WOMEN UNDER POLYGAMY
the fawn, well cut and with reddish corners. Her bosom is hard, full, and high; she has a good neck; her nose is straight and lovely. … She walks with swan-like (more exactly flamingo-like) gait, and her voice is low and musical as the note of the Kokila bird (the Indian cuckoo). She delights in white raiment, in fine jewels, and in rich dresses. She eats little, sleeps lightly, and being as respectful and religious as she is clever and courteous, she is ever anxious to worship the gods, and to enjoy the conversation of Brahmans. Such, then, is the Padmini, or lotus-woman."
The Hindu woman is usually short, and slight in build. Her complexion is a dark brown. In Kashmir, the women are taller, and some have lighter complexions. The most statuesque forms among the women of India are said to be seen in Kashmir.
In most parts the married women have the red Kum-Kum mark painted upon the forehead.
The veil is worn in the North of India, but seldom among the women of the South. Most of the zenanas are in Bengal, Sind, Punjab, and the North generally.
In Ceylon, the women most loved for their charms have long plentiful hair, blue eyes, and curved eye-brows. The lips should be red, the teeth small. Her breasts must be small and firm; the hips wide, the limbs tapering, and the skin of the body delicate.[1]
This adoration of the beautiful features and forms of women is of religious significance in the East. Instead of the dread, and frequently the repulsion,
- ↑ "An Account of the Interior of Ceylon"—Davy.
79
