1847.] 



Ghurharce Gosawees. 



75 



Ghurbaree Gosawees. 



42. Upon perusing the information that I have collected regarding 

 this class of dissenters from the fraternity of Gosawees, I find that it 

 relates only to the peculiarities of the Institution of Marriage, the ex- 

 istence of which among them forms the grand distinction between 

 their fundamental laAvs and those of the rest of their brethren ; and 

 that the greater portion of what is said upon this subject even, has been 

 anticipated in the replies to queries relating to marriage among Hin- 

 doos in general, which were furnished by me in the Southern Mah- 

 ratta Country, and have been already embodied in the Report upon 

 Hindoo Law by Mr. Steele. 



43. The following are the points in which the Institution, as it 

 exists among Gosawees, differs from the laws of marriage among 

 other Hindoos. 



44. A Gosaivee is not permitted to marry other than a Gosaivunee ; 

 if he do so, his marriage is not annulled, but his wife is not acknow- 

 ledged as a Gosaivunee. The Gosawunees must marry before they 

 reach their fifteenth year, failing to do so (unless they can give a satis- 

 factory reason for the omission) they are obhged to pass their lives in 

 continency ; loss of caste being held out as the punishment inflicted 

 upon her who may be found to have lost command over her passions. 

 These maidens have not the privilege of becoming disciples, as females 

 of other Hindoo castes may, but must pass their lives with their pa- 

 rents or nearest relations. 



45. A female of any Hindoo caste who is initiated as a disciple 

 is not allowed to marry. 



46. A man of the Gceree sect (one of the ten sects of Gosawees 

 already enumerated) cannot marry a woman of his own sect but may 

 select a wife from any of the remaining nine ; should a person inad- 

 vertently commit this irregularity, his wife must eat separately from 

 her husband and his family. 



47. A Brahmin Bhut^ performs the marriage ceremonies. 



48. A marriage can be annulled on account of impotency alone. 

 If a woman arrive at the age of puberty and hear no tidings 

 of the approach of an absent husband, she enters into a left hand- 



i. e. A Faickk Brarain of the Saiva sect. 



