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Updated: May 13, 2025
When he has taken this position, all who have come to the festival to worship our god Bir-ap-pa, bring cocoa-nuts, and going up to the pillar where the priest is kneeling, they take the cocoa-nuts in their hands, and press upon one another, each crying, `I am first, I am first. Then ten of the most respectable people come out, stand apart from the rest, make the people who are pressing forward stand back, and take the cocoa-nuts, which the people have brought, into their own hands.
She began to swing and roll herself about in a most strange manner, trying to make the multitude believe that Bir-ap-pa, or some other god or goddess, had entered into her. She struck and kicked those persons who tried to hold her, and abused many in very foul language. I saw and heard all this, and thought the woman was a great hypocrite.
After some of the ceremonies had been performed in honour of the shepherds' god, Bir-ap-pa, certain consecrated things were carried by the priest, and others by his wife, to a particular tank, or artificial lake, where special washings and other purifying ceremonies had to be performed.
"The worshippers of Bir-ap-pa, and the mob of followers all dispersed in vexation and grief; but I went home greatly amused."
Seeing the shepherd, who thus came and stood, the gentleman entered into conversation with him, as follows: G. "Well, Sir, Gowda, who are you?" S. "I am a shepherd, my lord." G. "What is your name?" S. "My name is Bit-tare Shikkanu, Sir." G. "Bravo! If one let go your name, he won't catch it again, eh? Well, what is your god's name?" S. "Bir-ap-pa is our god, Sir."
Four others, strong men, stand near the priest; the elders hand the cocoa-nuts to them; and they keep on breaking them on the priest's head; the priest, all the time, having his eyes shut, is down on his hands and knees before Bir-ap-pa, holding out his shaven head, until great heaps of cocoa-nut fragments are piled up as high as an elephant on both sides of him.
G. "Bir-ap-pa, eh? what is he like?" S. "That's good, Sir. What should god be like? It is in this temple." G. "How do you worship your god? and how often?" S. "We worship our god once a year, or once in two years, or if we miss that, once in three years.
Then worshipping god, presenting flowers, lighted wave offerings, offerings of money, of ornaments, votive offerings, and consecrated cattle; persons who give their hair, cocoa-nut scramblers, lamp bearers, offerers of fruit and flowers, many people come together, and we worship our god Bir-ap-pa." G. "Is the temple, where your god is, very clean?" S. "Yes, Sir.
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