THE RELIGION AND CUSTOMS OF THE URAONS, 161 



IV. — Marriage. 



Marriage ceremonies of the Uraons are very complicated, but as they are very quaint 

 nothing will be omitted in their description. First, let it be known that the boy and girl 

 have absolutely nothing to say in the matter. Everything is settled by the parents. Infant 

 marriage is not in honour among the Uraons, and the tendency is rather to put off the 

 marriage as long as they can. The average age of the bridegroom is 16 and that of 

 the bride 14 or 15. 



Preliminaries. — When a boy is about 13 years of age, the parents look out for a wife 

 for him. When they have found a girl, who they think will suit their boy, they go to 

 her house and propose to the father. If he accepts the proposal, a day is settled for the 

 girl's father to come and see the boy. On his way he takes great care to notice all 

 omens on the road. If a jackal crosses the road from right to left, if he meets a woman 

 carrying ashes and clothes in an earthen vessel, if a dead animal is being removed, if a 

 snake or vulture crosses the path, if the branch of a tree or a fruit falls, if he hears the 

 cry of an owl or jackal, etc., the errand is a bad one. 



On the contrary a woman carrying water or throwing cow-dung, a jackal crossing 

 from left to right, monkeys crossing the road — these are all considered good omens. 



As soon as the father arrives, the question of the omens seen on the road is dis- 

 cussed. If any of the bad omens have been noticed they agree that the marriage should 

 not take place. " Brother, " they say, " the gods do not want this marriage to take 

 place: let us not go against their will." If on the contrary nothing unlucky has happen- 

 ed, they eat and drink together and a day for the panbandhi is fixed. 



Panbandhi, or the settling of the price. — This generally takes place eight days after the 

 first visit. The boy's father, accompanied by some men of the village representing the 

 panch, start in the evening carrying with them 2\ maunds of paddy, 1^ maund of gundli, 

 some urid and serson. This will be the sealing of the first arrangement, and, from that 

 time, both fathers call themselves samdi. That evening nothing is done. The next 

 morning the girl's mother, accompanied by all the matrons of the village, come to wash 

 and anoint the feet of the boy's father who gives them one rupee and promises to add four 

 rupees more on the marriage day. This is called the panbandhi '. Then the rejoicings begin. 

 All the people of the village are invited ; two boys come and anoint the visitors with oil. 

 From every house of the village that can afford it a handia or pot of rice-beer is brought, 

 and they drink together and make merry. All this time the girl has been kept aside, but 

 now she suddenly sallies forth carrying a ha?idia on her head. A murmur of admiration 

 greets her when, stepping through the crowd, she comes and stands in front of her future 

 father-in-law, who at once takes the ha?idia from her head embraces her and gives her one 

 rupee. From that time, during the whole time of the feast, the girl remains sitting at the 

 feet of her father-in-law. The whole party meanwhile continue drinking and talking ; 

 and voices rise so high that they cannot hear one another. As a diversion the old 

 women of the village all come tumbling in very drunk and wearing fantastic hats made 

 of leaves, gesticulating like devils and carrying a straw manikin representing the bride- 

 groom. They all look like old witches, and, in their drunken state, are very mischievous. 



