Bengali Matrimony Rituals And Customs For Mahishya Community

By Author: Ankush Singhal
Total Articles: 173
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Bengal is a beautiful state where people from all caste and religions live in harmony. The majority of the population in the state of West Bengal is followers of Hinduism. Other religions like Islam, Sikhs and Christians also have their communities. Bengali Matrimony is a broad term that is associated with all the religious population living in the state. The functions, customs and matrimonial rituals differ for the various communities living in West Bengal.

The Hindu community of Bengal traces their roots to the Indo-Aryan group. They form a large ethno-linguistic family with all the Hindu castes coming under this group. The people are mostly native to the state of Bengal. The language commonly spoken by them is Bengali, with variation in the way it is spoken in the various districts. There are many common rituals and customs of birth, death and marriage unite the Bengali Hindu community. They adhere to the Hindu traditions of Vaishnav and Shakti. The Bengali Matrimony customs and traditions for the Hindu castes of the state are more or less is ...
... same.

There are many Hindu castes in Bengal and Mahisya is one of them. The Mahishya community members are mostly settled in the state of West Bengal in India. A considerable population also resides in Orissa. In the state of Bengal, the Mahisya population is concentrated in the districts of Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Hooghly, Howrah and South 24 Parganas.

The community members are followers of the Hindu customs and traditions. According to the Hindu texts, the Mahishya community members are a mix of Kshatriya and Vaishya castes. It is said that the first Mahishya child was born from a Vaishya mother and a Kshatriya father. The child born of this union came to be known as Mahisya or Kaivartta. In the Indian caste system, the Mahishya enjoys a position in between the Kshatriya caste and the Vaishya caste.

According to an Indian historian, the Mahishya community originally hails from the region of Ratnavati, located near the banks of river Narmada. In the later years, the community members moved to other regions like Ayodhya, Bengal and Orissa. Another Indian historian shares a different theory of origin of this community. It is also said that the sea faring people from Tamralipta makes the present day community of Mahishya.

The Mahisya community forms a tight knit social group. Earlier the community members were into agricultural activities and labor work. The members were also working as skilled laborers. With the changing times, the community members changed their profession and joined various private and public sectors. Many members have joined engineering and other skilled services. Some community members, mostly from the district of Howrah have engaged themselves into trade and business.

The Bengali Matrimony rituals for the Mahisya community of the state are many and start several days before the actual day of wedding. The matrimonial rituals are divided into pre-wedding, post-wedding and wedding day rituals. Some of the Mahisya community pre-wedding rituals are Ashirvad, Patri Patra, Holud Kota, Aai Budo Bhaat, Adhibas Tatva, Saankha Porano and Kubi Patta. The gaye hould or the turmeric ceremony is an important pre-wedding ritual. The bride is smeared with a paste of turmeric and oil and then given a ceremonial bath.

On the wedding day, the bride and groom keep fast. They can only have liquid drinks and eat after the wedding rituals are over. There are many rituals, which start from the morning. Some important rituals are Potto Bastra, Subho Drishti, Saat Pak and Sindur Daan.

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