4. Festivities of the women of the bridegroom’s party.
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Russell, R. V. (Robert Vane)
During the absence of the wedding party the women of the bridegroom’s house with others in the village sing songs at night in the marriage-shed constructed at his house. These are known as Dindwa, a term applied to a man who has no wife, whether widower or bachelor. As they sing, the women dance in two lines with their arms interlaced, clapping their hands as they move backwards and forwards. The songs are of a lewd character, treating of intrigues in love mingled with abuse of their relatives and of other men who may be watching the proceedings by stealth. No offence is taken on such occasions, whatever may be said. In Upper India, Mr. Jeorākhān Lāl states such songs are sung at the time of the marriage and are called Naktoureki louk or the ceremony of the useless or shameless ones, because women, however shy and modest, become at this time as bold and shameless as men are at the Holi festival. The following are a few lines from one of these songs:
The wheat-cake is below and the urad-cake is above. Do you see my brother’s brother-in-law watching the dance in the narrow lane.3
A sweetmeat is placed on the wheat-cake; a handsome young black-guard has climbed on to the top of the wall to see the dance.
When a woman sees a man from afar he looks beautiful and attractive: but when he comes near she sees that he is not worth the trouble.
I went to the market and came back with my salt. Oh, I looked more at you than at my husband who is wedded to me.