44 1008-351

Deets, Ble Gzie- 8-49)

10-8-44. While at APO 883-recorded the following picture,while visiting the
zoo. JI chanced to be looking at a little Hindu girl who was drinking from the
end of a flower hose and at this same instant she began to choke as :the water
inadvertently, started its course down the wrong swallowing tube. It ended

with a sae smile and an acquantance and finally a chartering of her services
as a zoo guide, Her help added materially to the information acquired from the
signs posted on thecages and run ways and especially was her timid smile worth
this one rupee paid for the service and picture. These little Hindu girls are
always cute at this particular size and compare with our own children in both
physical build and personality but it is not long until they visibly how een
of premature development and by the time they reach the age of twelve and fifteen
they begin a period of deterioration. This environment causes a girl of eighteen,
whichcin the states produces a youny and attractive women, to take on those
characteristic of an old woman. The first thing that struck me as being unusual
in the Hindu women was the nose decorations, This ornament makes a couplete
penetration of Sie skin.. It apparently does not signify any sorciebiies thing
except -s a decoration. It is used b, women of all age levels so probably has
no marital significance. Frequently one finds a large unwiedLly set of rings

as you would find thru the nostrils of a cow. The other items of jewelry are
very effectively worn by this young lady. The single red dot she calls a kum-
kum and is apparently worn irregardless of age or other status. It is only

used by the Hindu. The powder they use to make this caste mark is also called
frumkum. This mark is not a caste makk in thestrict sense of thew word as I find
nearly all elagees and castes rerresented,. Ocea” sionally one sees a Y or U

shape on the sorehead especially older men and it signifies an affiliation with
the Vishnu God worship. Horizontal lines, generally three in number, indicate

a @evotee of Shiva, another one of the Gods of their trinity. Sometimes wiite
earth or gellow earth is used but of cose is less resistent. Have notived

several women .ith the red line or dot placed in the part of the hatr.