bride's home, and there certain ceremonies and feastings take place, and there is also much distributing of cloths, fruit, betel and other presents. After a few days thus spent, the bride is taken away by her husband to his own home, which she henceforth shares with him.

It may be well just to mention that, sometimes, in fulfilment of a vow, the marriage takes place at some more or less celebrated place of pilgrimage. In that event, a pilgrimage is made by all concerned to the favoured shrine, and the marriage takes place there. In such cases, all the ceremonies are crowded into one day, and some, of lesser importance, are omitted altogether.

In this description of the mode of procedure followed in the marriages of Hindus, many customary rites and ceremonies, of lesser importance, are not mentioned; but a fair idea has been given of the chief of them, and enough has been said to convey a tolerably clear notion of what a Hindu marriage means. It must also be borne in mind, as was before mentioned, that whilst the chief acts of ritual are the same amongst all Hindus, many minor ceremonies may differ much in different parts of this vast country, and amongst the different races and nations who profess the Brahminical religion. Some account of unorthodox marriages will be given in the next chapter.

It will easily be seen what an expensive affair such marriages are, and what, comparatively, large sums of money are thus squandered. There is no more fruitful source of debt, that curse of India, than these marriage customs, and the wasteful expenditure incurred at funeral ceremonies, of which mention will be made in a subsequent chapter. The presents of cloths, and jewels, and money, the feasting and feeling, the elaborate processions, and the necessary hiring of bearers and musicians and nautch girls, together with the fireworks and lights, all these things swallow up large sums of money, and often the chief supply comes from the bags of the money-lenders. No matter if the parties concerned are poor, the laws of custom are so inexorable that their demands must be

complied with, even though by so doing a millstone of debt is hung around the neck to be a drag and a burden all through life. As we have already seen, many of the better minded of the people groan under these and similar bonds, and occasionally one hears a feeble voice raised up in protest, but the Hindu is too conservative and too wanting in firmness of mind, to lead one to entertain much hope of a radical change in such matters for many long years to come.

CHAPTER X.

UNORTHODOX HINDU

MARRIAGES.

अधर्मविवाह. (Adharmavivāham).

From the blameless nuptial rites of men spring a blameless progeny; from the reprehensible, a reprehensible offspring; let mankind, therefore studiously avoid the culpable forms of Marriage. (Manu III. 42.)

In the two preceding chapters, the marriage rites and customs of the ordinary orthodox Hindus, and especially of the Brahmins, have been described, with some detail. The Brahmanical rites may, to a certain extent, be taken as representing those of most orthodox Hindus, for, though the details differ in different castes, and especially amongst the various and multifarious divisions of what are included under the name of Sudras, there is a, more or less, general resemblance in the main points of importance. There are, however, a vast number of people who, though nominally Hindus, do not strictly follow the rules and regulations of the Brahmanical religion, and this fact is manifest, perhaps in more than any other way, in the rites and ceremonies connected with marriage. To some extent those here intended have, in the course of centuries, become absorbed into the elastic fold of Hinduism, using that word in its widest meaning; but, strictly speaking, in a large number of cases, whilst nominal Hindus, they are really mere demon worshippers, or something very akin thereto. In giving some description of these unorthodox marriages, it may be well to take something that stands, as it where, midway between the Brahmanical, or orthodox ceremonies, and those which are almost, if not entirely foreign to them. As representing those that stand midway between the two we may take the Mala weddings as fairly representative.

The name Mala is a Telugu one for Pariahs; but the Malas of the Telugu country do not appear to be so low in the scale of actual society as the Pariahs of the more southern parts of the Peninsula, and they moreover form a large percentage of the people. It is true they are outcastes who cannot, strictly speaking, take a place in the caste system at all; but they worship, after their own fashion, Hindu deities, and seem, by degrees, to adopt Hindu prejudices more and more, as they rise in the world through that industry for which they are noted. Most of this class are connected with agriculture, either as farm labourers or small farmers; and many of them, especially in the irrigated section of the country, own fairly large farms and are tolerably well-to-do. It will be seen in the following details as to their marriage rites and ceremonies, how many things there are which are evidently in imitation of the true Brahmanical rites, and also wherein they essentially differ.

When a desirable alliance has been fixed upon amongst the Mālas, and agreed to by both sides, the father of the youth, accompanied by several of the head men of the village, proceeds to the maiden's abode. This may be in the same hamlet, or in one at some greater or less distance. A consultation is then held, between the friends of both parties, as to the value of mutual presents and the like details, and, if all is agreed upon, the youth's father produces a Rupee, to which the maiden's father adds half a Rupee. This money is at once expended in paying for drinks for the friends at a neighbouring drinkingshop, after which a feast is given by the bride's people. At this time, the girl's people fix a day upon which they will visit the young man's home; and at the time agreed upon, the young lady's father and friends proceed to the youth's home, where there is more drinking and feasting. Upon this occasion, a fortunate period having been beforehand fixed upon, the day for the wedding is definitely settled.

The next thing is the Prathānam, or formal betrothal; this often takes place on the same day as the wedding proper, especially if the parties all belong to

the same village. The youth does not appear upon this occasion, and the maiden sits quietly in the house; the Prathanam takes place at the bride's house. The elders and friends of both sides sit in opposite groups, when the young man's father hands over the jewels, and cloths, and various other things he has promised. as presents to the bride, and to her people. The friends on both sides then formally express their willingness to give and receive the bride or bridegroom, as the case may be. When this has been done, a skein of thread, adorned with saffron to represent the Mangalasūtram cord, is produced, and round it is entwined a cloth brought by the bridegroom's people, or failing that, the turban or head-cloth of the head man of the youth's village. This is then taken hold of by elders from both sides and is carried to where the maiden is seated in the house, when it is carefully placed over her head round her neck. This constitutes the Prathanam. There is afterwards a feast given by the girl's parents to the village, and the betel and other like things, brought by the youth's father for the occasion, are distributed all round.

The marriage itself takes place at the young man's house. As a rule, the ceremony is performed at night; should it take place in the day-time, a young bull must be given by the youth's people, which, after being branded, is set free to wander about at its own sweet will, and to be ever after, considered as a divine being. This, however, is only done by comparatively wealthy people, as a bit of ostentatious display. The Dāsari, or Mala priest must be present on this occasion, and also a band of musicians; and there will always be, besides, a large concourse of friends and relatives. Probably in imitation of the Brahmanical ceremony described in the previous chapter, a place is prepared in the house on the western side near the wall, upon which are placed a number of earthen pots duly adorned with various colours, and called in Telugu Arivëni or Airēni. These usually number eleven or thirteen, two of which should be very large; in some cases there is even a larger number. Brahmins do not use the Arivēni; but they are always used at the marriages of Sudras