[15] Menhdi: the henna plant, Lawsonia alba.
[16] Atishbazi, fire-play.
[17] Abrak, talc.
[18] Chaman, a flower-bed.
[19] Anna.
[20] Otto, 'itr of roses.
[21] 'The dress of the bridegroom consisted entirely of cloth of gold; and across his forehead was bound a sort of fillet made of an embroidery of pearls, from which, long strings of gold hung down all over his face to his saddle-bow; and to his mouth he kept a red silk handkerchief closely pressed to prevent devils entering his mouth.'—Mrs. F. Parks, Wanderings of a Pilgrim, i. 438 f. This fillet is called sihra, and it is intended to avert the influence of the Evil Eye and of demons.
[22] The officiating Mulla or Qazi lifts the bridegroom's veil, makes him gargle his throat three times with water, and seating him facing Mecca, requires him to repeat a prayer to Allah for forgiveness (istighfarullah); the four Qul, or chapters of the Koran commencing with the word qul, 'say' (cix, cxii, cxiii, cxiv); the Kalima or Creed: 'There is no deity but Allah: Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah'; the Articles of Belief (Sifat-i-iman) in Allah, his Angels, the Scriptures, the Prophets, the Resurrection, and Day of Judgement. His absolute decree and predestination of Good and Evil; the Prayer of Obedience, said standing (du'a'l-qunut). If he be illiterate, the meaning of all these should be explained to him.—Jafnir Shurreef, Qanoon-e-Islam, 86.
[23] Mulla.
[24] The naarah is a cord of many threads dyed red and yellow; the moosul the heavy beam in use where rice is to be cleansed from the husks. The custom is altogether of Hindoo origin. [Author.] [When the condiment (ubtan), made of the flour of gram, mixed with oil and perfumes, which is rubbed on the bride and bridegroom, is being ground, the handle of the hand-mill is smeared with sandalwood paste, powder of a kind of nut ( Vangueira spinosa), and some betel leaves; betel-nuts wrapped in a piece of new red cloth are tied to it. Then seven women, whose husbands are living, sit down to grind the condiment. Some raw rice is put in a red cloth, and with a parcel of betel-leaf is tied to the mill-handle with a thread (nara). Women pretend to beat it, and sing a marriage song. The rite is a form of fertility magic. The handle of the mill here represents the rice-pounder (musal) in the rite described in the text.—Bombay Gazetteer, ix, part i, 101; part ii, 163 f.[7]