Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-09-20
WEIRD RITUAL MARKS
%PURlFICATl0N RITES
Conversion of Yankee Girl
Second of Its Kind.

Bombay.-Considerable interest has
been aroused In the proposed "purin-
cation" Of the American girl, Miss Mill
Ter, In preparation for her projected
marriage to the ex-maharaJa of Indore,
since the ordeal Is said to be sufi-
GENTLY to prove an actual
hardship to many.
Five years ago there was no recog-
nized qualification" or conversion to
Hinduism. However, owing to the
Moplah riots In Malabar of 1922, In
which thousands of Hindus were fore
IDLY converted to Islam, the pride OF
the orthodox Hindu priests gave way
to the exigencies of the times and,
with the consent of the high priests
throughout India, a newly recognized
ceremony was settled upon and a def
mite ritual drawn up
1t is called the ceremonial of sacri-
fee for the e%rratic, or yratya-Homa-
Vidhi, as explained In the old Vedic
scriptures. II Miss Miller is convert
ed, it will be the second case OF this
hiuu, tHc DlCSCuCht having bS>h
tablished when Doctor Ketkar, Phi. D.,
Of Poona, married an American girl a
few years ago and later established
what is commonly known as Neo-Hin-
duism.
In order to purify the vibrations OF
an Impure nature due to the eating OF
beef and other sins of like description
Miss Miller will have to live on a fruit
diet for three days previous to the
actual ceremony. On the day of the
ceremony she will submit to the first
publication bath, when the holy water
Of the Ganges and Jumma are poured
upon her head, accompanied by the
chanting Of Vedlc hymns and prayers
She will next be given the Pancha-
Gavya, or the mixture of the products
from the cow-milk, curds, clarified
butter, honey, and %sugar-the whole
concoction being %sprinkled over with
the stems Of the sacred kusha grass
Tho Sacred Fire.
The neophyte Is next taken to the
nearby sacred fire, which has beer
specially lighted by the friction of
two pieces Of sacred wood. Here, seat
ed on a wooden seat and dressed In
pure silk, The will prepare small balls
CT rice cooked In cows milk, place
them in a spoonful Of clarified butter,
and give the offering to the sacred
fire.
After this tha candidate for purfica-
ton approaches another wooden bench
on which rows Of betel nuts are ar
ranged on rice mixed with red pow
der, representing the ancient Aryan
sages. Here she will take the 0bliga-
ton Of following the good path In the
manner ordained by them. She will
also be given a Hindu name, which
she will write out with a diamond ring
In the rice grain spread out on a
golden plate. The priest performing
the ritual next places the red kum-
kuma mark on her forehead, thus
finally admitting her to the holy ranks
Of Indian w~omanhood.
The Hindu marriage ceremony be-
gins with the invocation to the ele-
plant headed god Ganesch, who
blesses all suspicious ceremonies and
events. The most important part of
the ritual Is sapta-padi, or walking
around the fire in seven steps, the
husband leading his wife, registering
the sacred vow, after having invoked
the seven sacred sages, ~symbolized by
the seven stars of the Great Polar
Bear.
The Wedding Ceremony.
Before his marriage car become le-
gally binding the high caste Hindu
must solemnly promise: II will not
transgress In religion, in prosperity,
and in passion" The bride and the
bridegroom stand facing each other,
priests chant Sanskrit verse; invoking
the blessings of all the world on this
union and throwing saffron colored
rice upon the bowed head Of each.
Both the bride and bridegroom are
dressed In silk and both wear the man.
davali, or chainlets Of pearls, on their
~foreheads. When the veil is raised ut
the end of the chanting the newly
welded couple garland each other,
while the husband ties round the neck
OF hts bride the sacred mangalsutra, a
necklace of black beads with a golden
leaf In the middle.
However rich the married couple
may be, this necklace Is Of the sim
plest character, and can be bought for
\ couple Of shillings In the market
place. With this final gesture the
couple are now declared man and wife
In the eyes of God and the law. They
then Join the wedding guests to take
part In the reception and the subse-
gent days Of feasting, which are fol-
lowed with a grand procession, fire.
works, and similar festivities.