Wedding rituals of North East India

A very interesting article from the on-line magazine NElive.

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The seven sisters of North East India are full of interesting rituals and customs. The marriages in these states demonstrate the cultural diversity and beliefs of the tribe’s people. Here are some of the interesting wedding rituals of North East.

Meghalaya

Meghalaya is one state which follows the matrilineal structure in which the surnames of the mother line are inherited (especially within Garo and Khasi society). The wedding system is also unique in every aspect. Marriages are officiated only after a formal engagement and take place at the bride’s home. The rings are exchanged in bags of betel nuts. This is one state where there is no existence of the dowry system. Once the marriage happens the groom shifts to the bride’s place i.e. her ancestral home. The women are regarded as the key holders to the wealth and the money in the family. The couple takes on the bride’s mothers name as their official surname.

Mizoram

The land of the blue mountain is what Mizoram is lovingly called and it is one of the most fashionable states of India. The Mizo people have their own set of traditions and customs. Most of the natives have converted to Christianity during the centuries and the wedding rituals are a unique blend of Christian customs and original tribal rites.

In Mizoram there is a custom called marriage payment where the groom pays a certain amount of money to the bride’s family. The boy approaches the family of the bride and settles a price for the marriage with the consent of the girl’s family. The groom and the bride get a lot of time to know each other fully and explore their chemistry before marriage.  The marriage is solemnized in a Church and the bride gives a traditional rug or a Puandum to the groom. Interestingly this rug is wrapped around the body of the groom when he dies. Though most brides wear white wedding gown dresses on their wedding day, some chose to wear Puanchei or the gorgeous Mizo traditional dress on their wedding.

Assam

In Assam there are a lot of interesting rituals and customs associated with marriage. There are many interesting pre-wedding rituals like the Juran ceremony, Pani Tola ceremony, Tel Diya rituals and Nuani.

Tripura

In Tripura the traditional marriage practices demand that the Jamai or the groom has to look after the family of his prospective bride if he wants to marry her. This is a tribal custom and more than 30% of Tripura natives are tribal’s. The boy shifts to the house of the girl and works hard to prove his ability to care for her family. The time period for this is agreed upon mutually and the period runs between six months to one year. Interestingly if the girl’s family refuses to marry off the girl to the boy no compensation is paid to the boy. The purpose of the custom is to assess the potential of the groom. This is a progressive custom as cited by the cultural representatives of Tripura as women in other societies are subject to humiliation and degrading practices.

Arunachal Pradesh

In Arunachal Pradesh there are 3 distinct forms of marriage which are practiced in the society. The first is marriage by negotiation or Aaw Long Aaw. The second and the third forms of marriages are marriage by eloping or Thok no ho Chaii and marriage by capture or Aan Shieo Aaaww.

In Aaw Long Aaw the groom’s parents welcome the bride to their home by offering Hopha (sugar) and Ban Moya (plate full of blooms). The parents of the groom present the bride with pha or smoked fish and Khaw Tom or cooked sticky rice and Wan Khai bowls or containers full of eggs.

Normally negotiated marriages are supervised by a middleman who is called Chow Pachaw.

Manipur

Manipur is fondly called the pearl of the nation and it does shine like a pearl with its colourful and bright rituals and customs. The weddings of Manipur have a certain timeless elegance about them that are accentuated by the quaint rituals and customs that are followed in the state.

Hinaba is the first meeting between the bride’s and groom’s families and it is here that horoscopes are tallied to find out if the match is auspicious or not. Yathang Thanaga is the ritual when the bride’s parents visit the groom’s family to give their consent to the wedding. The Waraipot Puba ceremony happens when the family of the groom brings food for the bride’s family. The Heijapot ceremony signifies the formal engagement of the bride and the groom.

Like a Maharashtra marriage the rituals of Manipuri wedding are centered around the Tulsi plant. The seven sacred circles by the bride and the groom around the tulsi plant signify the sanctity and purity of marriage. In Manipuri wedding the guests are given Dakshina or token money for coming to the occasion.

Mangani Choukaba is the last ceremony in ta Manipuri wedding where the parents of the bride visit her at her husband’s home to check on her well being. The newlyweds are presented with rice, alcohol, money and pigs to mark their new journey.

Nagaland

In Nagaland different tribes have different customs and rituals. With the exception of Konyak chiefs the tribals of the same clan do not inter-marry. The Angami tribal members strangle a fowl prior to the declaration of marriage. The Mongsen tribal members send the couple on a trading journey for 20 days in which they have to conduct successful trade in order to sanctify the marriage. The Sema tribe is polygamous and one wife is given the status of head wife. The Lothas and Changs are also polygamous.