Storia do Mogor 256: CHAPTER VIII · CUSTOMS FOLLOWED BY HINDUS AT THEIR MARRIAGES

256

To their idea, there is not in this world anything to compare in importance with getting married. It is in marriage, as they understand things, that consists one of the greatest felicities of human life. Imbued with that opinion, children, as soon as they can talk and know how to say 'father' and 'mother,' are taught to say that they want to marry. Often their daughters are married even before they have learnt to talk; and as in this country there are so many different kinds of castes and tribes, there are equally many different manners and customs. First of all, then, I will state what practices are common to everybody, and, secondly, what is peculiar to each caste.
It is ordinarily the case among the Hindus that the husband is some years older than the wife, but both are of one caste. Almost all of them hold the essence of the marriage rites to consist in binding on a little piece of gold called a taly (tali), which the husband must attach to the bride's neck, just as in Europe rings are exchanged. The parents on both sides agree to the conditions of the contract, and fix the day of the marriage. This is carried out in front of the house door in a species of arbour constructed expressly, and quite new. This arbour is erected for everybody, from the king down to the shepherd. Although all the conditions have been settled, should, on this occasion of attaching the piece of gold, someone else, through envy or hatred or some family reason, step in front of the bridegroom and tie the piece of gold to the bride's neck, this man is held to be her true husband and the bride his real wife, although she may not want him — may, indeed, have resisted and opposed it with all her strength.
After this the bridegroom and his relations come out into the open to search for signs favourable to their purpose. If they meet with such, they go to the girl's father's house, and ask for her as their daughter-in-law. After the father and mother have entertained those who have come to ask for their daughter's hand, they, as a rule, raise objections to the demand, saying that they will consult the omens and then give an answer. In this way they send off the demanders, asking them to return in a few days. In conformity to this request, they come back, and the omens are examined. If favourable, the contract is completed. It is not uncommon for a husband to buy his wife. When the price has been fixed, the man's parents procure a part of the money, and carry it to the girl's father. That done, they bring a bunch of flowers, a coco-nut, and a branch of figs (bananas), to be presented to the bride. After this ceremony, if the bridegroom repents and declines to marry the girl, he loses the money he had advanced as a sort of earnest-money. If it is the woman who breaks the agreement, the parents must return double the money they have received.