The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-21
BELDAME BEAT ALL GOOD ONES
IN WINNING THE SARATOGA CUP
Simple Act By which Lovers Be-
come Man and wife

PIN TIE Lo16o1 Tsl=g-sph-
II many parts q In5lz Hin5oo gi-ls
sr= Ts1ds1 Mt wirh ri-E 5ut
wlin racket CT tEsL ~ tne we'd
clng q -hs daughter q Z leading IA
i've q 20ClZei1 there we're present
1rn-g t5s Numerous guests z EiUC1o
---al1=l aid re- loTsr- whosz suit rad
L1L - E7- progresse1 u MS satisfzc-
IcL While ths Welding CEREMONY --zs
Z progress ths young nan suddenly
AelI up 70 her. and before any one
suspected What his Object was pulled
c1r than from his pocket and Quiet
, ls1 I around her neck Of course.
L1@r7 was Z hu5bub. and parental IA
-f-sf-la--l1Es over this ep5sg5e bur 50
graz = rne TsLerz-ion for the thalI
among Hlnooos that one ore dared
EEn2Fe L from the neck q th= as-on-
1sl-@1 Malcen- All concerned there
1ore, repaired 70 me Marianne TEN
PIE Wnsrs the act was ratified and
l1e Datoe1 who went 70 the welding
O her fancy free left The scene as ne
legal wife Of Z bold and successful hz5s-
hand
\ correspondent writing On The gen
eral use Of the tha1i. SAYS
! was guest Of Z Christian fsr-iI,,
II position in South India which had
50 far departed from the ordinary. rule
= men prevents women from ( appearing
before strangers that the mistress IF
the house lad deputed her young
daughter-in-law 20 represent her as
hostess The young lady was profuse-
y decorated with 5ewelry, some Of
mich was unique in its nature and
she had not the slightest objection 10
us being admired. At dinner I was
suddenly struck with the absence Of
the wedding ring from her finger
and on my asking her The rea-
son. she shyly pointed TO her neck.
This seemed some what strange. but
l thought that probably for some rea-
son she had attached the ring TO the
cnaln she was wearing around her neck
l could, however. see no trace Of il.
and felt somewhat puzzled rill her
husband explained that no wedding
mig Is used or the occasion Of 4 mar
rage, but fcE il is substituted the thali.
% which MY hostess had drawn my
attention.
Among the DraYdians Of South
India the thaH plays the same part
as the wedding ring among the Chris
tlans IN other parts Of the world No
marriage can be soIemnized without
II. II Is small piece Of gold leaf in
the shape Of a cucumber seed. which
is attached 10 necklet Of worsted
thread or silk. The Brahmins. who
celebrated their marriage according TO
Henlc rites, have adopted its use
and after the sacred fire is prepared
and worshipped with oblation Of ghee.
the blessings OF the gods are invoked
and the thali is tied around the neck
of the bride by the bridegroom. and
then the couple 60 round the sacred
nre- The Mohammedan converts. like
the Christians, find il hard TO give UP
tnls little jewel, with its happy asso-
cations. and it may be seen adorn-
ing the necks of their wonankind
But though the thali is an indi-
cation that a girl is married I found.
much 70 my surprise. that in some
instances II did not necessarily irnpIy
that she was the wife of any particu
lar individual Within the precincts
OF the temple I once met an attractive
looking woman, dressed very grace
Iully and decently. and amid the rich
]e"elry with which she was adorned
the thali was displayed somewhat OBJ
truslVely. / took her TO be a member
OF some highly respectable family but
was surprised TO learn that she was
d deYadasst (hand-maiden Of the god.
ana was, in fact, a dancing girl at
tached TO the temple. There is a special
caste OF these women, who. as soon
as they grow out of girlhood, are taken
10 the temple, and, with much cePe-
monial, formally married TO a sword
or god, the thalis being tied round
their necks by some man of the caste
This Grass is sometimes recruited from
girls belonging to the Royas. Bebaurus
and certain other castles, who. in the
absence of male associates, dedicate a
daughter to some deity, who, they be-
IeVe' viii given them sons"