless the bridal pair with a long life and a large family.[48]
On the marriage day, after the ceremony of propitiating the nine planets has been performed in the bride’s house, in some castes three, and in others one sambelu, is kept near the spot where the planets are worshipped. Next, five unwidowed women of the family hold the sambelus and thrash them five or seven times on the floor repeating the words “On the chest of the ill-wisher of the host.” The sambelus are bound together by a thread.[49]
If a woman has to take part in an auspicious ceremony on the fourth day of her monthly period, she is made to thresh one maund of rice with a sambelu. Her fourth day is then considered as the fifth[50] and she becomes eligible for taking part in the ceremony.[51]
The plough is considered sacred, because it is the chief implement for cultivating the soil. It is worshipped on the full-moon day of Shrāvan which is known as a Balev holiday, the worship being called Grahan-pujan.[52]
Some people consider the plough sacred because Sita, the consort of Rām, was born of the earth by the touch of a plough.[53] Others hold it sacred as it was used as a weapon by Baldev, the brother of the god Krishna.
On account of the sanctity which attaches to the plough, it forms part of the articles, with which a bridegroom is received in the marriage pandal by the bride’s mother.[54]
It is related that king Janak ploughed the soil on which he had to perform a sacrifice. Hence it has become a practice to purify with a plough the spot on which a sacrifice is to be performed.[55]