[Birth ceremonies.] 5. When the birth pains begin they worship the ancestors with the sacrifice of a he-goat and a cock, and bathe the woman’s hands and feet or, in bad cases, her whole body with a decoction of the bark of the Rohina or fig tree. The child is born on the ground and the cord is cut by a Chamârin midwife, who buries it in the place the child was born, placing a bit of iron and a copper pice in the earthen fire pot. On the sixth day (chhathi) the Chamârin retires and the mother is bathed by her husband’s sister (nanad), who cleans the delivery-room (saur). The house earthen vessels are replaced, and one or two of the clansmen fed. On the twelfth day (barahi) the woman is again bathed and the house cleaned. On that day she cooks for the family and is pure. Her husband does not cohabit with her for six months after her confinement. They have the usual horror of touching menstrual blood or clothes defiled at child-birth. The only puberty ceremony is the ear-boring [317] (kanchhedan), which is done at the age of eight or ten, after which the child must conform to caste rules about food. [Marriage.] 6. The betrothal is sealed by the exchange between the two fathers of platters of liquor, one containing two rupees placed there by the boy’s father, which the girl’s father takes. They have the usual matmangar ceremony. [318] The usual anointing of bride and bridegroom follows, which is begun by the fathers on each side taking up a little oil in a wisp of dûb grass and sprinkling it on the bride or bridegroom, as the case may be. During this time he calls out,—“If my son or daughter is happily married we will worship the ancestors (pitra) with a fire offering of butter and a goat or fowl.” Here follows a curious emblematical ceremony. The boy’s mother sits on a grain mortar (okhari) in the centre of the marriage shed, and her son is seated in her lap. Then the boy, his mother, and the wedding water-pot (kalsa) are all tied together with a string and a fire sacrifice (hom) is done with sugar and butter. The boy’s sister holds her hand over the blaze and collects some lampblack on her fingers, which she rubs on her brother’s eyes. Then the mother comes under the influence of the goddess Amina Bhawâni and begins to tremble, on which her friends throw some rice over her and take her into the house, whence she soon emerges again to do the wave ceremony (parachhan). She holds a vessel (lota) full of water, a grain pounder (mûsal), and a tray (thâli), on which is placed a lighted lamp. First she waves a lump of dough five times over her son’s head; she does the same with the lota, and pours the water on the ground. Then she moves the rice-pounder five times over him, and with it touches the spot on the ground where the water was poured out. He finally salutes her with the pâêlagi form, and she says,—“Go son! Go son!” When he arrives at the bride’s door her father meets him with a new basket, the emblem of his