History of the Ramoossies. 



[Oct. 



his departure for the house of the bride. When they arrive at the 

 temple of the village where she is, the bridegroom's brother, or a 

 near male relative, who is termed the wurdawah, proceeds on horse* 

 bark, accompanied by a few friends and music, to the bride's house, 

 to announce the arrival of the hridei>:room. The wurdawah is ask- 

 ed to dismount, and invited inside to partake of some food: accord- 

 in-j:lv a dish of sewy* with milk is placed on a small stool before 

 him. and while he is eatinp: of this fare, it is customary for a young' 

 brglher or sister of the bride's to approach him for the purpose of 

 playing him some trick, by drawing away the stool gently, and let- 

 ling the dish fall upon the floor, while they get some peppers ( crisp 

 cakes of ooreed ) to break over his head and pelt him with, until he 

 is glad to retire from the house. After the wurdawah has rejoined 

 his friends, the bride's fither, accompanied by several of his male 

 and female relatives, attired in their best clothes, and preceded by 

 a band of music, go to the temple to pay his respects to the bride- 

 groom and invite him to his house. This party or procession is 

 termed the shevutty. When the shevutty enter the temple, they 

 present the bridegroom, with a turban, a selah, and a pair of shoes. 

 Then the bridegroom taking his dag^^er in his hand, mounts his 

 horse, and a young sister, or girl (a near relation) is placed on 

 horseback behind him ; she is designated by the term kurrolly, and 

 carries on her head a small copper pot containing the joombra (the five 

 ears of jowary which has now put forth luxuriant shoots ) Several of 

 the men and boys of the party with chollies, selahs, &c. of bright co- 

 lours, tied to the ends of their sticks, which they hold upright in 

 their hands, move slowly along in procession with music : the fe- 

 males cast grains of jowary steeped in turmeric at the bridegroom, 

 tintil they reach the mandwah in front of the bride's house; upon 

 which a fermale, with a pot of water on her head, comes out of the 

 house to meet the bridegroom. f The mother of the bride having 

 made a lamp of wheat flour paste, and furnished it with oil and a 

 wick, lights it and places it in a brass salver, and going outside of 

 the entrance of the mandwah, and looking at her intended son-in- 

 law, she waves the lamp repeatedly with a circular motion, t upon 



* Vermicelle, a very common dish among the natives on festivals, «Scc. 



t They have a verse in which is mentioned what is reckoned fortunate to 

 meet or see out of a house, &c. 



X It is a very common practice with the females in India, to welcome a po- 

 pular man or person of rank upon his approaching a village ; the wives and 

 daughters of the village watchman, &c. advance to greet him, the elder ma- 

 tron leading the way. 



