The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-09
THE BRIDAL NECKLET-
Hindoo Girls Betrothed With a Thai
Instead of a Ring.

In many parts of India Hindoo girls
are welded, not with a ring, but with
a necklet, or thal1. At the wedding of
the daughter of a leading native at
Moulmein there were present among
the numerous guests a Hindoo maiden
and her lover, whose suit had not so
far progressed to his satisfaction.
/ While the wedding ceremony was in
progress the young man suddenly went
up to her, and, before any one suspect
! ed what his object was, pulled out
! thali from his pocket and quietly tied
! 1t round her neck. OF course, there was
\ a hubbub and parental lamentations
over this episode, but so great is the
generation for the than among Hindoos
| that no one dared to remove II frOm
| the neck of the astonished maiden. All
concerned therefore, repaired to the
Marianne Temple, where the act was
ratified, and the maid who went to the
wedding of her friend fancy free LETT
the scene as the legal wife of a bold
and successful husband. A correspond
ent writing to the Pioneer on the gen
eraI use of the thali says:
Il was the guest of a Christian fam
/ lily of position in South India which
had so far departed from the ordinary
rule which prevents women from ap-
pearing berore strangers that the mis-
tress of the house had deputed her
young daughter Flaw to represent her
as hostess. The young lady was pro-
fuSely decked with jewelry, some of
which was unique in it's nature, and
she not not the slightest objection to it's
being admired. At dinner 1 was sud
denly 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 seemed some
what strange, but I thought that pro
badly for some reason she had attach
ed the ring to the chain she was wear
ing round her neck. L could, however,
see no trace of it, and felt somewhat
puzzled, till her husband explained that
-1-Is- 10
sion of a marriage. but for it is substi-
tuted the thali, to which my hostess
had drawn my attention.
Among the Dravidians of South In
dia the thali plays the same part as
the wedding ring among the Chris
uans in other parts of the world, No
marriage can be solemnized without
it. 1t is a small piece of gold leaf
which is attached to a necklet of
worsted thread or silk. The Brahmins,
who celebrate their marriage accord
ing to Vedic rites, have adopted its
use, and after the sacred fire is pre-
pared and worshiped with oblations OF
ghee, the blessings of the gods are in
voked and the thaH 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 it hard to
give up this little jewel, with its happy
! SsoctatiOnS, and it may be seen
adjoining the necks of their woman
kind. But, though the thaH is an in
dication that a girl is married, found
much to my surprise, that in some in
stances it did not necessarily imply
that she was the wife of any partie-
ular individual. Within the precincts
of the temple once met an attra ctive
looking woman, dressed very grace
fully and decently, and amid the rich
jeweIry with which she was adorned,
the thaH was displayed somewhat OBJ
trusively. 1 took her to be the mem
Der of some highly respectful family.
but was surprised to learn that she
was a deVa dassi (handmaiden of the
god), and was, in fact, a dancing girl
attached to the temple. There is a
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 re-
cruited from girls belonging to the
Boyas, Bedaurus and certain other
castles, who, in the absence of male is
sue, dedicate a daughter to soma
deity, who, they believe, will give
them sons."-LOndOn Telegraph.
What did the teacher say about your
essay?" asked Mrs. Gudley.
He said it was pathological answered
the girl graduate.