The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-06-30
BABIES AS BRIDES.
Child Wives and Child Marriages
in the Land of the HindoO.
SIX MILLION WIDOWS IN INDIA,
Wedding Professions and Nautch Dances-The
Condition of HindOO WidOwhOOd-
Home Life in India.

Correspondence of THE HERALD. ll-Th
wedding season in India is now at it
height. have seen wedding procession
by the dozen in every town have visited
and have had a fair chance to note som
of the
IRREGULARITIES OF HINDoO MARRIAGES.
India has the youngest brides and groom
in the world. The grooms 1 have seel
have in no case been over fifteen, and som
of the brides were apparently only jus
weaned. BY the HindOo law womal
should be married before she reaches tn
age of puberty, which here is at twelve
Most girls are betrothed before they ar
six, and in a wedding procession at Agra
saw a little bridegroom Of perhaps tel
years, gorgeously dressed in cloth OF golC
and with heavy gold bracelets on his wrist
and ankles, sitting in wedding chair will
"a little baby girl of not over two, who lay
asleep at the other end of the chair while
the procession moved onward. Her SLEEP
was heavy and she had probably beer
drugged with opium. This was marriage
OF two wealthy families and the wedding
procession was very grand. Az tne heao
of it were two camels
WITH TRAPPINGs OF GOLD
rid len by bare-legged men in red and gold
turbans. and wearing clothes of gold cloth.
Behind them came an elephant with gorge
GUS trappings. and twelve Arabian horses
followed, These horses had gold bracelets
about their fore legs Just above the knee
and there were great silver bells running
from the saddle along the back to the
crupper. The saddles were Of silver cloth,
the stirrups were of silver, and the bride
was decorated with gold. Between these
horses came tie wedding chair, and this
was a sort of a litter perhaps six feet
square containing a bed with cushions ana
pillows, and over it was stretched canopy
of red and gold. Within it was the bridal
couple and the procession was accompanied
nv a band which played during the march
1--WE won't 60 home till morning" 1t was
a native band but it had probably had an
English instructor and this tune served as
the wedding march
At Benares l saw
WEDDING PROCESSION OF THE POORER CLAssEs
and had the pleasure of an introduction
TO the groom He was sullen boy OF III
teen. who looked as though he by no means
enioyed the occasion. He had cap OF red
cloth with long strings of flowers hanging
from its rim to his neck and with tawdry
red clothes upon his body. He was riding
a white pony, which had gaudy trapplnGS,
and walking with him was crowd OF bare
footed. bare-legged. turbaned men and
bows. one Of whom led the horse. Ihese
were his relatives. Just back OF them, and
apparently having no connection with the
nony-ridinc groom, was a party of men
CARRYING what looked like store box smut
up on all sides and covered with red cloth.
A CHEAP cashmere shawl was thrown over
its top and / was told that the bride was
inside | asked her age and was told that
she had lived Just eight years. Behind her
came a number Of women carrying hef
dowry upon their heads. One party bore
the brides bed. 1t was rack or frame
work of wood about four feet long and
three feet wide with four rude feet raising
IT about eighteen inches from the ground,
and instead of wire springs there was
RIDE NETWORK OF CLOTHES LINE ROPE
stretched within the frame work. Another
woman had a tray on her head containing
the cooking utensils, consisting OF Ihree
or four iron pots and rice jar, and the
whole outfit would have been dear at dol.
lar and a half. talked with the father OF
the groom. He told me the bride would
come and stay two days with her mother
in-Iaw and then 90 back home until she
was ten years of age, when she would come
to live with her husband and be married
for good. In the case of baby marriages,
the child is often brought up by her own
parents, and she only comes to her mother
in-IaIy's house when she has gotten old
enough to learn Housekeeping, WnIch IS at
the age of ten or eleven years. In some
cases. however, she goes at once to the
bouse of her mother-in-law and IS brought
mn nv her. often being made to do the
drrdGerv of the house and absolutely sub
iect to her husbands mother.
was invited to
WEDDING FEAST AT AGRA,
and the nolite Hindoo who so honored me
told me upon parting that my presence had
sIgIorified the occasion" There were
500 Hindoos present and the entertain
mert consisted of Nautch dancing and act
inc The Nautch girls, attired in gorgeous
clothes. went through the most surprising
of sensuous contortions to the music OF TWO
drums, which were played with the nahdS,
and curious Hindoo fiddle. Ihese Nantch
girls are the dancing girls OF lnola. 1hey
are remarkable for their plump, round
fipnres and for the wonderful ease and
grace which they throw into the movements
of their bodies. A large part OF the
dancing consists in the movement OF the
frame without lifting the feet from the
Ground. and the whole story of love is told
by them in gestures, which must be seen TO
be appreciated. They are the same as the
dances of the girls of Egypt and OF the
African negroes, and seem to be part OF
oriental lie. They are paid high prices
and some OF
THE BEST DANCING GIRLS OF INDIA
get nc high as twenty-five dollars night.
The celebration which l attended was IN a
tent built outside the hOusefor the occasion
A rich carpet covered the ground and the
lights shone over a collection OF
cnrious figures, which would make another
fortnne for Barnum. | looked in vain for
the bride. and whether she was baby or
not l do not know. The groom was not
more than six. He was bright little fellow
in a red velvet coat and he brought me
bunch of flowers and some cardamon seeds,
which are given to the guests on such
occasions.
Indian marriages are managed entirely
nv the parents. Courtship is unknown IN
india and the parties married often remain
for years without knowing each other The
are often carried on by means
of a match maker, as in China, and India
has its professional match-makers, both
women and men. For arranging
MIDDLE-cLAss WEDDING,
a matchmaker gets from ten to fifteen
dollars, and in the marriages Of the rich he
receives twice this amount. The boy IN
the arrangement has no more say than the
rirl. though after the marriage is CON
Eliminated and he becomes the de facto hus-
band of the girl, the advantage is altogether
on his side. Woman holds the lowest rank
IN India. According to her religion she
can only find salvation through her hus-
band. and if she is not born again as man
She viii have to go through 100000 trans
migrations. A man can do no wrong to his
~ thn
draws the water, carries all the burdens
md makes the fuel for the family. Al