1893.] S. C. Das— Marriage Customs in Sihhim. 31 



of her mother, father, brothers, and other relatives, after which tte best-man puts 

 on the bride's head a hat called " sham skor-i-teebi" (with very broad brim, fur 

 lined underneath, and velvet covered above), and over that he fastens a " Jchatak" or 

 scarf of salutation, and then the bride's mother's brother (Azhang) takes the bride 

 upon his back and carries her out to the " gidzho," where a horse is in waiting for 

 her. The first to leave the bride's house is the ngidtheet-pa (best-man) who is 

 followed by the ngidpa (bride's relatives), then comes the bridegroom's relatives, 

 then comes the bride (pahma), who has not yet been seen or spoken to, on that 

 day, by the bridegroom, and the rear is brought up by the bride's friends, musi- 

 cians and spectators. As the wedding party passes by other villages, on its way 

 to the bridegroom's house, the villagers come out with offerings of satoo, ghee, &c, 

 called " kalchor." The ngiothee-pa touches these offerings and remits them, and 

 gives a small present to the person bringing them. 



On arrival at the bridegroom's Louse, the door is found open, and in front of it 

 are some Lamas (priests). 



The bridegroom and his party dismount, and beg the bride to dismount ; she 

 weeping all the time, refuses to do so, but eventually the bridegroom's friends give 

 her a present of a horse or a rupee or two, according to their wealth, and she then 

 dismounts. Bride and bridegroom then stand up in front of the Lamas, with 

 clasped hands and bowed heads, and certain prayers are read. The prayer-book 

 is held by a novice or Lama of low rank, and the Hlo-bon, or head Lama reads from it. 

 While doing so, he holds in his left hand a bell (treeloo) and a small drum {daroo), 

 and in his right hand, a sceptre (dorjei/) and some grains of rice and barley. He 

 rings the bell and sounds the drum with his left hand, and with the right he scatters 

 the grain over the heads of the young couple. The bridal party then enter the 

 bridegroom's house where they find two mystic signs, traced by the Lamas in 

 barley or other grain, on the floor. On one of these the bride sits, and on the other 

 the bridegroom. 



Between them is placed a measure, filled with grain in which is an arrow 

 standing up and having a small pinnacle of clarified butter affixed to its top. The 

 bridegroom's mother then offers chang to the bride and bridegroom, after which 

 a Lama comes and sprinkles them with holy water. This completes the religious 

 part of the ceremony. The bridegroom, with all the males of the party, then goes 

 to another room where dancing and merriment takes place. The bride with all 

 the women of the party remains behind. After remaining a while, watching the 

 dancing, the bridegroom is permitted to retire and rejoin his bride. During the 

 whole of the next day, the merriment is kept up, and in the af t-rnoon the bride, 

 dressed out in all her best, and wearing all the jewels she possesses, comes out 

 with her husband and walks round to shew herself off. She has to dance with the 

 ladies of the party, and the bridegroom with the men. Having done this, they are 

 at liberty to retire. The feasting is kept up that night, and the next day the 

 guests go off to their respective homes. For seven days, bride and bridegroom 

 remain in their house, but on the eighth day they must start on a journey, to make 

 their bow to all their relatives. Having performed this duty, they return to their 

 home, and begin their ordinary married life.l 



Then the bridegroom and the bride are seated on two square cushions 

 placed side by side touching each other, and the wedding vow is solemnly 



1 Captain Ramsay's " Western Tibetan Dictionary," pp. 07 and 98. 



