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Child Marriage
Child Marriage, to some extent, is still prevalent among the
Brahmanas and Kayasthas, more particularly in the villages. Brahmanas
perform the three ceremonious connected with a girls marriage at three
stages: before the attainment of puberty, after puberty and when she attains
motherhood. They do not allow widow-remarriage. In some Assamese villages,
there is a custom in which a man called a Dhoka or Chapaniya goes to live
with a widow as her husband. But he is very much looked down upon. On
the other hand, a widower some times brings into his house a widow as
his wife, who is known as a Batalu. On the night the widower comes to
the widow's house, she places a bowl of fried cock-meat and a bowl of
rice beer on the threshold of her bedroom and seats herself outside with
a tiny lamp and a stick. The man goes round and round the house seven
times mewing like a cat. After each round he approaches the door only
to the driven off by the woman. After the seventh round she asks if it
is her children's father (her dead husband) and he replies, yes. Then
only can he enter the house, eat and drink, and after certain formalities
become the master of the house. The Dhoka leaves his original home for
good, discarding all rights to property. The Bodos generally provide a
good safeguard to their widow's .
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Bodo Marriage
The socially accepted form of a Bodo marriage is more or less
the same in all villages, though certain rites vary from clan to clan.
On a auspicious day elders go to see the girl and study her character.
If she is liked, they come back and leave a pair of silver bangles stuck
in the ceiling or a couple of wine bottles hanging by it. If these
are not returned within the following week, consent of the girl's family
is indicated. Before the wedding takes place boy goes to the girl's house
to see and know each other. The girl gives him presents of handkerchiefs
and napkins she herself had woven and bow before him. If she does not
do this, it is understood that she does not like the boy. The Hinduised
Bodos engage a priest to perform the ceremony, while others follow
their own elaborate tribal customs. The Bodos do not like to marry into
other communities. Sunday is the best day for a wedding. They follow certain
marriage customs that seem to be peculiar to tribal society in Assam.
These are paying bride money, a son-in-law living with his father-in-law's
family (ghar-jowain) and taboo on marriage within the same clan.
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