90 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. |February, 1913. 
reeds and khas khas'; in the middle of this grass a Jota full of 
water was placed. In the case of a widow marrying I was told 
that instead of a plain bamboo a gaidala or bamboo with a 
rough iron spear head was used. This gaidala is the implement 
used by Kanjars and allied tribes of the ‘‘ hunting state’’ for 
digging for khas khas roots and killing wild animals. To 
return to the first day’s ceremonies ; after this Mundha has 
been set up, oil is distributed to everybody taking part or inter- 
ested in the ceremony. In the next five days the marriage 
bridegroom walking once round the Mundha. On the seventh 
day all the really important events take place and the details 
are remarkably interesting. No doubt in various camps, as 
Hindu influence increases and as time goes on, the ceremonial is 
varied according to the inclinations and tastes of individual 
Chowdhris (Headmen) and their Panch or counsel, but for all 
that there is strong evidence of the survival of many primitive 
customs. 
On the seventh day the bridegroom and his attendants 
proceed to the hut or encampment of the bride carrying with 
them two chattis or gharrds of earthenware—filled with water— 
and after an immense amount of discussion and issuing of 
instructions by every one who has ever been at a wedding 
efore, and wrangling and shouting as a sort of preliminary to 
emphasize the importance of what is about to take place, the 
first part of the ceremony begins with what is called Cowri 
Khélna—playing with cowri shells. First one ghara of water 
is placed in front of the bridegroom and the other before the 
bride—they are said to be ‘‘ given to them.’’ The water from 
the bride’s ghara is then mixed with the water in the bride- 
groom’s ghara and vice versa. The eldest ‘‘ son-in-law ’’ of 
the goth or sept of the bridegroom then places seven cowrt 
shells in each ghard. It should be noted that these people are 
1 The following note is from ‘‘ Hobson-Jobson,” Yule and Burnell, 
p. 219: ‘Pers. H. Khaskhas. Proper Hindi names are usir and lala, The 
‘roots of a grass which abounds in the drier parts of India, V4 
" . 
ous@.-+- 
‘* These roots are well known in France by the name Vetyver, which 18 
‘‘ the Tamil name Vetliveru (ver = root).” : 
gging for khaskhas roots and making tatties therefrom is to this 
day one of the principal of the ‘+ peaceful” avocations of those people 
in Delhi—and I fervently hope that whoever has the ordezing of the 
CUORERD SIE, Ete ine Ca aaa en 
