Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s3.t3.7

c7.s3.t3.7

All the festivals were celebrated in their own way. For instance the worship of Mahadeva figures prominently in the Basant Panchami festival. Vermillion and red powder were scattered in such abundance that, to borrow the figure of speech from Malik Muhammad Jaisi, ‘everything was red from the earth to the sky’. The young maidens did not forget to take their offerings of fruits and flowers to the temple of Siva where after washing the emblem of Siva with sandal and aloe-wood paste and painting it with vermilion, they prayed for the fulfilment of their most intimate wishes, which of course included the wish for a loving spouse. Then, probably after the promise of a second offering to the god, on condition of fulfilment, they returned home.³ Similarly, for three days on the occasion of the Holi festival, Hindus of all castes and classes drenched everybody, including passers-by, with saffron and coloured water. On the third day, in the evening, probably the whole population crowded round a huge bon-fire and took omens from it for the prospects of the next harvest.¹ The Sivaratri festival was celebrated with fire-works by the common people, while the more sober and religious minded kept the night vigil. After the customary worship of the goddess Lakshmi, people used to whirl round torches and burning sticks or ‘fire-brands’.²