﻿or thJe HINDUS, &c. 307 



and this heart, which is mine, hecome thy heart." 

 3. " Since food is the bond of life, I bind thee 

 therewith." The remamdcr of the food must be 

 then given to the bride. 



During the three subsequent days, the married 

 couple must abstain from factitious salt, live chastely 

 and austerely, and sleep on the ground. On the 

 following day, that is, on the fourth exclusively*, 

 the bridegroom conducts the bride to his own house 

 on a carriage or other suitable conveyance. He re- 

 cites th.e following text when she ascends the car- 

 riage; " O wife of the sun ! ascend this vehicle resem- 

 bling the beautiful blossoms of the cotton tree f, 

 and butea;|;, tinged with various tints; and coloured 

 like gold ; well constructed ; furnished with good 

 wheels ; and the source of ambrosia [that is, of 

 blessings:] bring happiness to thy husband." Pro- 

 ceeding with his bride, he, or some other person for 

 him, recites the following text on their coming to a- 

 cross road : " ^iay robbers, who infest the road, 

 remain ignorant [of this journey,] may the married 

 couple reach a place of security and difficult access 

 by easy roads, and may foes keep aloof." 



jA LIGHTING from the carriage, the bridegroom leads 

 the bride into the house, chanting the hymn called 

 Vdmadevya. jNIatrons welcome the bride, and make 

 her sit down on a bull's hide, of the same colour, 

 and placed in the same manner as before. The 

 bridegroom then recites the following prayer : " ]\Iay 

 kine here produce numerous young ; may horses, 



X 2 and 



* The Muslemans of India do not scruple to borrow from the 

 Hindus superstitious ceremonies that are celebrated with festivity. 

 They take an active part in the gambols of the Holt, and even solicit 

 the favours of the Indian Piutus, at the Divjali, The bridal proces- 

 sion, on the fourth day, with all the sports and gambols of the Cbaut'hi 

 (Chaturt'hi), is evidently copied from the similar customs of the 

 Hindus, in Bengal the Muslemans have even adopted the premature 

 Jnarriage of infant brides and bridegrooms, 



+ Bombax heptaphyllum. 

 + 



* 



