[49] This part of the rite is called Kádá or mire. A small pool is dug in the court-yard and some water thrown into it;—two women, the one personating a Rajah (King) and the other, a Ranee (Queen) feign to bathe in the pool, change their clothes, put on straw ornaments and dine on the refuse of vegetables, while the songstress recites all sorts of obscene songs and the females hide their faces through shame. This loose and ludicrous representation proves nauseating even to those for whose amusement it is performed. We cannot regard in any other light than as a relic of unmitigated barbarism.
[50] It appears to me rather anomalous, as far as Hindoo astrology is concerned, that such a national jubilee is fixed to be celebrated on this particular day, which is specially marked as an unlucky day for any good work. The Hindoo almanac places Shasthi, the sixth day of the moon, as dugdhá or destructive of any good thing in popular estimation. A Hindoo is religiously forbidden to commence any important work or set out on a journey on this day. It portends evil. Respectable Hindoo females who have children do not eat boiled rice on this particular day for fear of becoming Rakhasses, or cannibals prone to destroy their own offspring. The goddess Shasthi is the protectress of children. She is worshipped by all the women of Bengal six times in the year, except such as are barren or ill-fated enough to become virgin-widows.
[51] Doorga is also worshipped in the month of April, in the time of the vernal equinox, but very few then offer her their devotion, though this celebration claims priority of origin.
[52] For some general remarks on the religion of the Hindoos, see Note c.
[53] "In this ancient story" says Tod, "we are made acquainted with the distant maritime wars which the princes of India carried on. Even supposing Ravana's abode to be the insular Ceylon, he must have been a very powerful prince to equip an armament sufficiently numerous to carry off from the remote kingdom of Kousula the wife of the great king of the Suryas. It is most improbable that a petty king of Ceylon could wage equal war with a potentate who held the chief dominion of India; whose father, Dosaratha drove his victorious car (ratha) over every region (desa) and whose intercourse with the countries beyond the Bramaputra is distinctly to be traced in the Ramayana."
[54] This is also the day which is vulgarly called the Kalá kátá amabáshay when unripe plantain fruits are cut in immense quantities for offerings to Doorga.
[55] This sacred jar is marked with two combined triangles, denoting the union of the two deities, Siva and Doorga,—the worshippers of the Sakti, female energy, mark the jar with another triangle.
[56] The day before the Kalpa begins, these priests receive new clothes, comprising a dhootie and dubja, and some money for habishay, or food destitute of fish. Very few, however, abide by the rules enjoined in the holy writings.
[57] Even in the observance of this religious preliminary, the Brahmins take advantage of their superior caste, and curtail five days out of six in order to save expense. Every thing is allowable in their case, because they assume to be the oracles between the god and man.
[58] The vermilion is used by a Hindoo female whose husband is alive, the privilege of putting it on the forehead is considered a sign of great merit and virtue.