14
HINDU FEASTS, FASTS AND CEREMONIES
every day. But there might have been days in the year on which a Brahman was not able to observe this. To make amends for all the shortcomings, the gayatri is repeated 1,008 times on the day succeeding the Sravani day, and hence the day next to the Sravani is called the day of the gayatri japa. It takes generally four to five hours to pronounce the incantation 1,008 times and this number must be reached before midday.
The Brahmans, as a class, attach the greatest importance to these two—the Sravani and the Gayatri—days.
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