is that women accompany the marriage procession,
and the Banias are the only high caste in which they do this. Hence a
high-caste wedding party in which women are present can be recognised
to be a Bania's. In the Maratha Districts women also go, but here
this custom obtains among other high castes. The bridegroom's party
hire or borrow a house in the bride's village, and here they erect
a marriage-shed and go through the preliminary ceremonies of the
wedding on the bridegroom's side as if they were at home.

12. Polygamy and widow-marriage.

Polygamy is very rare among the Banias, and it is generally the rule
that a man must obtain the consent of his first wife before taking
a second one. In the absence of this precaution for her happiness,
parents will refuse to give him their daughter. The remarriage of
widows is nominally prohibited, but frequently occurs, and remarried
widows are relegated to the inferior social groups in each subcaste as
already described. Divorce is also said to be prohibited, but it is
probable that women put away for adultery are allowed to take refuge
in such groups instead of being finally expelled.

13. Disposal of the dead and mourning.

The dead are cremated as a rule, and the ashes are thrown into
a sacred river or any stream. The bodies of young children and of
persons dying from epidemic disease are buried. The period of mourning
must be for an odd number of days. On the third day a leaf plate with
cooked food is placed on the ground where the body was burnt, and on
some subsequent day a feast is given to the caste. Rich Banias will
hire people to mourn. Widows and young girls are usually employed,
and these come and sit before the house for an hour in the morning
and sometimes also in the evening, and covering their heads with
their cloths, beat their breasts and make lamentations. Rich men
may hire as many as ten mourners for a period of one, two or three
months. The Marwaris, when a girl is born, break an earthen pot to
show that they have had a misfortune; but when a boy is born they
beat a brass plate in token of their joy.

14. Religion: the god Ganpati or Ganesh.

Nearly all the Banias are Jains or Vaishnava Hindus. An account of the
Jain religion has been given in a separate article, and some notice
of the retention of Hindu practices by the Jains is contained in the
subordinate article on Parwar Bania. The Vaishnava Banias no less
than the Jains are stro