Vol. ee No. 9.] Ethnography of the Bashahr State. 527 
[V.S.] ! 
the parohd or parowdn,' but this is not known in the villages. 
This custom, general throughout the Hills, is confined to the 
women because all the men have gone on the wedding procession. 
The women perform the wedding rites at the bridegroom’s house, 
one representing the priest, others the bride and bridegroom, 
and so on, with songs and dances. 
e bridegroom reaches the bride’s house the parents 
meet first—an observance called milni—and the bridegroom must 
not see his parents or sister-in-law until the lagan pherda rite has 
been solemnised. At this rite he recites chhands.? After it 
come a sir-gondi, menhdi ae oiling of the bride. 
worshipping Ambika and performing jaljdtra® the 
hedagroany’ s sihrad is untied by his best man, who must be a 
relative. 
e wedding concludes with the untying of the bride’s 
pte by a man who is regarded as a great friend of the bride- 
00 
The bride returns to her father’s house three weeks or a a 
l eens or parowan appears to be derived from paurdnd, to nen to to 
ns Bsc yme of the ORE recited by the paves are given below :— 
Chhand pakdih chhand pakaih 
chhand pakaiga bird 
Bardt ai npn i Joutk, 
aya lar 
Chha nd pakagh chhand pakatn, 
ehhond pakaiga khurmd 
ri beti ss aisd i rakhih, 
ibe pe ;aRERGR ou eh surma. 
Chhand arson chhand pakdun, 
chhand pakaiga rord, 
Disréa chh and. tab rp 
Jo saura dewe gho. 
Chhand ones chhand payaga, 
chhand pa 
Diusra aos tab ‘kahiong 
Jab sauri dega 8d 
I recite a metre like the betel leaf, 
The wedding procession = acrived, the canopy is pitched, 
“ei ee is like a 
I recite a metre sweet ike = ian 
I will keep your ‘oes 
As (women Sind tame a in the eyes. 
I recite a metre as hard as a stone, 
ite 
# 
Ng 
When the father-in-law gives me a horse. 
I recite a metre as fine as a metal dish, 
e next metre will recite ; 
When the father-in-law gives me my wife’s sister also. 
Chhand means prosody; but they recite some poetry or doha. 
8 This ‘‘ pilgrimage to a spring ’’ is made on the fourth day after the 
ding. 
