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Marriage Customs in Himachal Pradesh

Matchmaking & Intermediaries

• Initiators: Parents and close elder relatives.
• Matchmakers (Middlemen): Locally termed as ‘Roovary’, ‘Dhamu’, ‘Mazomi’, or ‘Rivara’.

The Betrothal Process

• First Step: Betrothal.
• Match Settlement: Marked by ‘Tika’ (a ritual gift sent when the match is finalized).

Regional Comparison: Initiation & Financial Obligations

• Himachal Pradesh: * Initiated by the boy’s male relatives.
  • Boy’s father pays ‘Dheir’ (a nominal payment to the girl’s father to defray marriage expenses).
• The Plains: * Initiated by the girl’s family.
  • Girl’s family gives a dowry (gift) to the boy’s family.

Types of Betrothal in Himachal

• Upper Classes: Practiced as ‘Barni’.
• Middle & Lower Classes: Practiced as ‘Sagai’ or ‘Sotha’ (process involves a priest acting on behalf of the boy’s father).

Specific Offerings & Regional Nomenclature

• ‘SOTHA’: An offering comprising a few ornaments and ₹1-₹2, presented by a relative to the girl’s parents.
  • ‘Bandha Dena’: The local term for this offering in Chamba.
  • ‘Barina’: The local term used in the remoter parts of Mandi.

Ceremonial Practices & Festival Gifts

• General Customs: Involves singing ritual songs and distributing sweets.
• Tribal Areas: Both parties exchange ‘Chhang’ (rice wine) with close relatives in attendance.
• Festival Gifts: Jewelry and clothes sent to the betrothed during festivals.
  • ‘Chharmi Nata’: Term used in Kinnaur.
  • ‘Tihar’: Term used in other regions.

Exchange Marriage Systems (‘Batta-Satta’ / ‘Atta Satta Ka Nata’)

• Core Concept: Marriage by inter-exchange (a systemic bargain).
• Direct Exchange: A man receives a wife in exchange for giving his sister or cousin in marriage to the wife’s brother or cousin.
• Chain Exchange: A complex arrangement involving multiple links (e.g., Father A gives daughter to Boy B; Father B gives daughter to Boy C; Father C gives daughter to Boy A). Can involve five or more families.
• Key Condition: A breach of promise by any single party invalidates the entire chain arrangement.
• Prevalence: Mostly common among agrarian communities in the interior regions of the state.

Marriage Rules & Restrictions

General Characteristics

• Nature: Rules in the hills are generally less strict than in the plains.
• Endogamy: High castes strictly marry within their own caste (often restricted to their specific sub-caste).

Exogamy & Prohibited Lineage

• Father’s Side: Marriage prohibited within 7 degrees of common ascendancy.
• Mother’s Side: Marriage prohibited within 5 degrees of common ascendancy.

Nomenclature of Exogamous Units (Clans/Lineage)

• Brahmins & Vaishyas: ‘Gotra’
• Rajputs: ‘Nukh’
• Lower Castes: ‘Kul’

Inter-caste Marriage Dynamics

• Traditional Stance: Inter-caste marriages are generally discouraged.
• Changing Attitudes: Endogamous attitudes are slightly softening today, though inter-caste marriages remain uncommon.
• Social Acceptability:
  • Somewhat Accepted: Alliances between the three high castes (Brahmin, Rajput, and Vaishya).
  • Strictly Prohibited (Not Socially Approved): Marriages between any of the high castes and ‘Shudras’.

Specific Marriage Customs & Rituals

Unique Regional Customs

• Kinnaur: ‘Anakang’ and ‘Notting Feerang’.
• Lahaul-Spiti: ‘Mode’ and ‘Kwachi’.
• Transportation: Palanquins are used statewide, except in Lahaul.

