|
This joint family system appears to be traditional among both the tribal
and non-tribal village communities of Assam; it is based on blood relationship.
In the case of inheritance, the Dayabhaga system was followed
in olden days, as at present. As long as the father lives, the sons cannot
claim any share in the property. So the father is the centre of the family
and he rules supreme. There are a few tribal societies which follow the
matriarchal system. The Khasi is one among them. They look upon the mother
as the centre of the clan. The mother's property goes to her daughters.
When there is no daughter, the property goes to the youngest daughter
of the mother's sister. The Garos also follow a similar system in the
Garo Hills. Among the Dimasa-Kacharis the prevalent custom is that the
sons inherit their father's properties and the girls inherit their
mothers properties. When there is no children of their own their relatives
inherit the properties. Though Assamese women are given an honoured position,
no other community in Assam follows the matrilineal inheritance system.
The common paternal system governs general Assamese society.
Top
Marriage
Manu's Prajapati mode is the usual rule for marriages in Assam.
The proposal for the girl's hand comes from the boy's family and then
follow the other formalities. Elopement is generally discouraged. The
eloping couple is generally accepted in the boy's family after they formally
beg pardon of society represented by village elders who after imposing
a fine lets them off. In Assam, Kinship is treated with great importance.
Sons and daughters of uncles and aunts are all brothers and sisters, like
those of one's own parents. Child marriage is practically unknown. A boy
marries from the age of 16 and a girl from the age of 14. The most age
for boys is 18 or 19 years and for girls is 15 years. If a young boy likes
a girl, he sends his father or both the parents to the girl's father,
betrothal ring or bracelets with the girl. Sometimes a gourd of
rice beer is taken and accepted. If after acceptance, the girl gets married
to another boy, the village council fines the girl's family. The length
of the engagement is not uniform. After a day has been fixed for the marriage,
both the families prepare beer and strong drinks. If the bridegroom's
party has to go through difficult villages he has to give a gourd of beer
to each.
Top
Marriage ceremony
After the proposal come, horoscopes of the boy and girl are
compared. A new ring is put on the girl's finger as a mark of sealing
the proposal .The nuptials start two or three days, ahead. The first day
is the Jorondiya,when a party of women from the bridegroom's side go to
the bride's house and formally presents her with bridal dresses and ornaments.
From this day till the wedding the bride and groom have to undergo ceremonial
baths, every day, known Nowani. For this, water is specialty drawn (panitola)
)by women who go in a procession singing appropriate songs, to the
river or a tank. The night of the second day or the night before
the wedding day is Adhivasa. Both the bride and the groom and also their
mothers have to observe a fast on these days. A priest is engaged for
the rites on this day and he performs the
pujas, offering grams and pulses to Gods which are later distributed
as prasad, after
eating it only a vegetarian meal can be had at night. Women then
carry on the ceremony of gathiyan khunda in which, inside an enclosure
of cloth, they pound a kind of aromatic root to a pulp and apply
it on the boy's or girl's head and add oil to the pulp. This is an act
of purification. After, that night's meal, there will be no usual meal
for them and their parents till the marriage is over. Early in the morning
of the wedding day, the ceremony of daiyan diya is observed. The bride
or the groom is made to sit on the threshold of the bedroom, an elderly
women relative sits in front, takes two betel leaves in her two hands,
dips them into a bowl of curd and touches his or her cheeks, arms and
feet with the leaves. Then after a ceremonial bath,
Shraddha of nine past generations is performed. The groom has to take
another ceremonial bath before he gets ready in the evening to start for
the bride's house. He and his party arrive at the bride's place a little
before Langa or Auspicious hour. He is ceremonially received at
the decorated gate by his would-be mother-in-law. Fistfuls of rice will
be thrown at him to drive off any evil spirit accompanying him. Then the
groom is led to the place under the pandal where the ceremony is to be
performed. Women continue to sing marriage-songs all the while. At the
appropriate hour, the bride is brought out and the priest starts the
Vedic rites. After all the ceremonies are over, the bride is taken
by the groom's party to the groom's house; she need not stay there from
that very day, but she must set her foot that day in her husband's house
and may go back home. On the third evening with the help of a priest,
offerings are made to two imaginary demons named Khoba and Khubuni for
smoothening the path of married life. Dowry is not asked for, but the
girl's father presents all necessary things which would be required in
married life.
Top
|
