- (b) On the part of the girl —
- Uncle.
- Relations of married sisters.
- Relations of married brothers.
- Tandān of her tara.
- Astrologer of her tara.
- Relations and friends.
The horoscopes are again formally examined by the astrologer, who announces that their agreement augurs a happy wedded life. The boy's uncle pays him two fanams. The girl's uncle takes the two horoscopes,which have just been tied together, from the astrologer,and hands them to the Tandān of the girl's tara, who passes them on to the Tandān of the boy's tara. They are handed by him to the boy's uncle. The astrologer then writes on a palmyra leaf a note for each party to the marriage, stating the auspicious day and hour for the final ceremony, the hour at which the bride should leave her house, and the hour for her arrival at the house of the bridegroom. The following programme is then gone through. In the verandah, facing east, before the front door, is spread an ordinary sleeping mat, over it a grass mat, and over that a plain white cloth which has been washed and is not a new one. On the floor close by, the following articles are placed: —
A lamp, having an odd number of cotton wicks, which is kept lighted whatever the hour of day it may be;
A measure, called nāzhi, made of jak tree (Artocarpus integrifolia) wood, filled to overflowing with rice,and placed on a flat bell-metal plate (talika);
A plain white cloth, washed but not new, neatly folded, and placed on the metal plate to the right (south) of the rice;
