bridegroom is simply seated in a grain basket and the bride in
a winnowing-fan; then their hands are joined as the sun is half set,
and the marriage is completed. The bridegroom takes the basket and fan
home with him. On the return of the wedding couple, their _kankans_
or wristbands are taken off at Hanuman's temple. The Muhammadan Bhils
perform the same ceremonies as the Hindus, but at the end they call in
the Kazi or registrar, who repeats the Muhammadan prayers and records
the dowry agreed upon. The practice of the bridegroom serving for
his wife is in force among both classes of Bhils.

7. Widow--marriage, divorce and polygamy.

The remarriage of widows is permitted, but the widow may not marry
any relative of her first husband. She returns to her father's house,
and on her remarriage they obtain a bride-price of Rs. 40 or 50, a
quarter of which goes in a feast to the tribesmen. The wedding of a
widow is held on the Amawas or last day of the dark fortnight of the
month, or on a Sunday. A wife may be divorced for adultery without
consulting the _panchayat_. It is said that a wife cannot otherwise
be divorced on any account, nor can a woman divorce her husband, but
she may desert him and go and live with a man. In this case all that
is necessary is that the second husband should repay to the first
as compensation the amount expended by the latter on his marriage
with the woman. Polygamy is permitted, and a second wife is sometimes
taken in order to obtain children, but this number is seldom if ever
exceeded. It is stated that the Bhil married women are generally chaste
and faithful to their husbands, and any attempt to tamper with their
virtue on the part of an outsider is strongly resented by the man.

8. Religion.

The Bhils worship the ordinary Hindu deities and the village godlings
of the locality. The favourite both with Hindu and Muhammadan Bhils
is Khande Rao or Khandoba, the war-god of the Marathas, who is often
represented by a sword. The Muhammadans and the Hindu Bhils also
to a less extent worship the Pirs or spirits of Muhammadan saints
at their tombs, of which there are a number in Nimar. Major Hendley
states that in Mewar the seats or _sthans_ of the Bhil gods are on the
summits of high hills, and are represented by heaps of stones, solid
or hollowed out in the centre, or mere platforms, in or near which are
found numbers of clay or mud images of horses. [337] In some places
clay lamps a