As soon as the bridegroom and his attendants have returned to the house, a number of superstitious ceremonies are performed, the object of which is to preserve the new-married pair from witchcraft. When they are finished, a small copper vessel is placed before the bridegroom, filled with betel, areca and bananas, on the top of which lies a coco-nut streaked with saffron, and also the _Taly_ or pledge of conjugal fidelity. The father then desires the bride to hold out her hands, pours all the above-mentioned articles into them, and lays a piece of gold coin on the top. As soon as the bride has received them, the father lays hold of her hands, and, taking every thing from her that she held in them, puts them into the hands of his son-in-law. At that moment the Brahman says, with a clear loud voice, “All the gods are witnesses, that I give thee this my daughter to wife. Behold her portion!” These words are repeated three times by the bride’s father. The Brahman then takes the _Taly_, pronounces a prayer over it, divides the coco-nut, which lay in the bason, into two equal parts, and again deposits in it the two halfs. After this he presents the _Taly_ to be touched by each of the wedding guests, and, when that is done, gives it to the bridegroom, who hangs it around the neck of the bride. The observation of this circumstance is of the greatest importance; for upon it depends properly the validity of the marriage, which is afterwards considered as insoluble. The _Taly_ itself is a small gold figure, representing the deity _Poleyar_, or, what amounts to the same thing, _Gannèsha_. It is suspended by a small cord, dyed with saffron, and consecrated by the Brahman. Some of the inferior casts use, instead of this gold figure, the tooth of a tyger, which is dedicated to _Shiva_. When the bridegroom has hung the _Taly_ around the bride’s neck, the Brahman lays hold of the new-married pair, each by the ring-finger, and in that manner leads them thrice round the small altar, upon which the image of _Gannèsha_ is placed. During this ceremony the new-married pair must always have a burning lamp near them. One thing never neglected is, that the bridegroom, when he passes with his bride over the flat stone on which the Brahman broke the coco-nut, must always manage so that the bride may touch the stone with her foot. When these ceremonies are ended, the bridegroom takes a vessel with milk, applies it to his mouth, and gives it to his bride to drink: the vessel is then handed round from guest to guest, who all put it to their lips in succession. The solemnity is then concluded with a second procession. The bridegroom again places himself in his palanquin, and is borne round through the city in the same manner as before. Some days after, the band, which the Brahman, as already observed, bound round his arm with great solemnity, is unloosed. The young wife now attends to the management of her domestic affairs;