The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1905-06-09
HOW HlNboo TAKES A BRIDE,
Simple Act by Which eweethearts
Become Man and Wife.

HOW HINbOo TAKES A BRIDE
Simple Act by Which sweetheart
Become Man and Wife.
In many parts Of India Hindoo girl
are welded, not with ring but Will
necklet or thali, says the Londor
Telegraph. At the wedding of tn.
laughter OF leading native at Moul
meln there were present among the
numerous guests Hindoo' maiden anG
Der lover, whose suit had not so ia,
progressed to his satisfaction. While
tue wedding ceremony was in progress,
the young man suddenly went up te
her and, before any one suspected
what his object was, pulled out q
thaH from his pocket and quietly tied
e around her neck. OF course, there
was hubbub, and parental lamenta.
lions over this episode, but SO great
10 the generation for the than among
Hindoos that no one dared remove II
from the neck of the astonished maid.
en-. All concerned therefore repaired
to the Marianne temple, where the
act was ratified and the maiden who
went to the wedding Of her friend fan
cy free left the scene as the legal wife
of bold and successful husband.
A correspondent writing ON the gen.
eral use Of the thali says:
Il was a guest of Christian family
of position in South India which had
SO far departed from the ordinary rule
which prevents women from appear
ing before strangers that the mistress
of the house had deputed her young
daughter-in-law to represent her as
hostess. The young lady was profuse-
ly decorated with jewelry, some of
which was unique in its nature, and
she had not the slightest objection to
its being admired. At dinner 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 seemed somewhat strange, but
thought that probably for some rea.
son she had attached the ring to the
chain she was wearing around her
neck. l could, however, see no trace
Of it, and felt somewhat puzzled till
her husband explained that no wed.
ding ring is used on the occasion of a
marriage, but for it is substituted the
thali. to which my hostess haG drawn
my attention.
Among the Dravidians Of South In.
dia the thali plays the same parts as
the wedding ring among the Chris
t1ans In other parts of the world. No
marriage can be solemnized without It
1t is a small piece of gold leaf in the
shape of cucumber seed, which is
attached to a necklet Of worsted
thread or silk. The Brahmins, who
celebrated their marriage according to
Ved1c rites, have adopted its use, and
after the sacred fire is prepared and
worshiped 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 go round the sacred fire.
The Mohammedan converts, like the !
Christians, find it hard to give up this
little jewel, with it's happy associa-
lions, and it may be seen adjoining the |
lecks of their womankind.
But, though the thali is an indica-
ion that girl is married. l found, |
much to my surprise. that in some in
it did not necessarily imply |
hat she was the wife of any particu-
ar individual. Within the precincts of
he temple l once met an attractive
ooklng woman, dressed very graceful |
y and decently, and amid the rich
ewelry with which she was adorned
he thali was displayed somewhat OBJ
rusively. I took her to be a member
4 some highly respectable family, but
vas surprised to learn that she was a
lavadassi (hand-maiden Of the god)
nd was, in fact a dancing girl at
ached to the temple. There is a spe-
ial case Of these women, who, as soon
s they grow out of girlhood, are taken
o the temple and, with much cere-
nonial, formally married to a sword
r god, the thalis being tied round
heir necks by some man of the caste.
his class Is sometimes recruited from
iris belonging to the Royas, Bebau-
us and certain other castles, who, in
he absence Of male associates, dedi.
ate daughter to some deity"