Bow and arrow function of the todas.

The toda marriage is a simple function where the grooms father goes to the brides village and escorts her to her new home,which she enters carrying a pot with some flowers and a coin.The actual celebration takes place when the bride is pregnant,in the fifth or seventh month.The toda tribe has 15 patriarchal clans divided into two groups. such as karsh,melgarsh,nosh,myor etc.On a new moon day ,the husband and wife leave the village or mand and the ceremony takes place under a designated tree,native to the nilgiris.some species are not used for this function.Asmall niche is prepared at the foot of the tree by uncles of the bride belonging to the second group or moiety. ere the mother in law places a ghee lamp,and sprinkles some grains.The couple then kneel to receive blessings from the elders which the give by touching their toes to the foreheads of the kneeling couple.The husband then goes to the forest and brings back a pirsh plkant.One twig forms the bow and another the arrow.The guests sing and dance,performing traditional songs for the couple,celebrating new life.The husband then asks permission from the elders of the girls clan to perform the ceremony.They then gift a buffalo to the couple.The husband hands the bow wnd arrow to his wife.!eceiving it ,she asks what is the name of your bow"the husband replies with the name of his clan.This is repeated three times,thus adding the child to be to its fathers clan.The bow and arrow is placed at the foot of the tree,and the pregnant wife sits ga#ing at the lamp till tears fall from her eyes. er husband then brings the honey he has brought from the forest and the couple share it.The couple then leave for the forest where the husband has to cook and feed his wife.