104 



Topographical Report on the Neilgherries. [JuLV 



"When a young man wishes to enter the marriage state, his parents 

 engage a young girl, previous to her reaching the age of maturity, 

 and, on obtaining the consent of her parents, give a dowry of from 12 

 to 50 Rupees, some grain, and four seers of ghee. The girl is then 

 brought into the midst of their friends, who assemble under a pandal 

 in front of the house, and after pouring a quantity of water on her 

 head, accompanied by Koter's music, the mother of the bridegroom, ty- 

 ing a row of silver beads about the neck of the bride, pronounces her 



be her daughter-in-law. On a Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, or Fri- 

 day, the bride is tftken to the husband's house, and given to him under a 

 similar pandal, and her parents wash their hands in token of having 

 relinquished her. The married couple do not live together till after 

 she arrives at maturity. Should it happen that a young woman comes 

 to the age of puberty on a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday, she is put 

 without the dwelling, in a hut built for the purpose, where she remains 

 for a month ; but if on other days, she remains out only three days. 



If a woman be brought to bed of her first child in the decrease of the 

 moon, she remains in a hut prepared for this event till the next de- 

 crease of the moon, but should her confinement occur in the increase 

 of the moon, she then remains there only till the decrease. In her 

 second and following confinements, she remains in the hut but three 

 days. No medicine is given, and her food consists of sawmay rice and 

 mullagatunny. The infant is bathed every third day in warm water, 

 and anointed over with butter. No medicine is administered if sick. 



Should a woman wish to be separated from her husband, she quits him, 

 leaving her children behind ; if she be then pregnant, she nurses the 

 child until it is weaned, when it is delivered to the father, to whom a 

 double dowry is given by her second husband, in failure of which all the 

 children she may have by the latter are to be given to the former hus- 

 band. Should a man wish to part with his wife, he is at liberty to 

 marry another woman of the caste ; but if he d.oes so without the con- 

 sent of his wife, she retains the children, and receives a portion of his 

 earnings for her and their maintenance. In the event of his dying, 

 she may be married by her brother-in-law, under whose protection the 

 children are to be placed if she desires to live apart. 



"When a child under one month old dies, it is buried without cere- 

 mony by the neighbours, but if older, a message is sent to all their 

 friends and relations. The body is put in a cage, covered over with 

 weeds and cloths of different colours, and two or three buffaloes, and 

 one or two cows, are driven round it; after which both men and wo- 

 men spend the day and night in dancing to music performed by the 



