9G 
E. T. Atkinson— Notes on the history 
[No. 1 , 
dressed in his best, perfnmed, anointed, and painted and placed in a 
palanqnin, and, accompanied by the friends of the family and musicians, 
he sets out for the bride’s house. He is met on the road by a deputation 
from the bride’s father, conveying some presents for the bridegroom, and 
near the village by a relative of the bride, who interchanges further pre¬ 
sents. The procession then halts for rest whilst dancers and musicians 
exercise their craft. All then proceed to the house of the bride, where 
a clean-swept place opposite the principal entrance has been decorated by 
the women of the family with rice-flour and red sanders. On this place 
the celebrant and parties to the ceremony with their fathers and prin¬ 
cipal relations take their place, whilst the remainder of the procession 
stand at a respectful distance. Next comes the dhulyargha which com¬ 
mences with the consecration of the argha. Then the father of the bride 
recites the harana sankalpa, dedicating the rite to the giving of his 
daughter to the bridegroom, after which he offers the water of the argha 
to the celebrant who accompanies the bridegroom, as well as water for 
washing his feet, the tilaha with flowers and rice, and the materials neces¬ 
sary for the ensuing ceremonies. Similar offerings are made to the 
bridegroom ; and his father is honoured with flowers and the dHsha^ 
and all sit down to a feast. 
The marriage hall .—The near relatives of the parties then assemble 
in the marriage-hall. The bride is placed looking towards the west and 
the bridegroom towards the east with a curtain between them, whilst the 
fathers of each perform the Ganesa-pwj’a. The bridegroom’s father 
sends a tray of sweetmeats (laddu) to the girl’s father, on which the 
latter places flowers and returns the tray to the boy’s father. The bride’s 
father then washes the bridegroom’s feet and fixes the tilaha on his fore¬ 
head. Again the girl’s father sends a tray of sweetmeats which is 
accepted and returned adorned with flowers. The bridegroom then 
performs the dchamana and receives from his father-in-law a tray of 
sweetmeats (madhuparha) made from honey, &c. He should then taste 
a portion of them, and say that they are good and express his thanks 
for the present. He then washes his hands and rinsing his mouth per¬ 
forms the prdndydma and sprinkling of his body with the right hand 
merely and the usual mantra. The bride’s father takes a bundle of husa 
grass in the form of a sword and calls out “ bring the calf the bride¬ 
groom says, “ it is present.”* Then water is sprinkled over the figure 
of the calf and several mantras are read, and as in the Hali-Yuga the 
slaughter of cows is prohibited, the figure is put aside and gifts are substi¬ 
tuted. 
* As a rule in Kumaon, the figure of a calf made in dough or stamped on metal 
is produced. 
