162 THE LATE REV. P. DEHON ON 



Let us draw a veil on this disgusting scene — it would not do to listen to the obscene songs 

 and filthy jests that are going on for half an hour to the great merriment of the drunken 

 assembly. The panbandhi is then over and the party returns home. The marriage will 

 take place only two or three years afterwards. During that period two regular visits 

 will be paid annually by the girl's parents — one in June called asari, and one in Decem- 

 ber called aghani. At these two feasts handia is supplied by the boy's father and a goat 

 or pig is killed. 



Gharbari. — A few days before the marriage another visit and ceremony will take 

 place which is called gharbari. On that day the bride's father, accompanied by the pane h 

 of his village, comes to settle about the day of the marriage. For this occasion 15 

 handias or pots of rice-beer have been prepared, and all the village being invited in addi- 

 tion. Everyone brings one handia from his house, so that rice-beer is again flowing 

 liberally. They all gather before the house where a bower has been erected ; both fathers 

 sit together on a special mat in the middle. At a given signal they both get up, and 

 when silence is gained, they join arms and one of them says : " Above God, below the 

 punch. He who wishes to cut, let him cut now. What is joined with iron can be sepa- 

 rated, what is joined with skin cannot be separated." The other one in his turn repeats the 

 same sentence and adds : " Now is the time to say the right word." All the party puts 

 then an end to this imposing scene by shouting in chorus, "Hogeya,hogeya /" — it is done ! 

 Two boys then step in and anoint both fathers with oil. Then they eat and drink and 

 make merry till the evening of the following day. Two pigs and fowls are killed for the 

 feast. 



Marriage — When the day of marriage comes there is a great stir in both villages : all 

 are invited to the feast. A large party of men followed by women carrying bundles of 

 clean clothes on their heads, with all the children dancing round them, accompany the 

 girl. A queer reception awaits them. The people of the boy's village are on the look- 

 out, and scarcely are the visitors in sight, when they see the whole population 1 sallying 

 forth armed with clubs and long bamboo sticks, gesticulating and vociferating. They all 

 gather at the entrance of the village brandishing their sticks as if to repulse a sudden 

 attack. A sham fight ensues, and when their vocabulary of profanity is exhausted, on a 

 given signal, the whole scene is suddenly changed into a merry dance in which the bride 

 and bridegroom take part seated as traddle on the hips of one of their respective friends. 

 This lasts about half an hour, after which the noise subsides and they sit down quietly to 

 prepare their meal. 



Meanwhile, the boy's friends are busy preparing their banquet de fete. They cannot 

 make speeches, but this special banquet symbolizes, in a most striking manner, all the 

 wishes that could be expressed in the most eloquent speech. Ears of paddy with their 

 stems have been carefully kept by the boy's father. They choose a handful of the best 

 ones sufficient to fill in the mouth of a small earthen pot called bhanda. The ears are 

 divided into two parts by bringing one part of the stems over the ears ; the stems are then 

 planted below, and the whole is placed in the mouth of a bhanda containing rice, turmeric 

 and oil-seeds. In the division of the ears a small lamp is lit in which there are some 

 grains of urid, whilst the plaited stems symbolize the close union which will bring forth 



