306 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [Sept., 1914. 



days, even hours, are selected. Among the Hebrews, marriage 

 was no religious contract, and there was no trace of a priestly 

 consecration of it, either in the scriptures or in the Talmud. 

 Yet, according to Ewald, it may be taken for granted, that a 

 consecration took place on the day of betrothal or wedding, 

 though the particulars have not been preserved in any ancient 

 description. Among the Muhammadans also, marriage, though 

 a civil contract, is concluded with a prayer to Allah. " Chris- 

 tianity gave back to marriage its religious character. The 

 founder of the Christian Church had not prescribed any cere- 

 monies in connection with it, but in the earliest times, the 

 Christians on their own accord asked for their pastor's benedic- 

 tion. This was not indeed a necessity, and for widows, 

 sacerdotal nuptials were not even allowed. Though the dogma 

 was recognized in the twelfth century, marriage was consi- 

 dered valid without ecclesiastical benediction till the year 1563, 

 when the Council of Trent made it an essentially religious 

 ceremony, Protestants do not regard marriage as a divine 

 institution." Hence the sacerdotal nuptial remains as indis- 

 pensable as ever. 1 



< The Nayars who follow the inheritance in the female line 

 observe matrimonial customs different from those above 

 described. There are two forms of marriage in vogue among 

 them, viz. the Thalikettu Kalyanam (te«-tying ceremony) and 

 the Sambandham (the customary nuptial union of man and 

 woman); the first of which is performed for every Nayar girl 

 before puberty, and the second, the real adult marriage, is 

 celebrated after she comes of age. The teK-tying for every 

 girl is compulsory before she attains maturity; and the omis- 

 sion or neglect of it will place her and her family under a 

 ban ; for it is considered a religious impurity for a girl to attain 

 puberty before the performance of this ceremony. There is 

 however a tendency for these restrictions to be overlooked 

 nowadays. 



The main features of this ceremony are the following :— (1) 

 the performance of this ceremony (tali- tying) in the family for all 

 the girls down to the cradle for the sake of economy ; (2) the 

 fixing of an auspicious day and hour for the ceremony by the 

 village astrologer (Kaniy an) after consulting with the horoscopes 

 of the girls ; (3) information to the friends and relations in 

 the village, and also to the local chieftain or to their landlord 

 regarding the performance of the ceremony; (4) Ashtaman- 

 galyam vekkal (procession to the marriage pandal to place the 

 eight auspicious things, viz., rice, paddy, tender leaves of 

 cocoanut trees, an arrow, a looking-glass, a well-washed cloth, 

 lighted fire and a small wooden box called cheppu, which is 



427-42? iSt0!7 ° f Human Marri age, by Westermarck , chap, xix, pages 



