[39] The use of an iron bangle or bracelet has a deep meaning, it outlasts gold and silver ones. A girl may wear gold ornaments set in precious stones to the value of ten or fifteen thousand Rupees, but an iron bangle worth a pice,—a veritable insignia of ayestreehood opposed to widowhood—is indispensable to a married woman for its comparatively durable quality. A young widow may wear gold bangles till her twentieth year, but she is not privileged to put on an iron bangle after the death of her husband.
[40] In the early part of the British Government in Bengal, cowries were the common currency of the Province in the ordinary transactions of life. People used to make their hautbazar (market) with cowries, and a family that made a daily bazar with sixteen or eighteen kahuns of cowries, equal to one rupee or so, was reckoned a very respectable family. The prices of provisions ranged nearly one-third of what they now are. Even the revenues of Government were sometimes paid in cowries in the Eastern districts, namely, Assam, Sylhet, &c.
[41] There is a custom amongst the Hindoos that a married woman considers it no disgrace but rather an act of merit to eat the residue of her husband's meal in his absence; so great is the respect in which a husband is held, and so warm the sympathy existing between them. Even an elderly woman, the mother of five or six children, cheerfully partakes of the residue, as if it were the orts of gods.
[42] It is a noteworthy fact that in contracting matrimonial alliances, some families placed in mediocre circumstances are satisfied with taking a certain sum of money in lieu of the presents mentioned, partly because the articles are mostly of a perishable nature, and partly because the making presents of money to numerous servants for their trouble and feeding them, is regarded more as a tax than anything else. They prefer utility to show. Even in such cases of verbal contract, the father of the bride must send at least thirty servants with presents, besides 100 or 150 Rupees in cash as is stipulated before.
[43] In making the above imitations, Hindoo females exhibit an astonishing degree of skill and ingenuity which, if directed by the hand of an expert, is capable of still further improvement. Naturally and instinctively they evince a great aptitude for learning all sorts of handiwork.
[44] It is perhaps not generally known that the dinner of a native, Hindoo or Mussulman, male or female, is not considered complete, until he chews his pan beera or betel. The bridegroom after eating and washing his mouth chews his usual pan, and is asked to give a portion thereof to the bride; he hesitates at first, but consents at length to give it into the right hand of his elder brother's wife, who forcibly thrusts the same into the mouth of the bride, observing at the same time that their mutual repugnance on this score will soon be overcome when their incipient affection grows into true love.
[45] Jarawya jewellery is set in precious stones, the value of which it is not easy to estimate.
[46] A Hindoo Ayistree female, i. e., one whose husband is alive, whether young or old, is religiously forbidden to take off balla (bangle) from her hands, if is a badge of Ayistreeism, even when dead red thread is substituted in the place of the balla, so great is the importance attached to it by Ayistree females. When the balla is not seen on the hand, it is called the raur hatha, or the hand of a widow, than which there could not be a more reproachful term.
[47] Gharbasath implies dwelling in a father-in-law's house. If the bride do not go there within eight days from the date of marriage, she could not do so for one year, but after gharbasath she can go and come back any time when necessary. The object is to impress on her mind that her father-in-law's house is her future home. It is on this occasion that the worship of Shoobachini already described is performed, and both the bridegroom and bride are taken to Kally Ghat to sanctify the hallowed union and obtain the blessings of the goddess.
[48] It is perhaps not generally known that some women, not from any malicious design but rather from the ennui of a monotonous life, as well as for the sake of amusement in which they might participate, make a secret combination, and invent some artificial means to prematurely drag the girl—the poor victim of superstition—into the Teerghur before she actually arrives at the age of puberty.