CHAP. IV.] MARRIAGE CELEBRATION. 59 essence, sugar candy, huge quantities of confects, dried fruits, prepared betel-leaves, and fire-works. The henna- bandi ceremony. In the Private Hall of the Palace, the Prince's hands and feet were stained red with the henna, by ladies concealed hehind a screen, and he was robed in the bride's presents, smeared with perfumes, and fed with the lucky sugar-candy. Then he held a reception of his male guests, which his uncle Yaminuddaula and other nobles attended, while the ladies looked on from behind lattice-screens. In the richly furnished hall the wedding gifts were displayed on trays, the scarfs, confects and betel-leaves were distributed, and the fire-works let off outside. All the time sing- ing and dancing went on. The night's work was concluded with a supper to which the bride- groom sat down with all his guests. Next night the marriage took place. The astrologers had selected four hours before dawn The marriage procession. as the luckiest time for the cere- mony. A long while before that hour the grand wazir Yaminud- daula Asaf Khan and Prince Murad Bakhsh went to Aurangzib's mansion on the Jumna, and conducted him by the river-side road to the fort- palace, to make his bow to the Emperor, who gave him costly presents of all kinds,-robes, jewels, Digitized by Microsoft Ⓡ
