226 ALLEGORICAL MEANING OF CEREMONIES
own head, and the rest on his wife ' s head, after which the women again perform aratti to the newly married couple.
It is easy to see the allegorical meaning of most of the ceremonies which have just been described, and which are the most solemn and important of the whole proceedings.
The kania-dana, for instance, typifies the handing over of the girl by the father to the son-in-law and the renunciation of parental authority over her. The son-in-law for his part fastens the tali round his wife ' s neck to show that he accepts the gift, and that from henceforth she is his property.(" The sacrifice of the homam and the thrice-repeated
circuit of the newly married couple round the fire are a mutual ratification of the contract they have just made with one another, for there is no more solemn engagement
than that entered into in the presence of fire, which Hindus look upon as the purest of their gods, and which for this reason they always prefer to any other when they wish to make an oath specially binding The ceremony of the
mangalashta is to call down divine blessings on the newly married couple. That of the sesha is the outward expression of the wish that they may enjoy an abundance of this world ' s goods, or that their union may be fruitful, or perhaps both.
When all these ceremonies are ended sandalwood powder,
akshatas, and betel are given to all the Brahmins present, both men and women. All must then go and perform their
ablutions and return for the feast, which on this day must
be specially magnificent.
Before sitting down to eat, they never fail to carry with due solemnity to the household gods their share of the food which has been prepared.
All the guests being seated in a row upon the ground, the men quite apart from the women, so that the latter are
out of sight, a large banana leaf is placed before each person, and a helping of boiled rice is placed on it, and on one side two other leaves, folded in the form of cups, one containing melted butter and the other a strongly spiced sauce.
The second course consists of dried peas, green vegetables, and roots of various kinds. The third course consists of
fritters, puddings boiled in water, others fried in butter, others sweetened and spiced, curdled milk, and salt pickles.