Masani, Rustom Pestonji 1876-1966 creator text utu 2020 monographic en 1 online resource : multiple file formats "Folklore of Wells: Being a Study of Water-Worship in East and West" by R. P. Masani is an anthropological study written in the early 20th century. The work explores the significance of water worship across various cultures, particularly focusing on the customs, beliefs, and rituals associated with wells in both Eastern and Western traditions. It aims to illustrate the deep reverence people hold for water and the spirits they believe inhabit these sources, as well as the social implications tied to these customs. The opening of the book introduces the inspiration behind the study, stemming from the author's experiences as the Municipal Secretary of Bombay. It recounts the protests he received from the community regarding municipal orders to close certain wells linked to malaria prevention, highlighting the intertwining of religious sentiment with modern health concerns. Masani reflects on the significance of water in ritualistic practices, illustrating how social customs and folklore hold remnants of ancient beliefs about water as a living entity, often inhabited by spirits. He hints at a more extensive investigation into the various beliefs surrounding water worship that occur not only in Bombay but across different cultural contexts, setting the stage for a comprehensive examination in the chapters to follow. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Release date is 2020-04-12 Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) Original publication data not identified Holy wells Water -- Folklore Water -- Religious aspects GR Original publication data not identified 96909180 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61813 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61813 UtSlPG 260607 20260610134426.0 61813