Legends of the Konkan

About The Book : In these legends I have endeavoured to make each tale complete in itself; generally giving the English translations of vernacular words and phrases. The old Bhutt of Chiploon is not an imaginary personage, introduced for mere literary convenience; nor are the seances fictitious. During my twenty years' employment in the Southern Konkan as Assistant Collector and Magistrate, District Collector and Magistrate, and (finally) as Commissioner of the Southern Division of the Bombay Presidency, my duties necessitated my camping for weeks at a time at Chiploon, one of the most important towns in the Ratnagiri District. When young in the service (1859 to1862) I made the acquaintance there of one Raghoba Mahadewrao, a famous Bhutt, there residing, with the object of continuing my study of Sinscrit and perfecting myself in the Maratha language as spoken by Chitpawan Brahmins. He was nearly sixty years of age: he possessed such a collection of ancient Sanscrit sloks (ballads) and tattered manuscripts as would be worth their weight in gold to the Royal Asiatic or any Public Library; but he would never part with one of them: for example, I offered him as many rupees as would thrice cover a manuscript entitled The True Chitpawan Legend.