﻿lis ON- THE RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES 



which have been offered must be thrown into the 

 water. This part of the ceremony is then concluded 

 by wiping the ground, and offering thereon a lamp, 

 water, and wreaths of flowers, naming the deceased 

 with each oblation, and saying, " may this be ac- 

 ceptable to thee." 



In the evening of the same day, water and milk 

 must be suspended in earthen vessels before the door 

 in honour of the deceased, with this address to him, 

 " Such a one deceased ! bathe here — drink this:" and 

 the same ceremony may be repeated every evening 

 until the period of mourning expire. 



When the persons who attended the funeral return 

 home and approach the house door, (before the ce- 

 remony of suspending water and milk, but after the 

 other rites above-mentioned,) they each bite three 

 leaves of Nimba * between their teeth, sip water, and 

 touch a branch of Sami'f Avith their right hands, 

 while the priest says, " may the Sami tree atone for 

 sins." Each mourner then touches fire, while the 

 priest says, *' may fire grant us happiness; and 

 standing between a bull and a goat, touches both 

 those animals while the priest recites an appropriate 

 prayer J. Then, after touching the tip of a blade of 

 Durva grass, a piece of coj-al, some clarified butter, 

 water, cow dung, and white mustard seed, or rub- 

 bing his head and limbs with the butter and mustard 

 seed, each man stands on a stone M-hile the priest 

 says for him, " may I be firm like this stone," and 

 thus he enters his house. 



During ten days, funeral cakes, together with li- 

 bations of water and tila, must be offered as on the 

 first day, augmenting, however, the number each 

 time, so that ten cakes, and as many libations of 



water 



•-Melia Azadirachta Linn. 

 + Adenanth^ra aculeata, or Prosopis aculcata. 

 I I roust for the present omit it, because it is not exhibited at full 

 length in any work I have yet coiibulted. 



