Come summer, there is a spree of marriages among the tribes of Nuapada district. They could well classify as the big fat Indian wedding, flavoured with all the masala a close-knit community can muster.
Saora marriages have some peculiar and entertaining features. Middlemen have a prominent role in fixing the alliance while the prospective bride and groom meet at a fair or a festival.
Once the nuptials are finalised, the groom abducts his bride — usually the daughter of his uncle — while the girl’s father turns a blind eye to the ‘crime’. The abduction is usually a few days after the girl attains puberty, according to Dayanidhi Gauda, secretary of the Dayanidhi Foundation.
Once the nuptials are finalised, the groom abducts his bride while the girl’s father turns a blind eye to the ‘crime’
Guests arrive from distant hamlets, trekking long distances through jungles. They are greeted with a gift, ‘chhancha,’ of rice, pulses, vegetables and clothes in gratitude for their presence.
“Bandhu milan (the congregation of friends and relatives) during marriage is a must. Social ties are very strong. If one person, peeved with something, refuses to partake of the feast, others refrain too,” says Gauda.
The wedding altar comprises four small pillars of ‘tangni’ wood bedecked with blackberry (jamun) leaves and branches. “However, unlike Hindu marriages, there are no rituals before a fire,” Gauda points out. Also unlike mainstream ceremonies, the tribal marriage takes place at the groom’s house.
Then comes another peculiar feature of the drama. A plough is placed on the shoulders of the couple. The duo stands with their backs to each other and the groom holds the bride by stretching his hands backward. Thus locked together, the pair circles the altar while women shower them with turmeric water.
Feasting and fun come on the third day, with a rich banquet of mutton and other delicacies laid out for the guests. Drinking — a no-no during the marriage to prevent any untoward incident caused by inebriation — also recommences, with men enjoying handia, mahuli and pangu.