Kinnaur’s Family System

• Structure: Polyandrous (fraternal) and Matriarchal. All brothers are considered common fathers to the children.
• Nomenclature:
  • Eldest father: ‘Teg Bawal’
  • Youngest father: ‘Gota Bawal’

Lower Hills & Vedic Customs (Punjab Influence)

• Common Rituals: ‘Samuhat’, ‘Shanti’, ‘Lagna’, ‘Vedika’, ‘Vida’, and ‘Duiragaman’.
• ‘Andaron’: The ceremony marking the bride’s entry into her new household.
• ‘Byah Luad’: A special Havan performed by the family priest on the day of Andaron.
• Past Tradition: A maid (barber’s wife or pachekan) temporarily accompanied the bride to help her settle in.

Lahaul Departure Custom

• Bride’s female friends block departure until they extract a promise from the groom to properly care for her.

Post-Wedding Rituals & Gifts

• ‘Feroni’: The joyous ritual return of the bride to her in-laws after her first visit back to her father’s house.
• ‘Suhagi’ Jewellery: Denotes married status; specifically presented by the maternal uncle (Mama).
• ‘Sagrand’ (Lower Hills): Public presentation of gifts by the groom’s family to exhibit their financial status.

Welcoming the Groom (‘Milni’)

• The Plains: Bride’s brother gifts the groom a ‘Dhoti’ and ‘Ring’, and ushers him to the ceremony.
• Kinnaur: Bride’s father gifts a ‘white turban’ and ties a ‘sword or dagger’ to the groom’s waistband.

Types of Marriages: Polyandry

Structural Definition & Regional Prevalence

• System: Fraternal Polyandry (Elder brother marries; the woman becomes the common wife of all brothers).
• Key Regions: Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, and interior parts of Chamba.

Relevance and Socio-Economic Drivers

• Cultural Legacy: Traced back to the Pandavas; an inherent part of the original tribal culture.
• Economic Security: Prevents the fragmentation of small landholdings; ensures ancestral property remains intact across generations.
• Occupational Practicality: Menfolk are frequently away for long periods due to their avocations; having multiple husbands ensures the household and wife’s requirements are continuously met.
• Demographic Adaptation: Serves as a practical coping mechanism for the historically lower percentage of females in these areas.

Contemporary Shift & Decline

• Catalyst for Change: Increased contact with the outside world has caused the practice to steadily diminish.
• Modern Opposition: Educated females are strictly against this system.

Types of Marriages: Monogamy, Polygamy & Other Forms

Polygamy vs. Monogamy

• Polygamy: Instances of a man having multiple wives exist in specific areas.
• Monogamy: The primary and most widely followed practice by the vast majority in Himachal Pradesh.

Arranged Marriages

• Prevalence: The most common form; influenced by social status, economic conditions, and local customs.
• Modernization Impact: Parents increasingly consult the boy and girl before finalizing the match.
• Ceremonies: Extended celebrations lasting multiple days.

Love Marriages & Widow Remarriages

• Permissibility: Generally allowed, but prohibited among higher castes.
• Relevance of Modernity: The spread of education and increased social interaction are driving a rise in love marriages.

‘Reet’ Marriage (Customary Separation & Remarriage)

• Mechanism: An already married woman chooses to leave her current husband to marry another man.
• Financial Settlement: The current husband charges ‘Reet money’ from the prospective husband to officially release her.

Three Principal Marriage Ceremonies

1. ‘BIAH’ (Regular Marriage)

• Nature: Conducted strictly according to the ‘Shastras’ (formally termed ‘Brahma marriage’).
• Financial Aspect: The bride’s father or guardian receives no consideration from the groom.
• Relevance & Status: Acknowledged as the superior form of marriage and is the most widely practiced across the state.

2. Informal Marriages (‘Jhanjhrara’ & ‘Gaddar’ / ‘Paraina’)

• Categories: ‘Jhanjhrara’ and ‘Gaddar’ (alternatively called ‘Paraina’).
• Nature: Unorthodox, non-Brahminical informal marriages.
• Ritual Omissions: Performed entirely with no religious ceremonies, specifically omitting the ‘Saptpadi’ (the seven joint steps around the consecrated fire).
• Prevalence: Primarily popular among lower caste communities.

