Marriage custom (Nepali bihaa)02 Jul
In Nepali society, men usually get married before they reached 25 and women before they reached 20 years old. Most of the time arranged marriages. Arranged marriage happens within the same caste. The date and time for marriage is usually decided by consulting the horoscope. The marriage ceremony starts when a procession form the bride groom’s family arrives at the bride’s house. Then worship is done. For the worship a special place ( jaggay ) is made in the courtyard of the bride’s home. A holy fire is light. The parents of the bride perform the worship and give the daughter to the bridegroom as the gift. This ceremony is called kanaydaan.
During the marriage ceremony the bridegroom puts the vermilion (sindur) powder in his bride’s hair and put a beaded necklace (pote) around her neck. This symbolizes that she become his wife. Normally bride put a dark red sari and the bridegroom wears a shirts pants, coat, nepali dhakaa topi or Nepali dress which is dauraa suruwal etc.
When it held?
Wedding are usually held in the months of baishkh (april- may ) asaar –(june –july) mangsir( nov-dec) ,maagh (jan-feb) or phaagun (feb-march) .Among these phaagun and mangsir are Nepalese ‘s favorite months for a marriage . In Nepali wedding the holy fire is the witness to the occasion. They also give dowry to the bridegroom.
Types of marriages :
- Arranged marriage: most common where parents arrange or match makers find and proposes their parents
- Capture: this tradition is vanishing but in kham Magar they capture their Bride by force. Sometimes it is prearranged and acted out
- By purchase: The groom‘s side pays the bride ‘s side price or the bride side pays the groom side dowry ( daaijo) (dahej ) in tarai . the tamang are required to pay dowry when they have a child.
- Infants: children are sometimes even promised to each other before birth.
- Polyandrous: One wife and many husbands. In Nepal sherpa communities do this marriage.
- By exchange: Both parties exchanges goods or money
- To inanimate objects: Common among newari people.
In Nepal, 40% of marriages are happening with the girls under the age of 14 years.(UNICEF report)
