The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-18
A HINDOO WEDDING.
YOUTHFUL BRIDES AND ELABORATE
CEREMONIES.
1t Takes Nine Hours to Get Through tho
Marriage Ceremony-The bridegroom
Doesn't Cut Much of u Figure-Girl
Babies Are Not Popular.

Doesn't Cut Much of u Figure-Girl
Babies Are Not Popular
In this country, where the march from
Lohengrin," II white silk frock and few
unintelligiblo responses make an elaborate
wedding, the bare idea of Il small twelve
year-old girl requiring nine hours to bind
herself to the man of her fathers choice
seems absurd in the extreme. Whether
the outlay of strength and rupees that
such an event incurs has anything to do
with the tenacious prohibition of Il second
marriage for the gentlcr sex has never been
explained, but as the Hndoos are n prac-
teal people and an avaricious people it
ts5eS not appear unlikely.
In the first place. with them to be n
woman and unmarried is little short of a
crime, yet to marry obviously one must
nave money. AS an outcome of this when
daughters are born to the poor Bantam he
helps them out of the world by the simple
and negative method of not giving them
food One man admitted, quite as Il mat
ter OF course, having followed this up
through long succession of some twenty
girl babies. But if the baby papa has n
financial position that admits of her grow
ing up, and is Il Bombay HiIdoo-that is,
with no prejudice against Europeans-you
may perhaps be hidden to one of those high
functions that come for her ut an age
when our children are playing with dolls
In that case, allowing for variations in i'll
dividual taste, you will find the affair
something in this wise:
AT about i'll the afternoon, when the air
has trife more life, and that thing they
call prickly heat is Il degree less agrees
i've, you make your way to the house of
the brides father. Outside the door your
notice is first attracted by many rows of
shoes That the guests within have taken
oil out of respect to the household gods
This may be Il delicate attention that the
gods refuse to get along without, but YOU
cannot help wondering how on earth any
one ever knows his own pair again. The
drawing room into which you are ushered
is III tawdry imitation of Il French hotel
There are gay rugs everywhere and the
furniture, which is exceedingly ornate, is
covered with bright crimson satin. BY this
kindly provision of chairs, however one is
enabled to sit "a In Anglais"
On entering, the head of the house comes
forward to greet you with profound sa-
laam; then all the standing or squatting
Hindoos follow his example, and it is your
duty TO salaam indefatigably in return,
but always with your right hand, else the
company will think your manners exceed
lngly funny and, what is more, prove it by
laughing The bride and bridegroom move
about informally, speaking to acquaint-
ances. The groom shares with his western
brother the paradoXical fate of being neces-
sary, but unimportant. He is noticeable
only for n high turban studded with n
priceless number of uncut gems that make
1t look neither comfortable nor brilliant
The bride, on the contrary, is rathet charm
ing. Her costume consists merely of Il
tight fitting yellow india silk bodice, with
yards of the same material swathed loosely
about her supple body and one end thrown
over the hair She is further ornamented
by earrings, finger rings, n nose ring and
bangles that reach to the shoulder; Oh her
pretty ankles are the heavy ank let chains
that clink when she steps. Altogether she
would be a lovely and picturesque little
object if she were only playing in tableaux
instead of pitiful real life.
But all interest in her is Immediately
snuffed out OH the arrival of the nautch
girls. They are two or more hired dancers,
whose performance appears to he the most
welcome and wonderful feature of the en-
tire occasion. III dress they are not unlike
our own ballet girl, wearing from fifteen
to twenty gauZe skirts. The longest of
these reaches to the feet, and the others
are graduated to within half Il yard of the
waist. Their SO called dance is strange
and weird, and after the first fifteen min
utes remarkably embarrassing. 1t is made
up of n series of impossible poses, in parts
so slow ms to remind one of the last twitchcs
of n mechanical toy when it is nearly run
down. AS an Indian ballad has it:
They posture, hob, whirigig. wrigglc like cells,
And all tho time shuttle about on their heels,
Keeping time To the pipcrs and tomtommers'
strains
With the clink of their anklets of resonant
chains
When this has gone on until you are ex-
hausted and the rest of the audience is
reduced to n state of entranced breathless-
ness the really sacred part of the rites be-
gins.
An adjournment is made to an outer
room with an earthen floor, in the center
of which n bright fire is burning. Around
this, in the presence of many witnesses, the
young couple promenade solcmnly seven
times, carefully clasping each others right
hand. BY one of the oldest customs ever
kept up they must go always toward the
right, because it is a festive OCCASION
Should IL mistake be made and turn to
the left be taken the direst misfortune and
sorrow would be the result anticipated. In
the meantime priest, the dirt of whose
once white garments is supposed to add to
his holiness, goes about majcstcally, NUT
tering lot of mystical words.
Finally this also is gotten through with
and the coolies enter bearing bowl of
richly buttercd rice. The groom then as
sacred duty, feeds his wife, holding the
oily mixture out to her in his palm; after
ward he partakes himself, and does the
proper thing in wiping his greasy mouth
on the silken gown of his mother-in-aw-
which last goes to prove that human ma
ture and the position of that unfortunate
lady are pretty much the same the world
over.
Later, when the feasting begins, sep
arate table covered with English delicacies
is set for the Christians present. Although