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THE LIFE STORY OF A JAINA 199 The bridegroom and his friends feast at some house quite close to the bride's house, ladies present him with four lādus, and the barber powders his toe and then washes it. Sometimes the bride also goes and receives a såri and some rupees whilst the bridegroom is feasting. When the dinner is over, the groom mounts his horse and goes to a temple to worship, and then returns to the bride's house. The bride, who is now sitting behind a curtain, spits Tambola
chânța. betel-nut juice at the bridegroom, whilst his mother-in-law,
nām. marks him with the auspicious čāndalo, and then throws balls made of rice and ashes over him, and also waves water in a vessel round his head.
The bridegroom next takes his seat in the booth, and his friends bring his gift of clothing and ornaments, and after showing them to the committee of leading Jaina in the town (Mahājana), give them to the bride's friends. The bride and bridegroom are now sitting side by side under the booth, and, after they have shaken hands, her sāri (shawl) is tied to his scarf, and he gives her some rings and other jewellery, The father and mother of the bride then offer some clothing and jewellery, and the father washes the hand of the bridegroom whilst the mother washes the bride's hand, and when this is finished, the mother places the hand of the bride in that of the groom. In the centre of the booth a special fire has been lit, Kanya
dāna. round which the boy and girl walk four times from left to right, the boy offering handfuls of sopāri nut to any lucky women he sees. The Brāhman cooks who are present and the mother-in-law offer sweetmeats to the couple, who, however, must refuse to take them. The young pair next go to the bride's house and worship her gotrija, and then to the house where the bridegroom had been staying and worship his gotrija, after which the bride returns to her house laden with lādus, dates, rupees, and the kernels of four cocoa-nuts
