Show propitiate THE GODS IN INDIAs INDIA religious rites rit es required throughout the entire season agricultural practice in bouthern ou thern s gridin from start to finish requires religious rites says baya the madras mall in the tamil districts the aarl rol tural year commences about april on april 23 the cultivators of it sage consult a val luvan who flies for them the kind hind of wood that th they a should cut and take away he is s sup up posed dosed to settle tho the question at as the result of astrological observations observation a made on the commencement of the tamil new years day which falls about april 13 each cultivator then takes a little camphor some incense a few plantains plant ains and a cocoanut coco anut and with ft ath others assembled for the purpose he proceeds to the forests where he worships the tree he Is about hocut to cut offering the plantains plant ains and the cocoa nut then he lops off the first branch taking good care that it falls falla on the right side aide in pach each year the side la Is different prosperity to himself and his cattle Is firmly believed to depend i very much upon this ile he then cuts away the required quantity of w wood prid and takes it home another day Is then selected soon after the early rains of the same month by the luvan and then the greatest event of the agricultural year occurs each ryot takes tho wood he be has haa selected for the plow which to la newly fitted up and taken to iba fl old bl lk kere abed japp to it and behind ft stand other plows with teams of oxen oceh tied to them while large crowds assemble around the teams the principal plowman then daubs the pair of oxen tied led to the now plow with aniline powder and turmeric paste he lights camphor and burns incense before it breaks a cocoanut coco anut and with it he makes an offering of 0 a pot of water arid and parched grain and bengal gram then he drives the plow across tto tha field pre ceded by the other plowmen plowman and after a few rounds the oxen are unyoked ked and the offering distributed to tot those hoso present |