irls wish to have a joke they take one of the
bridegroom's shoes which he has left outside the house, wrap it up
in a piece of cloth, and place it on a shelf or in a cupboard, where
the family god would be kept, with two lamps burning before it. Then
they say to the bridegroom, 'Come and worship our household god';
and if he goes and does reverence to it they unwrap the cloth and
show him his own shoe and laugh at him. But if he has been to one or
two weddings and knows the joke he just gives it a kick. The bride's
younger brother steals the bridegroom's other shoe and hides it, and
will not give it back without a present of a rupee or two. The bride
and bridegroom are seated on wooden seats, and while the Brahman
recites texts, they make the following promises. The bridegroom
covenants to live with his wife and her children, to support them
and tell her all his concerns, consult her, make her a partner of
his religious worship and almsgiving, and be with her on the night
following the termination of her monthly impurity. The bride promises
to remain faithful to her husband, to obey his wishes and orders,
to perform her household duties as well as she can, and not to go
anywhere without his permission. The last promise of the bridegroom has
reference to the general rule among Hindus that a man should always
sleep with his wife on the night following the termination of her
menses because at this time she is most likely to conceive and the
prospect of a child being born must not be lost. The Shastras lay it
down that a man should not visit his wife before going into battle,
this being no doubt an instance of the common custom of abstinence from
conjugal intercourse prior to some important business or undertaking;
but it is stated that if on such an occasion she should have just
completed a period of impurity and have bathed and should desire him
to come in to her, he should do so, even with his armour on, because
by refusing, in the event of his being killed in battle, the chance of
a child being born would be finally lost. To Hindu ideas the neglect
to produce life is a sin of the same character, though in a minor
degree, as that of destroying life; and it is to be feared that it
will be some time before this ingrained superstition gives way to
any considerations of prudential restraint Some people say that for
a man not to visit his wife at this time is as great a sin as murder.

9. Walking round the sacred post