widely published the fact throughout the country. The accused parties admitted the fact, but pleaded justification. The story told in court was as follows: This Brahmin had espied a certain Pariah girl, who could, he thought, be made useful to him; he concocted, therefore, and carried into effect the following plan. He purchased the girl from her father for a certain sum of money, and then took her across the border into the Nizam's country. There he dressed her up as a Brahmin girl, and taught her how to act the part of one. After this he took her to Hyderabad city, and palmed her off upon a wealthy Brahmin there, who married the girl, and paid a sum of money to the crafty knave. All went well for a time; but by and by the husband discovered the truth about his wife, and thereupon took her back to her father somewhere near Ongole. He, naturally, was very indignant at the trick that had been played upon him, and took pains to inform the Brahmins of the neighbourhood of what had been done. So gross a case as this could not be passed over, and therefore, after due enquiry, the delinquent was formally excommunicated. Not only had he associated himself with Pariahs, but he had caused a fellowcasteman to, unwittingly, render himself grossly impure. It was decided by the court that the facts justified the action taken by the accused and the case was dismissed. The wretched cheat could not be punished by the court for his villainy, as his offence was committed across the border, in Hyderabad territory, and so out of the jurisdiction of British courts of justice.

To return, however, to the more immediate subject of this chapter. In the event of a marriage being arranged between a young couple, and all preliminaries settled to the satisfaction of the parties concerned, a suitable day is fixed upon for the Prathanam, the formal engagement,' or betrothal. The day fixed upon must be a lucky one, and it is not settled without consulting an Astrologer or the Purōhita. At the pre-arranged time, the father of the boy with a friend or two, not the boy himself, proceeds to the

house of the girl's father, who calls together a few friends, and his Purohita. It is also the proper thing to have musicians at this entertainment. The boy's father then produces certain presents he has brought for the girl, such as jewels, and cloths, and a ring. These things are handed over to the girl in the presence of them all, and she is arrayed in all the finery. The ring, which is of a peculiar shape, and which is carefully kept all through life, is put on the third or ring finger, and the elders present are called upon to bless the girl which they do saying, "may you like Lakshmi be happy and prosperous. During the giving of the present, the Purohita says several mantrams of which the following specimen is given :

सुमंगलीरियं वधूरिमां समेत पश्यत ।

सौभाग्यमस्यै दत्वां याथास्तं विपरेतन ||

Draw near and behold this damsel, may she become a happy wife.

Having bestowed upon her prosperity, depart and cherish her in your heart.

At the close of the ceremony, bētel (tāmbulam) is distributed to the guests, and rose water is sprinkled over them; after this, when with the aid of the astrologer, a suitable day for the marriage has been fixed, the friends depart and the betrothal is complete. It will have been gathered from the above quoted instances, that like an 'engagement' amongst Europeans, this Prathanam is not necessarily a binding ceremony; that is, it is possible, in the event of any obstacle arising, for this betrothal to be broken. Having thus dilated at some length upon the necessary preliminaries, we shall reserve the details of the marriage ceremonies, and things connected therewith, for another chapter.

CHAPTER IX.

HINDU MARRIAGES.—(Continued.)

विवाह. (vivāha.)

In whatever family the husband is contented with his wife, and the wife with her husband, in that house will fortune be assuredly permanent. (Manu III. 60).

In this chapter we purpose giving some idea of the complicated and prolonged ceremonial connected with the actual performance of a marriage. It astonishes a stranger, who may not know how fond the oriental mind is of such things, to observe how entirely, at such seasons, the Hindus give themselves up to the occasion. No thought of penalties, or any possible consequences seem strong enough to keep any one back, if there should happen to be a marriage going on in which he may directly or indirectly have a part, even if only that of an invited guest. There seems a positive fascination in the prospect of all these festivities; and, therefore, with or without leave, and at any risk, the ordinary Hindu will make it a point of duty or pleasure and inclination, as the case may be, to be present at a wedding.

The time chosen for the actual performance of the marriage should be in one of the five months beginning from February. It is not that marriages cannot be performed at other times during the year, but this is considered the most propitious. It is probable that this idea took its rise from convenience, seeing that during the period in question there is little agricultural labour to be done; and also, the crops having been harvested, money is in hand for the expenses that must be incurred. At the time fixed upon, the bride's father has his house cleaned up and decorated, and a pandal or large open booth is erected in front and at the back of the house to accommodate the guests

and friends. In municipalities, advantage has been taken of this custom to raise funds. Permission must be obtained from the authorities to erect these Pandals, and a tax is levied for the permission. The bridegroom's father sets out from his abode to go to that of the bride; sometimes the places are at a distance. He takes with him the bridegroom, and a great part of his household; also his own Purohita and other friends. It is made a great holiday, and these visitors always have a band of musicians with them to cheer them on the journey; thus a marriage party is always known to be such by those who see them en route. On arrival, say, at the village of the bride, the party array themselves in their best finery, the band strikes up, and all await the coming out to meet them of the bride's parents and friends. Before going out to meet the party, the bride's father, if the parties are Brahmins, proceeds to the Northeast of the village in search of some earth from the hillocks of white ants. This he takes home, and having prepared a space in the room where the chief marriage ceremony is to be performed, he fills five earthen or metal vessels with it, and places them in a row. In these vessels he plants nine different kinds of grain, and sprinkles them with milk and water, repeating a mantram. The grain thus treated, quickly sprouts during the days of the ceremouies. Five of the gods are invoked and requested to be present as witnesses at the ceremony; namely Indra (the god of storms), Varuna (the god of the waters), Chandra (the moon), Yama (the god of death), and Brahma. This ceremony is confined to Brahmins. The Mantram above alluded to is:

भूमिर्धेनुर्धरणी लोकधारिणी ॥

The earth like the cow bears all things and supplies all things.

The bride's father and friends, with the family priest, go out in a body to meet the bridegroom and

his party. These will have been waiting in some convenient spot, outside the town or village, in order to be ceremoniously received and welcomed. On meeting, there will be a mutual exchange of civilities, and gifts of betel, sprinkling with rose water, and rubbing upon the hands, and neck, and chest of each other of sandal wood paste. Finally, the guests are conducted to a lodging, previously prepared for them. This lodging must not be in the bride's house; that would be considered very improper. The marriage ceremony may commence on the evening of the arrival, and the whole affair lasts for five days.

The hour for the ceremony of the actual marriage has to be carefully fixed so as to be at the most propitious time, and it may fall during the day, or the night time. Be that as it may, a little before the time fixed upon, the party assembles in the apartment near the place with the sprouting grain before spoken of. The bridegroom is then duly bathed; this bathing is called Mangalasnanam (Blessed or fortunate bathing). After this, seated in a slightly raised platform previously prepared for the occasion, dressed in his ceremonially pure clothes and facing the east, he prays to Ganesha (the god of obstacles) to be propitious. An image of Ganesha is placed there, if one can be procured; otherwise they place a lump of saffron made into a paste, to represent him. After this he performs a ceremony of purification called punyahāvachanam. In the meanwhile the bride, in another part of the house, has been going through much the same kind of thing. She has been bathing, and worshipping Ganesha, and also Gauri, the wife of Siva, or Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu, or both, as the case may be; this depending on the religious sect of the parties.

The bride's parents now come forward and, with necessary ceremonies, invest the bridegroom with the two skeins necessary to form the full sacred thread of a married man. (Vide Chapter on Yagnōpavītam). A curtain then being fixed up across the platform, the bride is brought out, seated in a kind of wicker basket, and is placed behind the curtain which separates the