On the night of the fullmoon day and the first day of the dark half of Fálgun, the people assembled at the Holi fire wander about the village, enter gardens and steal plantains, cocoanuts and other garden produce. Robbery of such things committed during these days is considered to be pardonable. Some people take advantage of this opportunity for taking revenge on their enemies in this respect.
The fire kindled at the Holi on the fullmoon day is kept constantly burning till the Rangpanchami day i.e., fifth day of the dark half of Fálgun. Next morning i.e., on the first day of the dark half of Fálgun, the people boil water over that fire and use it for the purpose of bathing. It is believed that water boiled on the sacred fire has the power of dispelling all the diseases from the body. People go on dancing in the village and sing songs for the next five days. They generally sing Lávanis, a kind of ballad, during this festival. Among these dancers a boy is dressed like a girl and is called Rádha. This Rádha has to dance at every house while the others repeat Lávanis.
The second day of the dark half of Fálgun is called Dhulvad or dust day when people start in procession through the village, and compel the males of every house to join the party. They thus go to the Holi fire and raise loud cries of obscene words throwing mud and ashes upon each other. They afterwards go to the river or a pond to take their bath at noon time and then return to their houses. The third day of the dark half is also spent like the previous one with a slight difference which is that cow dung is used instead of mud. This day is called Shenwad day. On the fourth day the Dhunda Rákshahasin (a demon goddess) is worshipped by the people, and the day is spent in making merry and singing obscene songs called Lávanis. The fifth day of the dark half is known as Rangpanchami day and is observed by the people in throwing coloured water upon each other. Water in which Kusumba and other colours are mixed is carried in large quantity on bullock carts through the streets of a city and sprinkled on the people passing through these streets. On this day the sacred fire of the Holi is extinguished by throwing coloured water over it. This water is also thrown upon the persons assembled at the Holi. The money collected as post during this period is utilised in feasting and drinking.
At Ibrámpur in the Ratnágiri District the image of cupid is seated in a palanquin and carried with music from the temple to the Holi ground. The palanquin is then placed on a certain spot. The place for thus depositing the image of the god is called Sáhán.[22] At Náringre there is a big stone called Holdev which is worshipped by the people before kindling the Holi fire.[23] After the kindling of the sacred fire the palanquin is lifted from the Sáhán, and turned round the Holi fire with great rejoicings. The palanquin is then carried through the village and is first taken to the house of a Mánkari, and then from house to house during the next five days. The inmates of the houses worship the deity in the palanquin and offer cocoanuts and other fruits and make certain vows. The palanquin is taken back to the temple on the fifth day of the dark half of Fálgun when on its way gulál or red powder is thrown over the image and on the people who accompany it.[24]
Among high class Hindus the thread girding ceremony of a boy is performed when he attains puberty. The girls are generally married at an early age, and when a girl attains puberty, sugar is distributed among the friends and relatives of her husband. She is then seated in a Makhar—a gaily dressed frame. Dishes of sweets which are brought by the girl’s parents and the relatives of her husband are given to her for the first three days. She takes her bath on the fourth day accompanied by the playing of music and the beating of drums. Sweetmeats in dishes are brought by the relatives till the day of Rutushanti (the first bridal night). The Garbhádán or Rutushánti ceremony is one of the sixteen ceremonies that are required to be performed during the life of every Hindu. This ceremony is performed within the first sixteen days from the girl’s attaining her puberty, the 4th, 7th, 9th, 11th and the 13th being considered inauspicious for this purpose. While performing this ceremony the following three rites are required to be observed. They are Ganpatipujan or the worship of the god Ganpati, Punhyáhavachan or the special ceremony for invoking divine blessings and Navagrahashánti the ceremony for propitiating the nine planets. The ritual of this ceremony is as follows:—
The husband and the wife are seated side by side on wooden boards to perform the above three rites. The Kadali pujan or plantain tree worship is performed by the pair. The sacred fire or Homa is required to be kindled. The juice of the Durwa grass is then poured into the right nostril of the bride by her husband. This is intended to expel all diseases from the body of the girl and to secure safe conception. They are then seated in a Makhar, and presents of clothes, ornaments etc., are made by the parents of the girl and other relatives. After this the husband fills the lap of the girl with rice, a cocoanut, five betelnuts, five dry dates, five almonds, five plantains and five pieces of turmeric. The girl is then carried to a temple accompanied by the playing of music. A grand feast is given to the friends and relatives at the close of this ceremony.
The Hindus generally make various kinds of vows in order to procure offspring or with some other such object, and fulfil them when they succeed in getting their desire. The following are the different kinds of vows made. They offer cocoanuts, sugar, plantains and other fruits, costly new dresses and ornaments to the deities, and give feasts to Bráhmans. Special ceremonies called Laghurudra and Mahárudra in honour of Shiva the god of destruction are also performed. Sweetmeats such as pedhas etc. are offered to the gods in fulfilment of vows. Some people make vows to observe fasts, to feed Bráhmans, and to distribute coins and clothes to the poor; while others hang torana-wreaths of flowers and mango leaves—on the entrance of the temple, and hoist flags over it. Rich people erect new temples to different Hindu deities. Some observe fasts to propitiate the goddess Chandika and worship her during Navarátra the first nine days of the bright half of Ashvin (October) and others offer fowls and goats to their favourite deities. Women make it a vow to walk round the Audumbar or Pipal tree, and to distribute cocoanuts, sugar, jagri, copper or silver equal to the weight of their children.
Vows are made by people with the object of securing health, wealth and children and other desired objects such as education etc. They are as follows:—
Performing the worship of Shri Satya Náráyan, offering clothes and ornaments to the temple deities, hanging bells, constructing a foot path or steps leading to the temple of the special deity.[25] Vows are also made to obtain freedom from disease or such other calamities. When any person in the family becomes ill or when a sudden calamity befalls a family an elderly member of the family goes to the temple of a deity and makes certain vows according to his means, fulfilling them as soon as the calamity or disease has disappeared.[26]
Vows are usually to perform acts of benevolence. These consist in distributing cocoanut mixed in sugar, giving feasts to Bráhman priests, observing fasts on Saturday, Tuesday and Sunday, offering clothes and ornaments to deities, building new temples and guest houses (dharmshálás), digging out new wells and in distributing clothes and food to the poor.[27]