Gorakhnath and the Kanphata Yogis c7.93

c7.93

In their betrothal ceremony, a small sum of money and a pig are given to the bride’s party. The pig is killed and a feast held, with much consumption of liquor. In the marriage ceremony the Kaṅgnas, which are tied by the maternal uncles to the wrists of the bride and groom, are made of human hair and to them are attached leaves of the *Alangium Lamarckii* and *Strychnos Nux Vomica*. On the way to the bride’s hut for the ceremony of the marriage, the groom’s party is stopped by a rope or a bamboo screen, which is held by relatives of the bride and others. After a short struggle, money is paid and the company proceeds. The marriage badge, a string of black beads, is tied around the bride’s neck, the bride and groom sometimes sitting on a pestle and mortar. Rice is thrown over them and they are carried beneath the marriage booth on the shoulders of their maternal uncles.