Malkangiri: In a civilized society there is no dearth of instances where newlywed women turn victims of dowry or they are forced to fulfill the lust of their in-laws.
While the values have taken a beating in our so-called civilised society, the culture and tradition of tribal Didayi community is noteworthy, according to the researchers of tribal lifestyle.
A girl, in this community, is brought up like queen Laxmibai, the warrior queen who became a symbol of resistance against British Raj in mid-19th century. A Didayi maiden is taught self defence skills to protect herself if a need arises. No one can force a Didayi girl to marry until she picks up the groom of her choice.
Though there is a tradition in the community named ‘kania jhika’ in which a prospective groom tries to drag a girl of his preference to settle down, the marriage cannot be finalised without the consent of the girl. The girl, using her self defence skills, can easily give a fitting reply if the boy is not up to her liking. However, the marriage takes places only if the boy wins over the girl.
Once the boy and the girl decide to spend the rest of their life together, the village head holds a meeting of both the families in the presence of villagers at the bride’s house. The family of the groom has to offer a goat, a cock, a few packets of rice and a mutually decided sum, to the family of the bride. Then, they receive the bride giving her the required honour. The Didayi tribals consider the bride as an incarnation of Laxmi, the goddess of wealth. Therefore, they leave no stone unturned to make the wedding ceremony an affair to remember. The near and dear ones dance all the way from the bride’s house to the groom’s home.
People of this community live in pockets of Chitrakonda and Khairaput blocks of Malkangiri district. The marriage ceremony of this tribal community is a testimony to the simple and great traditions of adivasis.