[12] _Rikab_, 'a cup'; _patthari_, 'made of stone'. China dishes are also supposed to betray poison: see J. Fryer, _A New Account of East India and Persia_ (Hakluyt Society's edition), i. 87. [13] _Dulhin_. [14] _Dulha_. [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]] LETTER XV