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NOVEMBER, 1898.)
MISCELLANEA.
307
man dies, his friends and relatives go to his house unless there is kunku (sign of wifehood) on her and console the members of the family. They forehead. She will not drink water if the mangal allude to the virtues and keen intellect of the sutra (anall beads of glass with golden beads departed, and then say that they were very much in the middle threaded together and tied by the uggrieved when they heard the news. The feel. husband round the neck of his wife at the time ings of the family, especially women, being of marriage) is broken asunder. touched, they begin to cry. They are then told
The mother of the bridegroom is very much that the world is all miyá or illusion. It is just like a baadr, where we come for business and then
respected and honoured by that of the bride.
The latter has, on one occasion in the marriage depart. Death is sure to overtake every body and what happena is through the will of God.
ceremony, to wash the feet of the former, No marriages or other festivities take place in When the bride comes to the house of her the house of mourning for at least six months. husband, a new name is given her. The bride The family is even prohibited from cooking rich is then introduced to the friends and relatives dishes. If the neighbours, especially women, see of her husband. The couple have to go to the that they do so, they murmur und taunt the family shrines of their family gods. The Sastras with having no respect to the memory of the enjoin that, whenever a man makes a pilgrimage deceased. If a father or mother dies, the eldest to any holy place, he should be accompanied by son abstains from going to parties or other enter- his wife. If he disregards this injunction, his tainments at his friends or other relatives. He act is not considered to be meritorious. At sleeps on a hard bed, and does not put on shoes for sacred places, - especially at Banaras -- they a year. Lamps, drinking pots, dhólis, bedding and vow not to eat for the rest of their lives certain other clothes are given in charity. It is said that vegetables and fruit. the soul of the dead requires a year to go to heaven. On the fifth day of the birth of a child the
On the tenth day after the death of a person, goddess Sati is supposed to write the future his relatives go to a river and make small balls of career of the child on its forehead. The god. rice, which, after some ceremonies, are thrown | dess is therefore worshipped and invoked to make to crows to eat. If the crows do not come, they the future of the child as brilliant and successful say that some desire of the deceased remains un- as possible. On the twelfth day, a name is given fulfilled. Judging from the character and wishes to the child, and sugar distributed amongst friends of the dead, they guess what these may be. They s and relatives. then express every likely desire one by one, and A mother, while applying lampblack to the call on the crows to eat the balls. When a crow eyes of her child, applies the same a little to its touches a ball, the desire named at the time is cheek. The object of this peculiar act is that the considered to be unfulfilled. They guarantee to child should not suffer from the glance of the fulfil that desire themselves, and then leave the Evil Eye. When a child cries too much the place for home. Two days after they give a
mother attributes it to the effect of the Evil Eye. sumptuous banquet to their caste-fellows in the
She then takes a little salt and chillies and name of the dead.
removes (by uttering certain charms) the blast If the father or mother of a person dies within of the Evil Eye. six or eight months of the date of his marriage, A widow wears a red, yellow or orangethe bride is considered to be unlucky. They say coloured sari. She is prohibited from wearing that the family did not fare well on account of black or semi-black coloured edris, and from puther coming to their house. But if the family,
ting on ornaments or jewels on her person. The gains some pecuniary ends during the said period,
object of such a prohibition seems to be that she they attribute that incident to her presence.
should not make herself attractive by putting on Among Markthås, the husband and wife ornaments, or rich and fancy clothes. Childnever address each other by their names
widows keep their hair, put on ornaments, and Life is supposed to be shortened if they so ad- wear any sdrís they like. The father or mother dreas each other. This supposition, I believe, see to this, that being the only kindness which has grown out of the modesty peculiar to the they can shew to their beloved child. Marath& society.!
Saris worn at night are considered unclean, A Brahman will not drink water or eat any and are not touched so long as the morning meal thing, when his sacred thread is broken asunder. is not over. A married woman will not go out of the house Women generally worship the tulast (a sacred
1 [It is, however, a custom common to all India.-ED.) plant) and Rangunath (the idol of Srt Krishna).
