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SEPTEMBER, 1891.]
FOLKLORE IN SOUTHERN INDIA; No. 37.
823
Bank ras, for which the minister would arrange and amply supply him with fands. Never, again, in his life was Atirapa ever to turn towards that direction. The arrangements were thus successfully made, and to the repeated questions of the minister as to his parentage, &c., Atirupa kept silent, and only gave out that he was a poor Brahman.
Thus, on his pilgrimage towards the north, our hero was detained for a day or two on account of a sham marriage! Refusal would only have endangered his head, for his keen sense told him that he was in the hands of the minister. And our hero also thought to himself:
“Why should I chide prosperity that throws itself in my way? I am now a wandering beggar, travelling over strange countries, with not a kaudi in my hand. There is this minister, who promises to arrange conveniently for my journey, if I oblige him. In addition to my obliging him and getting myself obliged, there is another object attained by this my sham marriage. As long as I remain a bachelor I am debarred from celebrating certain ceremonies at Banaras, Gaya, and other places. Fortunately, without my ever expecting it, my bachelorhood will also be removed. I can, with full liberty, then perform all the rites at those holy places. So I am, in no way, a loser."
Atirûpa thought thus, and freely gave his consent to all the projects of the minister, and at last the marriage day came. Grand preparations went on over the whole town. A great pandál had already been erected between the minister's mansion and the royal palace, along which the bridegroom had to be conducted from his house to the bride's house, where the rites were to be performed, and during the whole of that day the boy could not leave the girl's house. Agreeably to all these rules, Atirûpa was cleverly transformed into the minister's son by being profusely decorated from head to foot, whereby only a portion of his face was visible. In this guise he was conducted to the marriage-hall in the royal palace. The princess, who was an intelligent and beautiful girl, was waiting with the greatest eagerness to get a secret glance at her future husband, and was delighted at heart to see that her chosen lord was fair to see and intelligent withal. The marriage ceremonies were gone through, and were very long, tedious and tiresome. Several oblations were offered to the sacred fire, and Atirûpa performed them all. Every one there assembled thought him the minister's son, and one or two that knew the secret never opened their lips. They were not only largely bribed, but were threatened with the loss of their heads, if they broke their trust. Thus the marriage was celebrated, and the formal oord of the completion of the marriage ceremony was tied round the neck of the princess by Atirapa — the sapposed minister's son-towards the close of the day, amidst the beat of drums and sound of music. The remaining rites were hastily gone through, and the auspicious hour for the entry into the decorated hall to spend the night was fast approaching.
This is a business loft entirely to the management of the elder ladies of the household Neither the priests nor the males of the household have any voice in it. As soon as the 'ladies appear they must retire from the scene, and according to this custom, and before the minister or the priest had any notice of it, the ladies walked in, and amidst their sweet songs and blessings conducted the newly married oouple into the decorated hall. As soon as that was reached and the couple walked in, the queen, who was the mother of the bride, locked the door and carried away the key, as is the custom in Hindu society on the first day of the marriage.
Then, alone in a spacious hall, decorated on all sides, Atirapa had the fortune of meeting a princess! He flung his heavy ornaments down on the ground, and sat silent. The princess, vexed to see her lord so sad, placed before him all kinds of fruits, sweetmeats and other dishes that were in the hall.? On seeing them and tasting a little, Atirûpa felt his hanger anappeased and sang a Sanskrit verse, the meaning of which the princess, though a highly educated lady, was not able to understand. The sweet voice and the majestic tone with which Atirûpa had
1 On the first day of the marriage and in the decorated hall meant for the couple to sleep in, all these eatables are left previously by the elder Ladies of the house.
