35 J.« Notes on Kafiiiddii. [No. 4. 



assemble together in the open air and make merry. The men perform 

 a sort of war-dance ; and the women fasten little bells round their 

 waists and dance together. Their only musical instruments are a sort 

 of tambourine, a pipe or fife, together with a description of bag-pipe. 



The day preceding the termination of the feast, the whole of the 

 people — male and female, young and old — congregate on the green 

 in front or in the centre of the village, where all assemblies take 

 place — the females on one side, the males on the other ; and feasting 

 and carousal — singing and dancing — are kept up with great spirit, 

 until about midnight, when on a given signal, the lights are suddenly 

 extinguished ; the men rush on the women ; and each man seizes the 

 hand of the nearest female, or one whom he may have selected before 

 hand, if he can manage to approach her in the scuffle which now 

 ensues. He then takes her away to some private place and retains 

 her until the morning. On these occasions it makes very little dif- 

 ference who the fair one is, whether his own wife or that of another — 

 his own daughter or sister or another's ; and as might be supposed, 

 very ludicrous, as well as painful mistakes, are apt to occur. This 

 particalarday is called the Chilum Chuti dj^-^- f^)> and takes place 

 about the Hindii month of Sirad. 



This horrid scene of debauchery is similar to that enacted at the 

 festival in honor of Venus, celebrated by the ancient Babylonians ; 

 and which is mentioned by Rollin in the following terms. " There 

 is nothing more horrible, or that gives us a stronger idea of the 

 profound darkness into which idolatry had plunged mankind than 

 the public prostitution of women at Babylon, which was not only 

 authorized by law, but even commanded by the religion of the 

 country, upon a certain annual festival, celebrated in honor of the 

 goddess Venus, under the name of Mylitta, whose temple, by means 

 of this infamous ceremony, became a brothel, or place of debauchery. 

 This wicked custom was still in being and very prevalent when the 

 Israelites were carried captive to that criminal city ; for which reason 

 the prophet Jeremiah thought fit to caution and admonish them 

 against so scandalous an abomination."* These licentious rites are 

 similar to those instituted by Pir lioshan, the founder of the Ko- 

 shauian sect, amongst the Afghans, in the sixteenth century. 

 * Rollin. Ancient History. Vol. I. pp. 219, 220. 



