The Harrison times., 1916-10-28
HINDUS Wed WITH
BRAHNlN RITES
Strange Ceremony in New York
Marks Romance Begun in
FaraWay India.
BOTH ARE COLLEGE STUDENTS
Incense and Flowers Are Most I'M
portant Feature of the Ceremony
Instead of Ring, Bride and
Groom Exchange GarIands.

h New York.--A. romance which began
in faraway India eliminated here In
the marriage of two young members OF
the Hindu priestly caste, both students
at Columbia university. The bride was
Miss Radhabai Pawar, Brahminee,
who lives at Whittier hail. and the
bridegroom was Shankar NJ. Pagar, Il
Brahmin both sent to this country by
the government of BarOda to complete
their education.
The ceremony was celebrated at the
Vedanta society's meeting place, 236
Central Park West, and lasted about
20 minutes. A formal Brahmin cere-
mony takes up three days, but Mr..
Pagar and his bride have adopted
many of the American customs and
they welcomed the shorter ceremony.
To be married in an orthodox Brah-
min temple they would have been
obliged to travel to Boston or to San
Francisco, so they decided to be
welded by a member of the Vedanta
society.
About 30 persons were present, in
Guiding some of the brides classmates,
and a group of young Hindu students
who are finishing their education at
Columbia and New York university
all friends of the bridegroom.
The ceremony was impressive, and
for a short time it seemed as if the
mysticism of India, the spirit Of Veda,
had settled upon this quiet corner in
Central Park West.
Wear Native Costumes.
The couple wore their native bridal
costumes. The bride, who is twenty
six years old, was dressed in a white
silk sari, while the bridegroom, her
senior by one year, wore turban
shawl, and dhoti.
1t was a ceremony Of love, of flow
ers of incense. In all East Indian
ceremonies incense is a most necessary
thing, and it hung in purplish clouds
over the young couple who sat while
the priest, Swami Bodhaianda, read
verses from the sacred books of In
dia, the Mantras Of the Vedas. In
stead of the ring ceremony, the bride
and bridegroom exchanged garlands Of
flowers. There were flowers every
where, 1t seemed.
Hindus have married American
women, but this is the first marriage
on record in this country where Il
Hindu youth married a Hindu maid
After the ceremony the bride and
bridegroom, followed by their intimate
friends, were whisked off in American
style to the Hindustan Association of
America, which occupies plain
brown-stone house at 364 West 120th
street where a supper Of Indian
dishes was served.
But before the wedding feast the
guests assembled in the large meet
ing room and blessed the bride with
speeches. There also the mysticism of
India and the materialism of America
intermingled.
On a small table, soft golden light
fell from a Buddha lamp, and in an
other corner an electric light glowed
through an urn Of alabaster, casting
white light upon the bride. She was
surrounded by fragrant flowers, and
upon her ears fell the songs Of her
native land, mostly love songs, And
some of them came from Il phono-
graph, and other love melodies were
sung. accompanied by parlor organ.
Feast Of Indian Dishes.
All sorts Of rare and highly splced
dishes relished by the Hindus were
prepared by Hindu chef for the feast.
The bride and bridegroom sat at the
head of the tnble, the bridegroom,
meantime, having changed the robes Of
his land for American dress
Later the newlyweds left on their