Page:The Indian Antiquary, Vol. 4-1875.djvu/16

 JaStMAt. 1875,] TREE AITD SERPENT WOBSfflP. TEB1 AND SERPENT WORSniP. BY OAPT. J, S. F. MACKENZIE, MAJSUI1 COMMISSION. Hound about Bangalor, more cspccutlh ward* tho LAI Bigh and Pef6 t ~z* Lite- 1 torni in called, — three or more stones art! to be found together, having repi ms of ser- pents curved npou Ihe-j' which the ac- companying sketch will give some idea. The*,* etones are erected always under the suctl tree by soma pi mi a person, whose means and piety determine tho care and finish with which they are executed* Judging front the number of thorn atones, tho worship of the serpent ftppasa* to bo more prevalent in the Bangalor district than In parts of the province. 1 have seen stones lite No. 16 in olhur parts of Hftisor their appearance would load nan to think that in the present day they aro not worshipped, while LI1030 in the immediate vicinity of B;m- galor are often adorn*-' d w ith ealfron. $0 . I have been able to learn but little about iiu ■'- l&WMft- No prieat Efl (W to flhftrg* Of them. There la no objection to men doing m, but, from custom or for some ruasoa— purbftpl bso&tiBB the ser- pent is supposed to confer fertility OH barren wurneii —the worshipping of these atones, takcti place doriug t!u' i i.t-jri feast, is DO! to women of all Jlitidu classes and creeds. In tig., a represent* a seven-beaded cobra* and is called Snbramnnya. &, a female, the tower portion of whoso body in that of a snake. She is called At n damn, and is the prineipjJ and most important figure in the group, b represents two serpents entwined, the children of c. These throe representations arc necessary to a complete and orthodox group. These stones, when properly erected, ought to be on a built-up stouu platform fnei; rising sun; and under the shade of two jnp-il fjfeyj religion) trees— ft male and female growing togjthir, aud welded by ceremonies in every rcspsot the same as in tho case of human tarings — ctoao by and growing in the game platform a niu'10 (urnr/jota) and ftffp (a kind of woud'Opplo), which are supposed to bebvingwiluimci rriage. The expense of performing' the rnarriaxo ceremony is too heavy for ordinary persons, and so we> generally find only one pfpu/ and a ni&b on tho platform. these two ere supposed lo represent man and wife. The reason given to me for b and hit- pat at trues huing selected as witnesses proves that the Suivite religion is in »uiut wanner — and thin i* further borne out by the tin gam being cmgraved on ■ and 6 -ooi ^ted with 1 tii j fijrui of tree and serpent The fruit of tho nithb and biljiatrd is the only one which in any way n^mbles a lihgam, ond by ptftoing the trait of oithurof these trees ' of the jrf/><t& which represents the yon hove u fair representation of an entire Uugftm* The custom among Brihmans, still acted up to, that under certain cireums! uncus men must marry pTants, is curious, h u Itr.khman is .ueof lakiugtobimielfaihir I, i goes through themirriag- -■. •■ i buiftb* hreviai I txds, with [ArUiolO' tkiil up.in as the third marriage; after the earemuny has L.hju cum- I bam4 uunisnu. [for of evil con- sequences, to wed tho woman who is nominally his fourth wife. This custom owes its origin not to tree- i rhu bediof that tho number three is iwi unlucky one, By burning tho third wife all bad luck is averted. It sometimes tiappens that thn elder brother, not having come across a suitable wife, ii unmarried when the younger brother wishes to get married. Ho fore tho youngur can do so, er, the elder goes through the ceremony of marriage witha plantain tree, which is afterwards ■ tui, and tho younger is then free to wed. The privileges of chewing bet-.l rmr, weft*, ing do wore in the hair, using sandal v ou the body, aud t_. "i cloth behind in a particular manner, are coufme J to married men only. By going through the ceremony uf mar- riage with n plantain tree, ihe unfortnuale bachelor who cannot get a wife is entitled to exercise all tho coveted privileges. NnTR BT THB ElHTOB. AH orur Western and Southern India we And the serpent mare or less venerated, and a collec- ■ This mow wiu tthiui 4> t«et high. t Ckstsm nagkua r-Ee.