176 Col. Macxrnzir on Hindu and Mahommedan Marriage Ceremonies. 
entertainment to his guests, who afterwards retire for the night to places 
appointed for them. 
In the morning the bride’s father sends his Brahmin with presents to the 
father of the bridegroom, to invite him and his friends to a breakfast, which 
consists entirely of sweetmeats, and at mid-day various kinds of food are 
dressed for them. While they are at their repast the women come from the 
house and sing nuptial songs, with others containing satire, which is not 
taken amiss, but allowed on these occasions. ‘The bride’s father prepares the 
marriage-portion, while his wife in the house washes the bridegroom with 
barley-meal and scented water; the bridegroom’s father also gets ready 
his presents for the bride. The bride’s father goes into the house, and care- 
fully collecting the clothes, jewels, and other articles brought by the bride- 
groom, he returns the whole, a few jewels excepted, which are necessary 
for the bride, such as the nose-ring, rings for wearing round the wrists, 
and amulets enclosed in silver cases, by the hands of his Brahmin, to the 
bridegroom’s father, stating that these things are not required. The bride- 
groom’s father conveys the things, thus returned, to the Mundoh ; his friends 
also bring clothes and money according to their means, and deposit them in 
the same place. The bridegroom is seated in the Mundoh, with the bride 
at his side; the bridegroom’s father then comes forward, and adorning the 
bride with a veil and jewels, and having made an offering in money, he 
places before her the articles returned by her father, to whom he says, 
** these things are mine, I give them to the bride; it is, therefore, neces- 
sary they should be accepted.” The bride’s father, after great difficulty 
and much entreaty, agrees to take them. ‘The bridegroom is conducted to 
the house, when his mother-in-law and the other women give him jewels, 
rings and money ; the bride’s mother then falls at his feet, and tells him 
she has given him her daughter to be his servant ; on which all the women 
burst into tears. The bridegroom, as soon as the women are pacified, 
presents to his mother-in-law a dress, with silver ornaments for binding the 
petticoats, which, after much entreaty on his part, she consents to receive. 
The bridegroom then, having collected all the presents made to him, returns 
to his own house accompanied by the marriage procession. On his arrival, 
his mother meets him at the door, holding a lighted lamp in each hand ; 
she conducts him into the house, and the women of the family sprinkle 
water before him: they then pay their adorations to the household gods, 