Peculiar Marriage Custom: Jhindphook / Jarar Phuki

Terminology & Definition

• Nomenclature: ‘Jhindphook’ or ‘Jarar Phuki’.
• Literal Meaning: Bush burning.
• Demographic Spread: Practiced by tribes in Kangra and Chamba.

Core Ritual Procedure

• The Act: The man and woman set fire to brushwood in the jungle.
• Completion: They walk around the fire seven times hand-in-hand to formalize the marriage.

Social Relevance & Acceptability

• Nature of Alliance: It is a ‘runaway’ marriage, executed strictly without parental approval.
• Social Perception: Due to its defiant nature, this custom is generally regarded with disfavor by the community.

Tribal Marriage Custom: Darosh / Dab Dhab

Overview & Execution

• Prevalence: A tribal system practiced in Kinnaur.
• The Act: The boy forcibly drags the girl away from a public gathering (fairground or festival).
• Theatrical Resistance: The girl pretends to scream, scratch, and resist, while the boy maintains his hold.

Reconciliation & Financial Amends (‘Izzat’)

• Immediate Apology: The boy’s father deploys two men to seek forgiveness from the girl’s parents for the act.
• ‘Izzat’ (Compensation): The girl’s father demands financial amends, locally termed ‘Izzat’.
• Settlement: The amount ranges from ₹100 to ₹500 and must be paid on the spot.

The Return & Gifting Ceremony (‘Sten Rannik’)

• Timeline: Occurs within a month of the ‘Izzat’ settlement.
• The Visit: The boy, accompanied by relatives and two women, escorts the girl back to her parents’ home.
• Groom’s Offerings:
  • 3 to 4 baskets of fried cakes for distribution.
  • ‘Reumalang’: Garlands made of Chilgoza, dried apricots, and Chulli, respectfully offered to the mother-in-law and other elderly women.
  • Cash gifts according to the groom’s capacity.
• Nomenclature: This specific ceremonial visit is known as ‘Sten rannik’.

Final Transition

• Temporary Stay: The groom returns home alone, leaving his wife with her parents.
• Final Move: A few days later, the bride’s father or brother brings her to her new in-laws, presenting her with gifts of ornaments, utensils, and clothes.

Tribal Marriage Custom: Dam-Chalshish

Core Mechanism

• The Act: The lovers elope together.

Reconciliation & Formalization

• Mediation: The boy’s father sends a ‘Mazomi’ (matchmaker) to the girl’s house.
• Persuasion: The matchmaker presents gifts to appease the girl’s family.
• Formalization: If the family agrees, a traditional ritual marriage follows.

Departure Rituals & Symbolic Offerings

• Atmosphere: Sad tunes are played as the girl formally departs from her home.
• ‘Masore’: A specific financial offering of ₹500 presented by the groom to his mother-in-law.
• Cultural Relevance: This payment symbolically represents the “price of her milk”, honoring the mother for raising the bride.

Marriage Customs: ‘Har’, Gaddi Traditions & Widow Remarriage

The Custom of ‘Hari’ or ‘Har’ (Elopement/Abduction)

• Definition: Occurs when a boy kidnaps a girl, a girl elopes with her fiancé, or a dissatisfied wife leaves to live with another man.
• Common Venues: Fairs or neighborhood weddings.
• Social Standing: Considered illegal among higher castes.
• Dispute Settlement:
  • Unmarried Girl: Solved by paying a sum to the girl’s family.
  • Married Woman: The new husband pays an agreed-upon price to the previous husband.
• Nomenclature: These marriages are called ‘Jhanjhra’ or ‘Jhanjhrara’.
• Rituals: Delayed; performed much later once the couple has settled down.
• Gaddi Tribe Specifics: Highly popular. Marked by a special pooja dedicated to Lord Shiva known as ‘Nuala’.
• Kinnaur Terminology: Locally called ‘Dubdub’, ‘Kuchis’, or ‘Khutu Kima’.

