At a betrothal in Nimar the bridegroom and his friends come and stay
in the next village to that of the bride. The two parties meet on the
boundary of the village, and here the bride-price is fixed, which
is often a very large sum, ranging from Rs. 200 to Rs. 1000. Until
the price is paid the father will not let the bridegroom into his
house. In Yeotmal, when a betrothal is to be made, the parties go
to a liquor-shop and there a betel-leaf and a large handful of sugar
are distributed to everybody. Here the price to be paid for the bride
amounts to Rs. 40 and four young bullocks. Prior to the wedding the
bridegroom goes and stays for a month or so in the house of the bride's
father, and during this time he must provide a supply of liquor daily
for the bride's male relatives. The period was formerly longer, but now
extends to a month at the most. While he resides at the bride's house
the bridegroom wears a cloth over his head so that his face cannot be
seen. Probably the prohibition against seeing him applies to the bride
only, as the rule in Berar is that between the betrothal and marriage
of a Charan girl she may not eat or drink in the bridegroom's house,
or show her face to him or any of his relatives. Mathuria girls must
be wedded before they are seven years old, but the Charans permit
them to remain single until after adolescence.