1893.] S. C. Das — Marriage Customs in Sikkim. 23 



bride's horoscope. The marriage hour called bag-Tear, (the marriage- 

 star') occurs only once in a month, so the day in which the auspicious 

 hour falls is selected for the wedding. 



The festivity of chang-thung extends over six days, the entertain- 

 ment of the first three days takes place in the house of the bride's parents, 

 and that of the remaining three days in the bridegroom's place. 



The first day of the festivity is called the dong-chang, i. e., the day 

 of the first drinking, when the don-iler again invokes the gods and spirits 

 in the terms stated above. The second day of the festivity is called 

 chang-thung-chenjoo, i. e., the day of grand drinking when also the khalen 

 is made with much warmth. As soon as the don-ner finishes his 

 harangue, the Tasi-kyi-Lama begins his work — the ritual of auspicious 

 offerings to the gods and spirits. These offerings, called tashi torma are 

 made of barley flour and wheat decorated with wafers made of coloured 

 butter, in the shape of chaityas and fancy temple-like structures. With 

 these the head of the bride is first touched and then they are thrown 

 towards the spirits, who are supposed to have assembled in space at the 

 exhortation of the Lama. The third day of the festivity is called Chang? 

 ser, i. e., the day of the golden drink. 



On the evening before the dong-chang the bridegroom's people 

 proceed to fetch the bride. The party consists of one or two valets of 

 the bridegroom, four or five of his relations, including the Asliang 

 (maternal uncle) who generally performs the role of the best man, two 

 or three men called the na-thi (guides of the bridal party), the pag-ro 

 (bridesmaid) the hhyung bag-ko (the maid of honour), the bride's 

 page who carries the bride's jewellery, &c, and a number of servants. 

 The bridegroom's valet performs the part of the thief (kun-chen) which 

 is considered a dishonorable and odious duty in the marriage affairs 

 of these cis-Himalayan countries. The bridesmaid sits by the side of 

 the bride and covers her lap with a piece of silken wrapper called the 

 pang-khep. All these people who form the bridal party, are selected ac- 

 cording to the directions supplied by the astrologer, and are supposed to 

 be well-to-do people of good fortune. No widower, widow, or tshang-nag- 

 pa (husband and wife, to whom no son has been born) or rab-che (those 

 who are barren) are ever allowed to join a bridal party. 



In the morning preceding the day of dong-chang, the order and 

 arrangement of seats for the people coming from the bridegroom's house, 

 and also for those belonging to the bride's parents are settled. The 

 su-mi come in the evening of that day, but the kun-chen knowing how 

 he will be dealt with by the bride's friends, loiters behind to seek for an 

 opportunity to enter the house of the bride's parents in a secret manner. 

 In his endeavour to do so he is assisted by the bridegroom, who having 



