Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 9, 1898.djvu/175

Rh the morning, except that it is now accompanied by the bride and some of her attendants.

The musicians head the procession as usual, and are made up of players on the "Dhole," or drum, the "Dufalee," or tambourine, the "Tuthnee," or flageolet, followed by a player on a large horn of brass, called the "Thurree." Next follows the bridegroom, or "Dulha," on horseback, having on his head the Seyrah, or high tinsel hat, and a sort of Shahanah attire. Around and about him are his friends and followers, and immediately in his rear the best man, or Saballah, carrying now in his right hand a small staff of lacquer-work in various colours, the baton, or official badge of his office. The best man is often one of great physical strength, and he defies the world to wrench the baton from his grasp, and walks and gesticulates to that effect. As soon as the "Doolee" takes its place in the procession, a number of copper pice are then held over that part of it where the bride's head is, and the pice are thrown amongst the poor villagers who have congregated round, and a general scramble for them is kept up for some little time. The "Meerasies," or bards, then sing the praises of the bridegroom, his personal virtues, and his worthy actions, and he hands them another fee. Then a cry is raised from mouth to mouth, and is taken up by all the "Meerasies:" "Shâh bânh! Shân bânh! Sâth kullee Shâh bânh! Bravo! Bravo! to your seven generations!"

In the fever of this excitement the musicians commence to play, and the procession moves off, accompanied for a short distance as before by the girls from the village, singing their little love-songs. When nearing the home of the bridegroom, the drums are beaten louder to give timely notice to the villagers, who turn out on all sides to welcome the return of the bridegroom with his bride; and the girls as before go out a little distance to greet its arrival, and accompany it to the house with every sign of rejoicing.

The Shadi festivities are now nearly at an end; the bride-