$8 MR. 0. A. SHERRING Otf 



place. On this day Brahmans purify the woman and the child, and they may then enter 

 the house and touch water. A horoscope is prepared according to the rules of the 

 Jyotish Shastra. When the first two or three children in a family have died young 

 the right nostril of the new-born child is pierced, or the child is given to a fakir, who 

 shortly after returns it. When the first-born has survived, but others have died in early 

 youth, a large piece of gur, or sugar, is broken upon the back of the first-born, so that 

 the newly-born infant may start its young life with the bad luck of the past broken. 

 A child born in Mul and Ashlikha Nakshitras is handed over to some third person with 

 whom it remains up till its tenth or eleventh year, the parents not seeing its face till then. 

 After the sixth month pasani karam, or chhoti diwai, is performed. The Brahmans 

 choose the day, and the child's paternal aunt gives the child satlu mixed with curds to 

 lick for the first time. New clothes and ornaments are usually given at this ceremony. 



Bratbandha takes place between the ages of eight and twelve years. The sacred 

 thread is not, as a rule, put on at this ceremony ; in fact, only a few Bhotias wear the 

 thread, the reason being that the attendant obligation of bathing daily is so irksome in 

 the cold journeys to Tibet, that few care to incur the obligation. However, after the 

 Brathandha ceremony they never eat without washing the hands and face, which is a 

 distinct advance on the prevalent dirty habits of the other Bhotias ; and the Butaula 

 Rawats go so far as to always do sandhya as well before taking food. The dhoti is hence- 

 forward worn, the hair of the head has been cut short, and the boy can fast and perform 

 Shradha, if his parents are dead. The boy's ears are pierced, and the family priest 

 instructs him as to his future conduct. On the fifth day afterwards dunkhor is per- 

 formed. 



Marriage. — In regard to marriage, the ordinary Hindu customs are followed. Some 

 person, often the family priest, is sent in search of a bride. Mangni takes place between 

 the ages of nine and twenty-five years ; and after the mangni, or asking, usually six 

 months elapse before the formal marriage (shadi). The gona, or consummation, takes 

 place at the age of maturity. In all marriage arrangements the girl is never consulted ; 

 the parents on both sides usually make all their plans, absolutely regardless of the 

 children concerned. Every man and woman is married, and this is a notable difference 

 between these Bhotias and those of Darma Pargana, where in every village many unmar- 

 ried persons are to be found, the reason being that there marriage depends upon the 

 will of the parties, who are always of mature age at the time of the marriage contract ; 

 and instances are not uncommon of men and women who have remained unmarried 

 all their lives, because nobody would marry them. 



Marriage is (i) by kanyadan, the girl being given without a price ; (2) by damtara, 

 i.e., giving a price for the girl to the parents ; (3) by adala badala, or exchange, a 

 man giving his own daughter and taking for his son, or his brother, the other man's 

 daughter. Men of position are ashamed to get a girl by kanyadan, though they have no 

 objection to giving their own daughters in this way. 



Brahmans perform the ceremony according to the Shastras. An altar (dedi) is 

 made and fire placed on the top, and at the four corners are little trees, and all round the 

 altar are pine trees. The bride and bridegroom take seven turns round the fire and 



