Page:History of India Vol 9.djvu/320

268 AN EARLY DUTCH ACCOUNT OF INDIA marriage is performed and the ceremonies aforesaid are observed, which is the first day, the father of the bride giveth a feast unto the friends and also food to the poor, the which lasteth five days in succession, and the homam aforesaid may likewise last the five days. On the seventh day the bride goeth forth with the bridegroom and is borne, even by night, through the principal streets of the city in a palakijn (palanquin) with many torches and bassoons and fireworks, accom- panied by their friends, some on horses, some on ele- phants, since they seek to make their estate honourable in every wise; and thus the bride is brought openly to the house of the bridegroom. There she abideth three or four days if she be young and be yet unable to know man; and then they bring her again to her father's house. But when she is come to woman's estate, then she abideth henceforth with her husband. When the children of the Bramines are wedded, they are no more called 'bramasarijs (Sanskrit "brdhmacarya, 11 chaste "), but grahastas (Sanskrit grihastha, " house- holder "), and receive the second cord, consisting of three strings. And commonly they add to the second cord the third also, and it serveth them for an upper garment; for the Bramines may not go with the upper part of the body bare. And although they go with the upper portions of their persons exposed, as is the com- mon practice, nevertheless, since they have the third cord, they hold it as a garment, and it is counted among them as if they went with their bodies covered. Every ten years that they gain in age, they add yet another