Hindu Law and Custom (Recht und Sitte) c8.210

c8.210

The offering of water at the time of bestowing gifts is also frequently mentioned in the inscriptions. The custom of sitting on Dharna is no less known or less widely in vogue and it has continued even to the present day (§ 53). Even now boundary disputes are settled in this way: the disputing parties at first come to agreement over an arbitrator who after bathing in a holy stream puts on (red) basil plants or other sacred flowers round his neck, prays before an image of god and besmears his forehead with (red) sandal wood. He now walks across the disputed land and the line followed by him would be the future boundary. Yet however his decision is regarded as false if in a short time after it he or his family falls into a misfortune.¹