Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s1.91

c7.s1.91

The rest of the ceremonies were of a propitiatory and secondary nature. Nichhavar or nisar was offered for the health of the married couple. Among the Muslims it consisted sometimes of almonds and sugar-candy, and the crowd carried home this token of good fortune. The ceremonies may have differed in details with localities and provinces but in substance the above outline holds good for any marriage ceremony of Hindustan.¹ The wedding festivities lasted for any number of days according to the means of the bride's people and according to their mutual arrangements. The minimum stay for the bridegroom's party was fixed for a day and the maximum for ten days. On the eve of departure of the bridegroom and his bride, many other ceremonies were performed which appear to be interesting survivals of an earlier date. The bridegroom and his friends had to fight their way to capture the bride; in some places the bridegroom had to bribe the maidens to restore a stolen article or to let him pass the gates with his bride. A big dowry was provided for the bride, which accompanied her. It was customary in some cases to give to the bridegroom a few maids who became his property. After some more picturesque ceremonies and humorous and lively songs, the party was allowed to depart with the bride.² If the bride was too young for the consummation of marriage, she returned to her parents after a short time and the final *Rukhsat* or *Gauna* was deferred to a later date.¹ Various rites, ceremonies, and courtesies continued to be observed for a very long time afterwards, but the great event of domestic importance was over, the daughter had formally and legally passed into another family and she was no more a part of her family or even master of herself. She belonged to her husband and abided by his will. If she was married into an aristocratic family, she was probably confined to a *haram*, where her intercourse with the rest of the world was severely curtailed for the rest of her life.³