Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 9, 1898.djvu/172

148 begins to put them in the bride's hair, which the bridegroom brushes off as fast as she puts them on. The bride then hands to the bridegroom, and to the "Neeanee," a little sweetmeat made from sugar and cardamums, called "Allachi," which they are told to chew and breathe out to one another, which they, however, do not do.

The next part of the ceremonies is for the bridegroom to place his hand on the bride's head and walk round her seven times. This is called "Lahwanh Phairra." After this, he and his best man, or Saballah, go again outside and wait for more surprises.

In a very short time the girl friends of the bride bring to the bridegroom a curious little structure called a "Bairree Ghora" (literally, boat and horse). The base of it is a small four-legged stool called a "Peeree," to each leg of which is affixed a light reed about three feet long, and termed a "Kannah." Round the points of these reeds is tied a string to which flowers are rather prettily hung, while here and there amongst the flowers are attached pieces of dry bread-paste-like dough. The girls carry this in a graceful chic sort of way, and present it to the bridegroom, who duly receives it, and then places upon it the usual "Lâg," or recompense, which is given in rupees at the option of the bridegroom, and generally amounts at the weddings of these small farmers to about five or six rupees. This "Bairree Ghora" is then taken to the bride's mother, together with the fees upon it. She takes herself one rupee, gives to the sister of the bride, if she has one, another rupee, and the remainder is handed over to the bride when she is on the point of leaving her own home for that of her husband. The sweeper who has collected the Kannahs, or reeds, receives a gift of five copper pice, which is called "Punj Punjeah."

The next variety in the way of amusement is for the girls to bring in a Thallee, or brass plate, on which is an inverted brass cup, or "Kuttorah," which has been previously well