Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 256

RELIANCE ON OMENS
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five bananas, some vermilion, and some powdered sandal-
wood. While on the way, they pay great attention to any
omens that they may notice. If they consider them to be
unfavourable they retrace their steps, and postpone the
Thus, for instance, if a snake
business till another day.
cross their path, or a cat, or a jackal, or if they should
happen to see anything that is regarded as an evil omen ',
they decide that the best thing to do is to return to their
home.
If nothing of this sort has disturbed them on the way,
they present themselves at the house of the girl's parents
and make known the object of their visit. The latter,
before giving any answer, look steadfastly towards the
south, and wait till one of those little lizards which one
sees running about the walls of a house has uttered a certain
sharp cry, such as these reptiles often make. Then when
the Lizard of the South has spoken, the parents of the girl
give their consent to the marriage, and accept the present
which has been brought by the other parties.
In the evening of the same day, about dusk, they call
together a few relatives and friends, and summon a purohita
Whilst the
in order to consult him about the marriage.
men, seated on mats or carpets, are talking together, the
women purify a part of the house that is to say, they
rub the floor well with cow-dung mixed with water, and
then draw lines of red and white upon it. As soon as they
have finished, they bring in the god Vigneshwara, to whom
they do puja, and