286 CUSTOMS OF THE KAR NICOBARESE 



can the people of one whole village do so conjointly with each 

 other. If a few families of a village commemorate the feast during 

 one year, other families will undertake it at some other convenient 

 year, which will be at a time when their stores are abundant, and 

 after sufficient delay for the bones of their deceased to become 

 denuded of flesh. 



The festival is conducted with much expenditure and demon- 

 stration, and differs slightly in each village. 



It consists of a course of ceremonies continuing from one full 

 moon to another, and commences as follows : — 



About ten months prior to the occasion, all the people of a 

 village consult together to fix the festival month, and then inform 

 the rest of the villages, and obtain their promise of assistance. 

 They next send messengers to give notice to all the villages of the 

 island of their intentions, and bear preliminary invitations {inahau- 

 kare). Of these there are two kinds — general and special. The 

 general invitation is given to friends and relatives, that they may 

 join them in the feast and help in various respects. The special 

 invitation is sent by one family of the commemorators of the 

 ceremony to the people of a whole village, that the hosts may give 

 a performance in their house on the occasion. If ten families of 

 a village commemorate the feast, they would invite the people 

 of ten distant villages for this purpose, while those of three 

 adjacent villages would be invited generally. 



Their first duty, after sending out invitations, is to make a nd- 

 kopdh (feast for the dead). Some well-carved wooden poles, 

 fifty or sixty feet in height, with cross battens, are prepared and 

 planted in the ground at Elpanavi, and in the village in front of 

 the houses of the commemorators. On these the people hang up 

 varieties of yams and plantains; bundles of sireh leaf; bunches 

 of coconuts, areca-nuts, pandanus, fruit, cheroots, and other 

 eatables to which they are accustomed ; in all, about fifty kinds. 

 Below the posts they place teakwood boxes containing new clothes 

 and jewels ; bottles of toddy and earthen pots from Chaura, all 

 fenced in carefully. These arrangements are decorated from top 

 to bottom with flags, etc., until they look like Indian processional 



