Ritual songs and folksongs of the Hindus of Surinam

32 Nechū² [Uitvlugt, 1962]

ghara ghara ghumalī näuniyā to gotinī bulāväi
janaka dulārī ke nechū sabahį köī āvahį
köī ḍāre cuṭakī munariyā köī re ḍāre rūpara
köī ḍāre ratanā padāratha bhari gäile sūpara
kausilyā ḍāre cuṭuki munariyā sumitrā ḍāre rūpara
kekahī ḍāre ratanā padāratha bhari gäile sūpara

The näunī has walked from home to home; the näunī invites the kinswomen;
May each and everyone come to the nechū of the darling daughter of Janaka.
One throws³ in a little finger-ring, another throws silver (coins?).
One throws in the jewel things (and) the sūp⁴ is filled.
Kauśalyā throws in the little finger-ring, Sumitrā throws the silver.
Kaikeyī throws the jewel things (and) the sūp is filled.

2 Cp. R. Tripāṭhī ('51: 255). Lines III-VI: cp. D. Siṁha ('58: 109).

3 The gifts thrown in the sūp at this occasion belong to the näunī.

4 A kind of winnowing tray made of wicker work.

[p. 82]

The barāt's arrival at the bride's home

The following are the stages of the arrival and welcome as occasions for singing:

1. The arrival of the barāt, and waiting to be received by the bride's guardians and other relatives.

2. The bride's male relatives and guardians go out of the māṛo and receive the guests: this is known as agavānī.

3. Dvāra-pūjā, welcoming the guests in a worshipful manner, and then (gale milanā) embracing.

4. Parchan (S. prārcana) of the bridegroom done by the ladies after the barāt has been led into the māṛo.

5. Giving a light refreshment to the bridegroom, consisting of sweetened water etc. The bridegroom's bahanöī (sister's husband) or some other relative keeps a close watch to detect any tricks of mixing some magically ‘medicated’ stuffs which might be given to the bridegroom to bring him under the power of his would-be bride or to weaken him in some other way. Because of the auspicious nature of this refreshment it is referred to as sagunī.

The songs for these stages have been recorded but only for (2) and (4) are printed here.