SIRMUR

The procession moves to the accompani- ment of drums and other local musical instruments. The palanquin is finally brought before the temple and the idol removed from it and stowed in the shrine. A "Havan" (ritual sacrifice) is performed.

The shivering of anyone of the worshippers, who gets possessed, follows this.The shivering person is believed to be in direct connection with the deity and any question or problem may be put to him to whom he provides an answer or a solution. He forecasts events and also prescribes remedies to secure good and ward off evil.

Some women also get possessed. The possessed person often gets quite frenzied, the shivering climaxing into quite violent convulsions. Since almost every possessed person is questioned, the whole proceeding has come to be called "Puchhu"  (questioning) in the local dialect. Since, ultimately, it is the god or goddess, as the case may be, who is questioned, through the oracle, the whole act assumes sanctified solemnity.

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