In the guest-house an ascetic, with ash-smeared, loose hair, is lying sleeping; one with upraised arm (stiffened thus through years) is distributing drugs and charms to the servants of the house; a white-bearded, red-robed _Brahmachari_, swinging his chaplet of beads, is reading from a manuscript copy of the _Bhagavat-gita_ in the _Nagari_ character; holy mendicants are quarrelling for their share of _ghi_ and flour.

Here a company of emaciated _Boiragis_, with wreaths of _tulsi_ (a sacred plant) round their necks and the marks of their religion painted on their foreheads, the bead fastened into the knot of hair on their heads shaking with each movement, are beating the drums as they sing: "I could not get the opportunity to speak, The elder brother Dolai was with me." The wives of the _Boiragis_, their hair braided in a manner pleasing to their husbands, are singing the tune of _Govinda Adhi Kari_ to the accompaniment of the tambourine.

Young _Boisnavis_ singing with elder women of the same class, the middle-aged trying to bring their voices into unison with those of the old.

In the midst of the court-yard idle boys fighting, and abusing each other's parents.
These three were the outer _mahals_.

Behind these came the three inner ones.