SEASON. In Oudh, the sea.sons (rit) are divided into six periods of about two months each, —Sard, Sisir, Him, Basant, Grikham, Pawas. The Vedic races, who seem to have occupied several countries before entering N.W. India, divided the year into six seasons,—Vasanta (spring or flowery), Grishna (the hot season), Varsha (the rainy), Sarada (the sultry season), Hernanta (the frosty season), and Sisira (the dewy season). These divisions indicate their residence in a colder country than British India, and where the seasons were more numerous and more marked.
Throughout almost all British India, there are three seasons, cold, hot, and rainy, and in Sind only two, the Siyaro or tire cold season, which lasts from Ashwina to- Phalgun, a period of six months; and the hot season in the other six months.
Hindus of Northern India divide the year into three seasons, viz. Chou-masa or Burk'ha, consti tutes the four months of the rainy season. The rest of the year is comprised in. Seeala, Jara or Mohasa, the cold season ; and Dhoob-kala or Khursa, the hot season.
Amongst the Hindus, as amongst other races, many of the religious festival days or holidays relate to the changes in the seasons, at the IleNV year, when the sun turns northwards, and at the vernal and autumnal equinox. In illustration may be mentioned the Ganesh Chaturthi or Chauth, which falls about the beginning of September. On this day was born Ganesh, called also Ganpati, made from the turmeric and oil off the body of Parvati. He is the god of wisdom, who removes
obstacles, and is invoked at the commencement of all undertakings. Ganpati has a man's. body, with the head of an elephant. His head is said to have been cut off or destroyed by Siva, when Ganesh tried to prevent Siva entering the chamber of Parvati while bathing. Clay images are made and. worshipped for from one to nine days, and then thrown into water. The Chin Chor or Chinchwad, who resides at a village of that name near Poona, is believed to be an incarnation of Ganesh, who promised an ascetic named Meroba, who lived in Sivaji's time, that he would be incar nate for seven generations in his family. The earth inaage of Ganesh is one of three forms, in which the earth deity Mrittika is worshipped by Hindus,—the first, the Nagapanchami, on which feast a snake of clay is worshipped ; the second is Gokul Ashtami, when a clay image of the infant Krishna is worshipped ; and the third occasion is that on which Ganesh is worshipped, and this last day of the worship of Mrittika is observed with great pomp, The vahan or carriage of Ganesh is a rat. The feast in honour of his birth is held on the 4th of the month Bliadrapad, falling on the first days of September. Ganes!' is brought to the house with much pomp.—Jaffrey ; Elliot.