Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-25
THE BRIDAL NECKLET.
Hindoo Girls Betrothed With a Thai
Instead of a Ring.
From the London Telegraph.

FROM the LONDON
In many parts of India Hindoo girls arc
welded. not with a ring, but with necklet.
or thali. At the wedding of the daughter
of leading native at Moulmein there were
present among the numerous guests Him.
600 maiden and her lover whose SUIT had
not SO far progressed to his satisfaction.
While the wedding ceremony was in prog
ress the young man suddenly went up TO
her, and, before any one suspected what
his object was, pulled out thali from his
pocket and quietly tied 1t round her neck.
OF course. there was hubbub and parental
lamentations over this episode, but SO great
is the veneration for the thali among Hin
Coos that no one dared to remove II from
the neck of the -astonished maiden. All
concerned, therefore, repaired to the Mar
riamme Temple, where the act was ratified.
and the maid who went to the wedding of
her friend fancy free left the scene as the
legal wife of a bold and successful hus-
band. A correspondent writing to the
Pioneer on the general use of the thali
says:
II was the guest of Christian family
of position in South india which had so far
departed from the ordinary rule which pre-
vents women from appearing before straD-
gers that the mistress of the house mad
deputed her young daughter-in-iaw to rep
resent her as hostess. The young lady was
profusely decked with jewelry, some OF
which was unique in its nature, and she mad
nos the slightest objection to it's being ad-
u,lTeQ. AT dinner l. was suddenly STRUCK
with the absence of the wedding ring from
her finger. and on my asking her the reason
she shyly pointed to her neck. This SEEM
ed somewhat strange, but l thought that
probably for some reason she had attached
the ring to the chain she was wearing
round her neck. 1 could however, see no
trace of ii. and felt somewhat puzzled till
her husband explained that no wedding
ring is used on the occasion of a marriage,
but for 1t is substituted the thali, to which
my hostess had drawn my attention.
Among the Dravidians of South India the
thaii plays the same part as the wedding
ring among the Christians in other parts
of the world. No marriage can be solemn
lied without it, 1t is small piece of gold
leaf in the shape of cucumber seed. which
is attached to necklet of worsted thread
or silk. The Brahmins. who celebrate their
marriage according to Vedic rites, have
adopted it's use, and after the sacred fire
is prepared and worshiped with oblaiio
Of ghee, the blessings of the gods are
voked and the thali is tied round the neck
of the bride by the bridegroom, and then
the couple go round the sacred fire. The
Mahometan converts, like the Christians,
find 1t hard to give up this little jewel, with
its happy associations, and 1t may be seen
adorning the necks of their womankind.
But, though the thali is an indication that
a girl is married, found much to my sur
prise, that In some instances II did not nee
esSarily imply that she was the wife of any
particular individual. Within the precincts
of the temple once met an attractive look
ing woman, uiesSeo very sihceiuiy anu
decently, and amid the rich jewelry with
which she was adorned, the thali was dis
played somewhat obtrusively. / took her
to be the member of some highly respec-
table family, but was surprised to learn
that she was a deva dassi thand maiden
of the god, and was, in fact, dancing
girl attached to the temple. There Is
special caste of these women, who, as soon
as they grow out of girlhood, are taken to
the temple, and, with much ceremonial
formally married to a sword or a god the
thali being tied round their neck by some
man of the caste. This class is sometimes
recruited from girls belonging to the Boyas.
Bedaurus and certain other castles, who, In
the absence of male issue, dedicate a
daughter to some diety, who, they believe
will give them sons.