The Hindoos as They Are: A Description of the Manners, Customs and the Inner Life of Hindoo Society in BengalSivachandra Vasu
Religion
The Hindoos as They Are: A Description of the Manners, Customs and the Inner Life of Hindoo Society in Bengal
Sivachandra Vasu
Hindus; India -- Social life and customs; Women -- India
[24] The Bengalis have become so much anglicised of late that they have
not hesitated to give an English name to their sweetmeats. When the late
Lord Canning was the Governor General of India, it was said his Baboo
made a present of some native sweetmeats to Lady Canning, who was kindly
pleased to accept it. Hence the sweetmeat is called "Lady Canning," and
to this day no grand feast among the Bengalis is considered as complete
unless the "Lady Canning" sort is offered to the guests. The man that
first made it is said to have gained much money by its sale. It is not
the savoury taste of the thing that makes it so popular, but the name of
the illustrious Lady. While treating the subject of Hindoo
entertainment, it would not be out of place to make a few observations
on a branch of it, for the information of European readers. At all
public entertainments of the kind I am referring to, respectable Hindoos
strictly confine themselves to _vegetable curries_. Though those of the
_Sakto_ denomination (the followers of Kali and Doorga) have no
religious scruples to use goat-meat (male) and onion in the shape of
curry among select friends at home, they dare not expose themselves by
offering it to strangers. Hence, in large assemblies, they strictly
confine themselves to vegetable curries of different kinds. The
principle is good, were it honestly observed; because meat, if not
necessarily, yet generally, is the concomitant of _drink_. _Privately_,
however, both meat and drink are largely used. Respectable females are
entirely free as yet from these carnal indulgences.
[25] The cause of the fear is as follows: When Kartick (the god of
beauty and the son of the goddess Doorga) went out to marry, he had
forgotten to take with him the usual pair of nut-crackers. When he
remembered this on the way, he immediately returned home, and to his
great surprise, saw his mother eating with her ten hands, she being a
ten handed goddess. On asking the reason, he was told that it was lest,
when he should bring his wife, she would not give her the proper
quantity of food. Under what strange hallucinations, even the gods and
goddesses of the Hindoos laboured!
[26] The _chamurs_ are fans made of the tails of Thibet cows.
[27] Every commonplace minutiae in the domestic economy of a Hindoo
family is fraught with meaning: the nuts are kept all-day in the bride's
mouth and are saturated with her saliva. When cut by the hand of the
bridegroom they are supposed to possess a peculiar virtue. Somehow or
other, the bridegroom must be made to use them with the betel, in spite
of the warning of his mother, forbidding him to use them on any account.
When used, his love for his wife is supposed to be intensified, which is
prejudicial to the interests of his mother.
[28] The articles consist of Silver Ghara, Gharoo, Batha, Thalla, Batti,
Glass, Raykab, Dahur, Dipay and Pickdan.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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