Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 257

PROVIDING WEDDING ACCESSORIES
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then definitely give their permission, and in
token of their promise they offer betel to all those who are
present.
These preliminaries ended, they begin to think
of making preparations for the wedding.
Gold and silver
ornaments are ordered for the couple, and form the subject
of endless discussion.
The wedding garments are also got
ready, a large number of cloths, such as are worn by both
men and women, are bought to be given away as presents
to relations and friends, a large store is laid in of rice,
wheat flour, liquefied butter, oil of sesamum, peas of all
of the girl
kinds, dried and fresh vegetables \ fruits, groceries, pickles,
and in fact every sort of edible that a Brahmin is permitted
to use.
They also provide saffron, or turmeric, vermilion,
antimony, sandalwood powder, incense, quantities of flowers,
akshatas, or coloured rice, betel, areca-nut, &c, &c.
also
a great quantity of small silver and copper coins. Further,
they buy new baskets, and above all, plenty of new earthen
vessels of all shapes and kinds
for these vessels may
never be used a second time, and are immediately broken
after being once used, no matter to what purpose they
have been put.
When everything is ready, they begin to put up a pandal
or canopy.
The god Vigneshwara is carried into it, and
to him they do puja, entreating him to ward off any hind-
rance or misfortune which might happen during the celebra-
tion of the marriage.
The purohita who presides at the ceremony must be one
of the first to take up his place under the pandal
he
must be provided with some darbha grass, small pieces of
;
;
;
wood from the seven sacred
trees, and a few other indis-
pensable objects for the sacrifices he is about to offer up.
In the first place, due honour is paid to the household
gods.
To this end all the Brahmins present, both men
and women, anoint their heads with oil of sesamum, and
then bathe. The women, after preparing the various
dishes for the feast, take a portion from each, which they
1
Amongst the many kinds of vegetables which Brahmins cat, there
are three which are considered particularly choice ; these are a species
of small round pea, the katri kai (the bdingela of the Portuguese, a sort
of brinjal or egg-plant), and pumpkins.
Among fruits they also have
a preference for three
bananas, mangoes, and jack-fruit.
DUBOIS.
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