In Rabha weddings in Assam, the bride is expected to cook a complete luncheon on her first day. While in most other religions, the bride is expected to only cook sweets on the first day and then rest till her ‘mehendi’ wears off, this tribe makes the bride work right from day one. While cooking a meal is considered one of the duties of a new bride and is not surprising, what is is the fact that the meal cannot be eaten by all family members. The meal cooked by the bride is only for the male members of the family. For the womenfolk, food is prepared separately by the cooks or the helpers in the house.
A pretty sexist tradition where the bride herself is not allowed to sample the feast she is expected to cook on day one of entering the house!
10. Mangalsutra and bangles.
While western countries have the wedding band to signify marriage, in India the bride is expected to wear a Mangalsutra (in Western and Northern regions) or Thaali (in South India) post marriage. In most traditions, the brides are expected to wear bangles as a sign of marriage. Some traditions also have the bride sporting toe-rings. Each of these ornaments are to be worn and never removed. However, the groom is not made to sport any rings or bracelets or chains. He continues life as usual.
The wearing of ornaments is not considered a burden by most women but the unfairness in making a woman sport these as signs of her marriage, unlike men, is galling.
There are many other traditions like dowry which are pretty unfair to women. While Indian weddings are full of fun and frolic, such small traditions taken in fun sometimes show the world of our treatment of the genders. Know of any other such traditions? Let us know in the comments.
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