The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-07-31

those which attended their reappear
ance.
In the midst of the rolling crowd.
came the closely-curtained cars of the
| bridges, drawn by oxen having theil
horns encased in thick plates of gold
the silver bells depending from the gar
lands round their throats tinkling a:
they trotted along. AL Bhownuggul
has come out to meet the bridal process
sion aims are lavished on the poor
silks and gold on the itch the people
are frantic with Joy and excitement
rCse-1 ater misses gently through the
air garlands are flung hither and
shither altar of roses and sandal falls
as thick as If there was q thunder storm
| of clouds made up of exhaled purfume.
! The brides, following native etiquette,
camped outside the walls of the city
until the happy day, when at high noon,
under the waving palms and quivering
| tamarinds. a procession, headed by the
| young bridegroom laughing and joking,
| has set cut. See Her rath, or car,
comes in sight, and the eager and gal
liant Thakore throws himself from his
| splendid steed, rushes forward, enters
the rath, and seats himself beside the
princess-an innovation, 1t being the
custom hitherto for the bride to sit at
the feet of the bridegroom on his enter
ing the car, in order to indicate her sub
selviency. The cortege now proceeds
to the house of a relative of the Tha-
kore, where, in the centre hall, in the
presence of about g hundred of the
noblest RagpOots of Kattywar, the mar
riage ceremony is performed. The rite
is simple. A few flowers are strewn !;
after and pan distributed the Deity's
blessing invoked; the bride authenti-
Gated and then the sacred cGft0n is re-
moved, and the brio egroom for the first
time catches a glimpse of the girl he
has married Immediately the young
bridegroom went out to show himself
to the cheering crowds, and then took
his young bride to the palace. To make
long story short, he went forthwith
and did likewise to the three other
brides. But it would be a mistake to
suppose that when the fourth marriage
was over all was at an end. They do
things differently in Bhownuggur, and
day after day there were procession, and
the young bridegroom was compelled
to go about with his yelled brides.
The tFoUsseaux, our lady readers will
be interested to learn, were extravagant-
ly rich, Gondul having amongst her
90 kit" about five thousand silk dresses.
Wudman's dOwry was 100000 rupees,
Gondul's the same Vankaneer's 100, 900
| roupees, and Dank's $4,000. The
! trousseau of Gondul was the richest,
and the correspondent was permitted to
see a part of it. Such a sight for a
European lady would it have been
'Huge shawls, clothes, scarIs, mantles,
counterpanes, and handkerchiefs of
| silk, embroidered most elaborate Y and
stiff with gold and silver thread work.
Here was q shawl from Benares with
! gods in gold aud silver worked on a
| lilac ground of softest silk another
| lay outspread beside it representing a
flock of small yellow birds Nesting in
| innum rable fowery bowers. One
! Kattywar shawl cost, according to my
| information, six hundred rupees. The
most gorgeous of the other cloths were
! literally stiff with gold" Especially
curious was a silver veil sprinkled with
/ pale blue and primrose colOred flowers,
and cone dress, all blue satin and
silver embroidery, resembled an Italian
! sky seen through a gentle shower OF
snow or lilies. Nearly every cloth lying
| bsfOre me cost more than five hundred
rupees each. Around and near these
| dresses lay a most extraordinary litter
of various valuables, gold, silver, and
brass dishes, precious stones, fans,
armlets, nose and ear and finger rings,
massive ornaments for the forehead,
| breast, and ankle, necklaces spa king
with ruby ard diamond, emerald,
amethys', topaz, opal, and pearl, rose
water bottles of pure gold, basins OF
/ silver, and huge brass cooking utensils,
robes and tiaras and chains, sapphire
pendants and enamelled jugs and ewers,
! silver lamps and trinkets rough with
precious Jewels, and hundred other
articles of value for use or ornament. ~
And this was but a small part of the
trousse9u of the brides
The Thakore was educated at the
great Indian seminary for princes, Raj
coomar College, which he attended up
| to the date of his marriage, and proved
himself earnest aud painstaking, though
not brilliant. Why then, it will be
asked, was he not more enlightened
/ than to marry four wives at his age
/ Some have contended that our English
/ training failed. But no. The young
prince personally did not wish to take
! four better halves" He had in truth
no option. His father had betrothed
him, and honor and native notions com
PEELED him to carry out his father S
wishes. Was he to refuse to marry
/ these girls they would be ruined-be-
! ing placed IN the position of widows
and he himself would become hated,
and would most likely have his exist.
ence terminated by poison by the secret
action of outraged patriots.