Storytime in India: Wedding Songs, Victorian Tales, and the Ethnographic Experience

Contents

• Acknowledgments
• List of Songs and Accessing the Audio Files
• Prologue
• Introduction: Umesh Explains Storytime
• 1. A Fulbright Grant to Banaras, India
• 2. Toast
• Interlude I: Lizzy Greystock
• 3. Setting Up Our Apartment in Banaras, 2007
• 4. The Daily Routine
• Interlude II: Sir Florian
• 5. Arranging an Indian Wedding
• 6. The Search for a Boy
• 7. Helen and Umesh Meet
• 8. Viewing the Bride
• 9. The Tilak Talk Begins
• 10. Gangajali
• 11. The Tilak, Explained by Umesh
• 12. Song Journey
• 13. Tilak Songs
• 14. "Dress Him in a Bra and Bodice": Gali for the Tilak
• 15. The Songs Become Personal
• 16. "We Sell Dreams"
• 17. Saguni Songs: "This night is ours"
• Interlude III: Lady Eustace
• 18. Umesh Remembers Charlotte Wiser
• 19. Matikor: Sashi Interrupts, but We Do Not Hear "A Mare Has Pissed"
• 20. Helen's Pounding Pot
• 21. Umesh Explains Gali
• Interlude IV. Lucy Morris
• 22. The Kalas and the Harish
• 23. Arranging a Priest
• 24. Wedding Expenses
• 25. The Island Diaspora: My Introduction to Indian Culture from Far Away
• Interlude V: Frank Greystock
• 26. Grannie Music
• 27. Ethnomusicology
• 28. The Turmeric Is Pleasing
• Interlude VI: The Eustace Necklace
• 29. Heat
• 30. Kissing
• 31. The Bride and Groom go to the Kohabar
• 32. Sahana Songs before the Wedding Ritual: The Blue Blue Horse
• 33. Umesh Tells the Krishna Story
• Interlude VII: Lady Linlithgow's Mission, , The Sawab of Mygawb
• 34. And Love
• 35. Kabir
• 36. Great Novels and Lesser Novels
• 37. Trapping the Family Gods
• Interlude VIII: Mr. Burke's Speeches
• 38. Helen Contracts Typhoid
• 39. Getting the Siri at the Home of the Potter
• 40. My Husband Is the Inspector of Police
• Interlude IX: The Conquering Hero Comes
• 41. The Evil Eye
• 42. Umesh Gets Malaria
• 43. On the Stage, the Bridegroom Puts on His Garments
• 44. Preparing for Winter
• 45. Adorn the Elephant, Adorn the Horse
• 46. The Jaluaa
• 47. The Story of Krishna and the Crocodile: A Song with Many Many Stories
• 48. Umesh Tells the Remainder of the Krishna Story
• 49. More Jaluaa Songs and Stories
• Interlude X: Showing What the Miss Fawns Said, and What Mrs. Hittaway Thought
• 50. Charlotte Wiser Leaves Karimganj
• 51. Wedding Night
• 52. Mona's Nacchu Nahawan in Rasalpur
• 53. Protecting the Bride from the Evil Eye
• Interlude XI: Lizzie and Her Lover
• 54. Arrival at the Janmassa
• 55. Gali for Barati People and Bridegroom
• 56. What about Clothes and Ornaments
• 57. Bhajan Interlude
• Interlude XII: Lord Fawn at His Office
• 58. Umesh Recalls His Wedding
• 59. Feeding the Wedding Party
• 60. Dwar Puja-The New System
• 61. The Animal Party
• 62. Departure of the Barat
• Interlude XIII: I Only Thought of It
• 63. The Bridegroom Enters the Courtyard
• 64. The Bride Enters the Courtyard
• 65. Donation of the Virgin Daughter
• 66. Ceremony of the Puffed Rice
• 67. The Sindur Ritual
• 68. The Kohabar Ritual
• 69. Ceremony at the Ganges
• Interlude XIV: Showing What Frank Greystock Did
• 70. Arrival of the Bride in her Sasural, the Gauna
• 71. Love Marriages
• 72. Five Days
• 73. Just One More Song
• 74. Gangajali's Story
• Interlude XV: "Doan't Thou Marry for Munny"
• 75. One Last Song
• Interlude XVI: I'll Give You a Hundred Guinea Broach
• 76. Preparing for China
• 77. Leaving Banaras in 2008
• 78. Conclusion
• Interlude XVII: The Eustace Diamonds
• 79. Umesh Tells a Story from Karimganj
• 80. A Passage to India
• 81. Bangles in Ballia
• 82. Across the Seven Seas
• 83. Umesh Arranges for the Swan's Quill
• 84. The Religion of Humanity
• 85. Storytime
• Appendix: Rituals of the Hindu Wedding in Ballia
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Index