In the Deccan, hills are worshipped by the people on the Narak chaturdashi day in Dipawáli, 14th day of the dark half of Ashvin (October). The legend of this worship is that the god Shri Krishna lifted the Govardhan mountain on this day, and protected the people of this world. A hill made of cowdung is worshipped at every house on the Narak chaturdashi day. [768] Stones of certain kinds are first considered as one of the deities, or as one of the chief heroes in the family, and then worshipped by the people. Many such stones are found worshipped in the vicinity of any temple. A stone coming out of the earth with a phallus or lingam of Shiva is worshipped by the Hindus. If such a lingam lies in a deep jungle, it is worshipped by them at least once a year, and daily, if practicable, in the month of Adhikamás, an intercalary month which comes every third year. [769] The red stones found in the Narmada river represent the god Ganpati, and are worshipped by the people. A big stone at Phutaka Tembha near Murud in the Ratnágiri District is worshipped by the people, who believe it to be the monkey god Hanumán or Máruti. All the stone images of gods that are called Swayambhu or self-existent are nothing but rough stones of peculiar shapes. There are such swayambhu--natural-images--at Kelshi and Kolthare in the Ratnágiri District. [770] There is a big stone at Palshet in the Ratnágiri District which is worshipped as Kálikádevi. [771] Stones are sometimes worshipped by the people in the belief that they are haunted by evil spirits. We have for example a stone called Mora Dhonda lying by the seashore at Málwan in the Ratnágiri District. It is supposed to be haunted by Devachár. [772] The stones which are once consecrated and worshipped as deities have to be continually worshipped, even when perforated. The small, round, white stone slab known as Vishnu pada, which is naturally perforated, is considered to be holy, and is worshipped daily by the Hindus along with the other images of gods. The holes in this slab do not extend right through. [773] It is considered inauspicious to worship the fractured images of gods, but the perforated black stone called Sháligrám, taken from the Gandaki river, is considered very holy, and worshipped by the people. For it is believed to be perforated from its very beginning. Every Sháligrám has a hole in it, even when it is in the river. [774] Broken stones are not worshipped by the people. But the household gods of the Bráhmans and other higher classes which are called the Pancháyatan--a collection of five gods--generally consist of five stones with holes in them. [775] No instances of human sacrifices occur in India in these days, but there are many practices and customs which appear to be the survivals of human sacrifices. These survivals are visible in the offerings of fowls, goats, buffaloes, and fruits like cocoanuts, brinjals, the Kohále or pumpkin gourd and others.