History of the Parsis : including their manners, customs, religion and present position : with coloured and other illustrations : in two volumes

328 HISTORY OF THE PARSTS. [CHAP. VI.

The school, started under such auspices and support, soon flourished. Bombay has the credit of being the place where were imparted in a public school for the first time the elements of an English education under the superintendence of English ladies. It has now been in existence for twenty years, and many of the Parsi ladies who speak English received their education in this seminary. ‘To Mr. Manakji Kharshedji is therefore due the credit of having created a love for English education amongst the Parsis, and, still more, of having provided facilities for its

that they had made creditable progress in their study of the English language. At this stage of the proceedings an incident occurred which, depicting as it did a peculiar native custom adopted on festive occasions, could not fail to attract the notice of Europeans. In front of the Prince went and stood two Parsi ladies, Mrs, Kharshedji Kavasji Bhandupvala and Mrs. Bamanji Kharshedji Kama, the one with a gold embroidered scarf from Benares in her hand, and the other with a garland of flowers. One after another they put the scarf and the garland round His Royal Highness’s neck. The latter lady, after putting the garland, performed a manipulation of the hands peculiar among the natives, which is a sign of great affection and esteem. It is invariably resorted to on the occasion of the performance of marriage ceremonies, when the mother of the bride, standing on the threshold of her door, bids the bridegroom, her son-in-law, enter her house with the message of happiness and prosperity. It is done by putting the palms of both hands to the cheeks and making a cracking noise by pressing the fingers and bending the finger-joints sharply backwards. This part of the ceremony seemed greatly to astonish the Prince, who must have been highly gratified when he heard of the pleasant significance attached to it. A round of cheers, deep and continued, greeted the Prince on his arrival, which were repeated with greatér zeal as His Royal Highness left the Institute to proceed to the spot near the bazaar gate where the foundation-stone of a new Sailors’ Home was to be laid.” —Times of India, 18th March 1870.