1834. 



History of the Ramoo&sies. 



292 



they all dine inside. The guests now request the bridegroom to be- 

 gin to eat of the dish he has before him, and be to give them permis- 

 sion to do the same. When they have finished their meal, the guests 

 return to their own homes, those of the bridegroom's party proceed to 

 the janooswarah, or the house allotted for them to remain in during 

 their stay in the place. The bridegroom remains with a few friends 

 all night in the mandwah. The following morning the young 

 couple, being both mounted on the same horse, go to the river or 

 village well, accompanied by music, and after having washed them- 

 selves, and the bride put koonkoo on her forehead, they return to 

 the mandwah. Warm water is prepared for both of them to bathe, 

 the bride's sister assisting them in performing their ablutions. The 

 young couple amuse themselves by squirting water froip. their 

 mouths at each other, and the sister-in-law does not always escape 

 from sharing in the sport ; she now brings a soopary (nut) and puts 

 it into the bride's hand, and then pours some water over it, after 

 which, she tells the bridegroom to open the bride's hand, with one 

 of his own, and to take the nut from her, which he does with much 

 difficulty. The bridegroom now holds the nut in his hand, and 

 the bride is told to take it out of his hand, using only one of her 

 own, but being unable to do so, she applies both hands to perform 

 the task. When they have put on dry clothes, and hullud and 

 koonkoo on their foreheads, all the party sit down to partake of 

 some breakfast. The bridegroom and bride eat theirs sitting on 

 the boulay, the women theirs in the inner apartment, or in the 

 mandwah, after the men have finished. 



The same day, in general the second of the marriage ceremony, 

 the bridegroom gives an entertainment at the janooswarah to the 

 bride,^her relations, and friends. About noon the bride's mother, 

 accompanied by a few female relatives and the village washerman, 

 go to the janooswarah, preceded by music, to invite the bride> 

 groom's party to the mandwah, to see the sary phull (the clothes, 

 &c ) given away. When all the women are ready to quit the ja- 

 nooswarah for the mandwah, in company with the bride's mother, 

 the village washerman spreads a sheet on the ground near the door, 

 and the females walk over this, while the washerman is laying down 

 another sheet ; after which, he takes that up over which they have 

 passed, and places it again in front. They progress in this manner 

 ail the way to the mandwah, the bridegroom and the male part of 

 the procession following at a short distance. The washerman re- 

 ceives a sary, or a chollie, to present to his wife for his trouble. 



