Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 262

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THE KAXKAXA CEREMONY
pilgrimage to Kasi, that
is
Benares.
He
leaves the house
accompanied by the married women singing in chorus, and
by his parents and friends, and preceded by instruments of
music.
After passing the outskirts of the village he turns
his steps to the east.
But here his future father-in-law meets him, and asks
him where he is going, and on learning the object of his
He tells him that he has
journey, begs him to give it up.
a young virgin daughter, and that if he wishes it he will
The pilgrim accepts the pro-
give her to him in wedlock.
posal with joy, and returns with his escort to the place
whence he set out. On his return the women perform the
ceremony of the aratti.
The bride and bridegroom having again taken their
places on the dais, and the sam-kalpa having been per-
formed, they then begin the important ceremony called
kankana \ For this purpose they obtain two pieces of
saffron or turmeric, round which they tie a double thread.
They place on a metal dish two handfuls of rice, and on
this rice a cocoanut painted yellow, and on the cocoanut
the two pieces of saffron. Prayers are offered to all the
gods collectively, who are implored to come and place
themselves on this kankana, and to remain there till the
five days of the marriage ceremony have been accomplished.
The bridegroom then takes one of the pieces of saffron and
ties it on his wife's left wrist, who in her turn ties the
other piece on his right wrist. The rice and cocoanut on
which the kankana has been lying are then given to the
purohita.
Then follows the procession of the tutelary deity. The
mother of the bride, accompanied by the other women
and the Brahmins who are present, go and fetch the copper
vase which represents the ishta-devata. The women begin
to sing and the musicians to play, and forming a procession
they march to the end of the street, where, after choosing
a clean spot, they pour out some of the water contained in
the vase. They do puja to the deity while it rests on the
ground, and then it is taken back with the same pomp to
Then follows the most important
the place whence it came.
1
The ceremony is actually called kankana-dharana, that
or wearing of the kankana.
Ed.
—
is,
the tying