DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.636#0438
428 Hindu Fasts, Festivals, and Holy Days.
drayana-vrata). It consisted in diminishing the consumption
of food every day by one mouthful for the waning half of the
lunar month, beginning with fifteen mouthfuls at the full
moon until the quantity was reduced to nil at the new moon,
and then increasing it in like manner during the fortnight
of the moon's increase (Manu VI. 20, XI. 216).
In the present day every religious Hindu fasts twice in
every lunar month—that is on the eleventh day (ekadasi) in
each fortnight. These fasts are usually kept in honour of
Vishnu, but are not very strictly observed, as fruit and milk
are allowed. The Saivas usually fast on the thirteenth or
fourteenth day of the dark half of every month, on the day
and night called Siva-ratri, ' Siva's night,' in anticipation of
the great fast on the night of Siva, kept once a year (p. 430).
The evening before is called Pradosha. Some, again, fast
in honour of Ganesa on the fourth lunar day (caturthi) once
a month, in anticipation of the chief Ganesa fast once a year
(P-431)-
An Indian friend of mine told me that, when a little boy,
he accidentally crushed a sparrow; whereupon his mother
made him keep an eleventh-day fast, the merit (punya) of
which was credited to the spirit of the dead sparrow.
Other chief festivals and fasts beginning with Magha—•
corresponding to our January-February—are as follow:—
Makara-sankranti (popularly Sankrant), in celebration of"
the commencement of the sun's northern course (uttarayana)
in the heavens. To mark this, a kind of New Year's festival
is observed towards the end of Pausha or beginning of Magha
(about January 12). The sun has then reached the most
southern point of the ecliptic. It is a period of rejoicing
everywhere, especially as marking the termination of the in-
auspicious month Pausha (December-January); but it is not
really the beginning of a new year, which varies in different
parts of India. In Bengal it may be called the ' Festival of
good cheer.' Practically, at least, it is kept by free indulg-
drayana-vrata). It consisted in diminishing the consumption
of food every day by one mouthful for the waning half of the
lunar month, beginning with fifteen mouthfuls at the full
moon until the quantity was reduced to nil at the new moon,
and then increasing it in like manner during the fortnight
of the moon's increase (Manu VI. 20, XI. 216).
In the present day every religious Hindu fasts twice in
every lunar month—that is on the eleventh day (ekadasi) in
each fortnight. These fasts are usually kept in honour of
Vishnu, but are not very strictly observed, as fruit and milk
are allowed. The Saivas usually fast on the thirteenth or
fourteenth day of the dark half of every month, on the day
and night called Siva-ratri, ' Siva's night,' in anticipation of
the great fast on the night of Siva, kept once a year (p. 430).
The evening before is called Pradosha. Some, again, fast
in honour of Ganesa on the fourth lunar day (caturthi) once
a month, in anticipation of the chief Ganesa fast once a year
(P-431)-
An Indian friend of mine told me that, when a little boy,
he accidentally crushed a sparrow; whereupon his mother
made him keep an eleventh-day fast, the merit (punya) of
which was credited to the spirit of the dead sparrow.
Other chief festivals and fasts beginning with Magha—•
corresponding to our January-February—are as follow:—
Makara-sankranti (popularly Sankrant), in celebration of"
the commencement of the sun's northern course (uttarayana)
in the heavens. To mark this, a kind of New Year's festival
is observed towards the end of Pausha or beginning of Magha
(about January 12). The sun has then reached the most
southern point of the ecliptic. It is a period of rejoicing
everywhere, especially as marking the termination of the in-
auspicious month Pausha (December-January); but it is not
really the beginning of a new year, which varies in different
parts of India. In Bengal it may be called the ' Festival of
good cheer.' Practically, at least, it is kept by free indulg-