Myriad Culture Colourful Marriages

By Reeta Rani Nayak 

“Marriages  are made in heaven and consummated on Earth,” so said John Lyly is a famous English writer and author. But in the seven sisters and one brother of North East India marriages are quite different not only from other states of India but also within the state among different tribes. North East India also features some quirky wedding traditions and customs. Normally, in the rest of the country weddings are centred around the bridegroom and the bride. But the weddings of the landlocked hilly region have deep- rooted beliefs and portray beautiful gestures of love.

The dresses of both the brides and the grooms in North  East  India are influenced by their textiles. The region sees a beautiful mix of white and traditional weddings paired with mindful makeup looks that accentuate their clothing choices.  Weddings in the region hold a distinct cultural identity and so does their bridal beauty. The region is home to several ethnic communities, each with its own rituals and customs. Lately, because of social media, North East India is influenced by pop and Western cultures too.

The focus remains on accentuating the cheek and nose area using soft blush. And kohl (kajal), an Indian bridal staple in the rest of India, is strictly no for the brides. Rather they like neutral eyeshadow tones of taupe, pink, soft brown tones and a dusting of shimmer. Lashes which are longer from the corners and help elongate small eyes are a bride’s favourite, according to Nagaland based Annalia    Zhimomi, a renowned makeup artist.

The marriage system of Meghalaya which is a matrilineal society the rituals are just opposite. As per the ritual of the Khasi-Jaintiya and Garo communities, the groom after the marriage has to leave his home and join his wife’s family, settling in her ancestral home. His children carry the surname of their mother, not of father. And to top it all the groom has to pay a bride price some sort of dowry which is common in many other ethnic communities in the region.

The Assamese weddings have several pre-wedding rituals but what makes it unique is that the reception is held just after the completion of the pre- wedding rituals. Unlike other Indian weddings where the reception is hosted post the wedding, the Assamese wedding has it before the nuptials. In Assam the bride’s side of the family gives some basic furniture and make up goods along with the newlywed. In the wedding ceremonies in  Assam  women sing cultural songs, which tell the tales from mythology about marriage and love are sung from  the  first day of the wedding ceremony to the last day. But like the rest of the country the groom stays in his parental home and the bride comes to stay with him.

Mizoram and its natives have their way of celebrating marriages. A unique custom of weddings in Mizoram is marriage payment where the groom pays an amount to the bride’s family. Since most people of Mizoram have converted to Christianity the wedding ceremonies are a mixed bag of traditions that  are an amalgamation of age-old beliefs and modern marriages. The couple before the wedding is given ample amount of time  to  get to know each other and determine whether they are a perfect match or not. Post their consent only their wedding is solemnized. Another interesting ritual of weddings in Mizoram is that the bride gives the groom a Puandum which is a traditional rectangular cloth rug that is wrapped around the body of the groom upon his death. Although it might sound bizarre it is an important tradition.

The Nagaland is the home to 16 different tribes where each has its own rituals and traditions. In Nagaland apart from the Konyak chiefs, the tribals of the same clan are deterred from intermarrying. A bizarre ritual  of the Angami tribe which serves as the deciding factor for the solemnization of the marriage is by strangling a fowl. In the Ao tribe the groom chooses his bride and for doing so offers fish to the bride’s parents as a token of acceptance of the bride. They also sacrifice fowls during various ceremonies. The Ao tribals send the engaged couple on a expedition of 20 days  where they have to conduct successfully to sanctify and solemnize their marriage.

The tribes of Manipur, unlike  other  states, are open to inter-caste marriages. They have a ritual which is known as Hinaba in which the bride and grooms’ parents meet with each other. In their Yathang Thanaga ritual, the bride’s parents visit the groom’s house to give their consent for the wedding. At their Waraipot Puba ceremony, the groom’s family brings food for the bride’s family. The Manipuri bride has to wear a Rasleela dress on her wedding as she emanates Radha. Also on the occasion, Mangani chakouba which refers to a feast is organized at the bride’s home.

In Tripura, now a Bengali majority state marriages are influenced by the undivided Bengal province of pre independence days. Traditional Bengali weddings are done usually with Hindu rites and rituals native to the Indian subcontinent which has been practiced through centuries. It  has almost uncountable rituals that connect culture, mind and families. Some of the most common. Unlike other North Eastern states, the bride goes to the groom’s house for life. It also has all the paraphernalia of mainland states. But in the tribal society which are mostly indigenous, marriages follow the system of Hamjwk Tubui Kaimani where the bride and groom do not have a say in the marriage and it is decided by the elder members of the family.

In  Arunachal Pradesh, three different types of weddings are practised. The first wedding is known as Aaw Long Aaw which means the marriage of negotiation. The second wedding is known as Thok no Chaii which refers to the marriage of eloping and the third marriage is known as the Aan Shieo Aaww which is the marriage by capture. Post marriage the bride is welcomed in the groom’s home. The bride, later on, is presented with pha (smoked fish), Khaw Tom (cooked sticky rice) and Wan Khai  (bowls full of eggs given by the groom’s parents). Like  other North East states in Arunachala too the groom’s family has to pay to the bride’s family the bride price.

In Sikkim, Nyen or marriage is normally conducted in two parts.  The  first  part of the marriage ceremony takes place at the bride’s house. After a period of two years, an auspicious day for the marriage wedding-feast starts with Chang (millet beer) and sumptuous lunch. Kho ‘’ is the name for the colourful silk or brocade cloths traditionally worn by brides in Sikkim. The bride wears Kho, a long-sleeved, full- length gown adorned with elaborate patterns, stitches, and embellishments. After the horoscopes of the bride and groom are matched, Khachang, a team of four people takes following gifts including a Jaril or Tealeaf,   Tsamtruk chi (a basket of puffed rice, a bottle of wine, token cash of Rs. 108 and a long traditional scarf known as hada. The rest are like any other marriages since the former Himalayan Kingdom has a sizable Nepali population or of similar ethnic tribes.