134 HINDOOSTAN. 
Brahmin who prefides at the ceremony invokes Vifhnu 
and Letchimy to be propitious to them ; or, if they be 
followers of Siva, he calls upon Siva and Gouri. The al¬ 
tar is then lighted ; and, whilil the Brahmin reads -paf- 
fages from the facred writings, he occafionally throws 
into the fire bits of fandal-wcod, benzoin, fugar, and 
other articles. The principal Brahmin then calls out to 
the father of the bride, who takes her hand, and joins it 
with that of the bridegroom ; then, invoking fome of the 
gods, he calls on them to witnel’s, that he gives his daugh¬ 
ter to be the wife of fuch a one, naming his fon-in-law. 
A matron then binds their hands together with cufa- 
grafs, amidfl the found of cheerful mufic. The Brahmin 
hereupon gives the taly, or gold ornament that married 
women wear round the neck, into the hand of the bride¬ 
groom, by whom it is tied round the neck of the bride, 
and fhe is thenceforward his married wife. Grand pro- 
cellions are made through the town. The young married 
couple fit in the fame palankeen, attended by their rela¬ 
tions and friends, fome in palankeens, others on'horfes 
and elephants ; and fo great is fometimes their oftenta- 
tion, that they will, at fuch ceremonies, borrow or hire 
numbers of thofe animals. 
The nuptial rejoicings laft feveral days. The even¬ 
ings are fpent in difplaying fire-works and illuminations, 
and in feeing dancers, who accompany the dance by fongs 
fuitable to the occafion. The whole concludes with pre- 
fents to the Brahmins and principal guefts, and alms to 
the poor. The prefents to the guefls generally confiil in 
fhawis, and pieces of muflin, or other cloths. Thefe ce¬ 
remonies are of courfe more or lefs pompous, according 
to the rank and means of the parties. But all pride them- 
felves on being as fumptuous as they can. 
When the bride appears to have arrived at the age of 
puberty, various ceremonies are again ufed. The parents 
receive compliments of congratulation, and the marriage 
is confummated. But in the fexual connexion the greatefl 
decency is obferved. While under thofe monthly vifita- 
tions that are peculiar to the fex, fhe quits her hufband’s 
bed, retires to a feparate apartment, nor even eats in fo- 
ciety, until fhe have bathed and fully purified herfelf. 
VVhen file becomes pregnant; when fhe paffes- the fe- 
venth month without accident; and when (lie is delivered 
of her child ; there are, at each of thofe epochs, ceremo¬ 
nies to be performed, and thankfgivings made to the gods. 
On the tenth day after the birth of the child, the rela¬ 
tions ire affembied to affift at the ceremony of giving it a 
name. The Brahmins proceed to examine the planets ; 
and if they be found unfavourable, the ceremony is de¬ 
ferred, and facrifices performed to avert misfortune. 
When a fit moment is difcovered, they fill as many pots 
with water as there are planets, and perform a facrifice to 
their honour. They then lprinkle the head of the child 
with water taken from the pots ; a brahmin gives it fuch 
a name as he may think the beft adapted to the time and 
circumflances ; and the ceremony is concluded with pray¬ 
ers, prefents to the Brahmins, and alms to the poor. 
It is the duty of all mothers to fuckle their own chil¬ 
dren, nor can it be difpenfed with but in cafes of fick- 
nefs or infirmity. When a boy arrives at a fit age to re¬ 
ceive the firing, which the Hindoos of the three firfl calls 
wear round their bodies, frefli ceremonies are performed, 
and prefents given to the Brahmins. 
On the practice of immature nuptials, it may be re¬ 
marked, that it arifes from leveral laudable motives, as 
well as from a fenfe of duty incumbent on a father, who 
confiders as a debt the obligation of providing a fuitable 
match for his daughter. This notion, which is flrongly 
inculcated by Hindoo legiflators, is forcibly impreffed on 
the minds of parents. The numerous reftriclions in the 
affortment of matches, alfo impofe on parents this necef- 
fity of embracing the earliefl opportunity of affiancing 
their children to fit companions. The intermarriages of 
different clafi'es, formerly permitted with certain limita¬ 
tions, are now wholly forbidden. The prohibited de¬ 
grees extend to the fixth of affinity ; and even the bear¬ 
ing of the fame family-name is a fufficient caufe of impe¬ 
diment. 
