The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-08-03 00:00:00

THE MARRIAGE OF A HIROO() WIDOW.

The first public marriage of • Illation widow In ledia
Ii denribed by • correspondent of the Bombay Ossette :
—" The preliminary ceremony of invoking and install-
' lag the deities was performed in the early pert of the
day at the respective resideeess of the spouses, and the
' exchange of the presents of sloth.. sad other articles
took place la the afternoon. About a quarts-upset 6ve
o'clock the friends and relatives of the bride moved in
• proomion, preceded by • native bend, from the
bride's quarters to those of the bridegroom's to perform
the ceremony, entreating the bridegroom to come away
end wed. After the ceremony of entreaty was over. the
bridegroom was seated In an open four.wheeled car-
riage, drawn by • pair ot fine bay horses, and—follnwed
by friends and • perty of foot end mounted polies—
moved in • grand procenion towards the reeidence of
the bride. He arrived there at • quarter.put six
o'clock, and was conducted into tho house and made to
sit on a phstform made of clay. after • abort o•remony.
be was taken into an adjoining hall, when the bride was
brought, nod, after reciting a few prayers to the diffe-
rent deities, the contract of marriage was sealed by join.
log bands of the spouses, and the bridegroom tieing the
marriage string to the neck of the girl, and the girl
putting a flower garland on his neck. This union was
announced at 6.38 by the sudden besting of the bead
and acclamations of jny, and in the presence of a res-
pectable number of Brahmins and persons of other
classes. No sooner did the solemnisation of the nuptials
take place, than there wax. spontaneous stir amongst
the visitors—every one vieing to be first to congratulate
the pair—and there was such • rush towards the door
of the room In which the sponges bad been seated, that
for a short time there was great confusion ; and bad it
not been for the prompt interference and assistance of
the polio& some tenons incident would have been the
result. When order was restored every one of the
visitors had the opportunity of satisfying his curiosity,
and several European lodise erpressed their sympathies
and wished the reressed female a long course of happi-
ness, accompanied by every comfort and health. There
was • grand party at night in the bride's hall. where
awe than a hundred Brahmins and other friends had •
suorpthorts dinner. The surrounding gardrus and the
house were tastefully illuminated. The bridegroom was
• batchelor. He is twenty-flee years of age. He is •
intim of • village named Art, abnt four miles distant
from Itutamborry, lie learnt Marathi and English at
Poona, and is at present an assistant school-master lii
the Anglo-Vernacular School at Soled., In the Khan. '
deist% Colleetorste. Venn Bid, the bride, is the daughter
of Prabhakur Bhat Paranjpsy, a native of Ifirgowne, •
village som• ton miles distant from Itajapoor. She had
ben married when nine yearn of age to one Narayen
Vrehuoo Aptey, of alibang district, about the veal
1864. She had the misfoitune to lose her husband
within eight months from the time of her marriage.
Both her parents • dead. Her father, Prabhakar Mat,
died only three months ago, at the advanced age of Hi'
yens. Her present age la 17 years. She has three
brothers, the eldest of whom performed the ceremony of
giving away his sister to the bridegroom."