Note 13 — Chapter II · THE HEROIC GODLINGS.
Reading edition
At Vávashi in the Pen taluka of the Kolába District, in cases of epidemic diseases, the people of the village invoke the god Shiva, and holy fires called homa are kindled in honour of that god. Sacrifices of boiled rice are also offered to the deity. For averting small pox the deity Shitala is invoked by the mantras called Shitala Ashtaka. For averting fevers the gods Shankar and Vishnu are also worshipped.13