Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 24, 1913.djvu/477

Rh some person, generally the head of the village or of the family which worships him in particular. These individuals must be treated with respect, and are subject to certain taboos. Until the present occasion, the reigning chief, or even his substitute for the time being, the Political Agent and Superintendent of the State, has appointed the hang-jaba, without consulting the god, and I am told that the god has never expressed displeasure at the choice. But the Raja thought he would give the god a chance of expressing his own views; so the five principal officials of the village were paraded in front of Wāngpurel's lai-sang, and were enjoined to proceed circumspectly to the bamboo altar at the far end of the house and make obeisance to the god, and then to return. On their completion of the tour one was said to have been selected by the Lai, I think it was the one who was slightly in front when the party made its obeisance. Curiously enough the one chosen was the very man whom the Raja had told me he wished to appoint. The new hangjaba was now instructed to take proper care of the shrine, and not allow any Rajkumar to approach it, for, should one of the royal family contrive to worship there and offer gold and silver, he would certainly aspire to the throne, and might cause endless trouble. From Wāngpurel's grove we went by boat some three miles down stream, and after a somewhat rough scramble we arrived at Kanachauba's sacred place, which I should find it hard to identify again, for there was no clearing and nothing to distinguish it from any other spot in the jungle. Here we found all preparations made. Only a select few were allowed to approach the place, the remainder having to wait some distance off, out of sight and hearing. We had been strictly enjoined to keep silent, as, should any one except the officiating priests speak, the most dire consequences would ensue. The "lay out," to borrow a term from the game of patience, is shown in the following plan:—