The moll folemn of the domellic ceremonies in ufe 
among the Hindoos, is that of performing the obfequies 
of the dead. Burning the body feems to be the univer- 
fal practice ; which they appear to have followed from 
the remoteil antiquity; and which, indeed, the flrange 
and numerous rites which they on thefe occafions per¬ 
form, fulliciently manifefl. 
A dying man, when no hopes of life remain, is ufually 
laid upon a bed of cufa-grafs, where the Brahmin fprin- 
kles him with facred water from the Ganges, and marks 
his forehead with clay. Soon as he expires, the body is 
wafhed, and ftrewed over with flowers ; a bit of tutanag, 
another of gold, a gem of any kind, and a piece of coral, 
are thrufl into his mouth; and bits of gold put in both 
nollrils, both eyes, and both ears. A cloth perfumed 
with fragrant oil is then thrown over the corpfe, which is 
now to be carried, preceded by fire and food, to fome 
chofen foot in the forefl, or near water, where the fune¬ 
ral pile is to be prepared. 
After wafhing the corpfe., clothing it in clean apparel, 
and rubbing it with perfumes, fuch as fandal-wood, laffron, 
or aloe-wood, the relations of the deqeafed place the corpfe 
fupine with its head towards the north, (or refupine, if 
it be the body of a woman,) on the funeral pile, which 
is now decorated with flrungand unflrung flowers. A 
priefl, or a relation of the deceafed, taking up a lighted 
brand, muft fay : “ May the gods with flaming mouths 
burn this corpfe!” He then walks thrice round the pile 
with his right hand towards it, and fhifts the facerdotal 
firing or cord to his right fhoulder. Then looking to¬ 
wards the fouth, and dropping his left knee to the ground, 
he applies the fire to the pile, near the head of the corpfe, 
faying, “ Namo ! Namak!" while the attending priefls re¬ 
cite the following prayer: “Fire! thou wert lighted by 
him—may he therefore be re-produced from thee, that he 
may attain the region of celeftial blifs. May this offer¬ 
ing be aufpicious.” While the pile is burning, the re¬ 
lations of the deceafed take up l’even pieces of wood a 
fpan long, and cut them feverally with an axe over the 
fire-brands, (after walking each time round the funeral 
pile,) and then throw the pieces over their fhoulders upon 
the fire, faying, “Salutation to thee who doll confume 
flefh.”' The body of a young child under two years old 
mull not be burnt, but buried : it is decked with wreaths 
of flowers, and carried out by the relations, who bury it 
in a clean fpot, faying, “Namo! Namak 7 ” while a priell 
chants the long of Yama. 
After the body of the deceafed has been burnt, all who 
have touched or followed the corpfe mull walk round 
the pile, keeping their left hands towards it, and taking 
care not to look at the fire. They then walk in procel- 
fion, according to feniority, to a river 01* other running 
water ; and, after wafhing and again putting on their ap¬ 
parel, they advance into the Itream. They then afk the 
deceafed’s brother -in-law, or fome other relation able to 
give the proper anfwer, “ Shall we prefent water?” If 
the deceafed were a hundred years old, the anfwer nrufl 
be limply, “ Do fo but if he were not fo aged, the reply 
is, “Do fo, but do not repeat the oblation.” Upon this 
they all fhift the facerdotal firing to the right fhoulder, 
and looking towards the fouth, and being clad in a fingle 
garment without a mantle, they flir the water with the 
ring-finger of the left hand, faying, “Waters, purify us.” 
With the fame finger of the right hand they throw up 
l'ome water towards the fouth ; and, after plunging onc-e 
under the furface of the river, they mb themfelves with 
their hands. An oblation of water mufl be next pre- 
fented from the joined palms of the hands, naming the 
deceafed and the family from which he fprung, and fay¬ 
ing, “ May this oblation reach thee.” If it be intended 
to fhow particular honour to the deceafed, three offerings 
of water are made. 
After 