Gaddi Tribe Marriage System

• Two-Stage Process:
  1. ‘Jooth Pana’: Groom’s party visits the girl (often a minor, 8-10 years old), breaks a lump of jaggery in her name, and gets smeared with red color by her family.
  2. Actual Marriage: Takes place 5 to 10 years after Jooth Pana.
• Key Features: No system of veil (purdah) or dowry exists among Gaddis.

Regional Practices: Lahaul vs. Pangi

• Lahaul: Primarily polyandrous.
• Pangi: Primarily monogamous, but with a specific conditional practice:
  • Silver Rupee Custom: The groom’s younger brother gifts a silver rupee to the bride’s mother at the wedding.
  • Implication: This grants him the right of a “second husband” over the bride.
  • Restriction: The bride cannot be shared by more than two brothers.

Widow Remarriage

• Prevalence: Common among tribal communities and lower castes; strictly prohibited among higher castes.
• ‘Ghar Karna’: The local term (meaning “taking another house”) used when a widow leaves her late husband’s home to live with someone else.
• Modern Trend: Young widows in lower castes are now actively encouraged to remarry due to shifting societal norms over the last 30 years.
• Widow Remarriage
• ⮚ Known as ‘Karewa’ in Shimla.
• ⮚ Jhanjarara or Gudani in Kangra and Chamba regions.
• ⮚ Also known as Cholidori.
• ⮚ Topi lana : In Pangwal tribe
• ⮚ The second husband is usually the first husband’s brother. When a widow’s second husband is someone
• unfamiliar, it’s common for him to pay one or two rupees as a reet to the first husband’s family. This particular
• reet is known as ‘makhtal’

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Traditional Hindu Marriage & Law

• Traditional View: Hindu Shastras considered marriage indissoluble; wives were expected to worship their husbands as gods.
• Divorce Legality: Traditional Hindu law did not recognize divorce, though it existed among lower castes. The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 legally recognized a Hindu woman’s right to divorce.

The ‘Reet’ System of Informal Divorce

• Scope: Applicable specifically to Jhanjhrara and gaddar marriages.
• Process: If relations fail, the wife returns to her parental home and refuses to go back to her husband.
• Financial Settlement: The father reimburses the first husband for the marriage expenses along with a one-rupee fee called Chhed Karai.
• Resolution: The woman returns all given clothes and ornaments, snapping all ties and dissolving the marriage without formal court proceedings.

Tribal Customary Divorce (Dehri, Hari, or Har)

• Authority: Held in higher regard than courts of law among certain tribal communities.
• Rituals to Effect Divorce:
  • Snapping a twig of Shur wood before witnesses and throwing it behind the couple.
  • Lahaul Area: The couple holds a “thin thread of wood” by their little fingers and pulls it apart.
  • Breaking a Sal leaf in two in front of fellow villagers.
• Subsequent Remarriage Rituals: The new groom does not visit the bride’s house; instead, the bride accompanies a party sent by the groom’s side.
• Demographics: These customs are followed by Kanets and certain low-caste tribes in the Himachal hills, and no dowry is given.

Widow Remarriage Terminology

• Shimla Hills: Termed as Karewa.
• Kangra and Chamba Regions: Termed as Jhanjhrara, Gudani, or Cholidori.

Modern & Caste-Based Social Trends

• Higher Castes: Historically unknown to practice polyandry, polygamy, divorce, or promiscuity.
• Post-Independence Changes: The spread of literacy has led to a decrease in informal divorces and an increase in court-facilitated love marriages.

Marriage and Divorce Trends

• Higher Castes: Polyandry, polygamy, divorce, and promiscuity are historically unknown among these groups.
• Modern Shifts: Increased post-independence literacy has led to a decrease in informal divorces and an increase in love marriages through the courts of law.

Sati Custom & Monuments

• Dehri (Monuments): Located outside most villages, these structures serve as reminders of the historical Sati system, where a widow would burn herself on her husband’s funeral pyre.
• Current Status: There have been no incidents of Sati in Himachal Pradesh for a long time.

Status of Women in Himachal Pradesh

• Social Standing: Women are independent and enjoy a comparatively high social status unlike their counterparts elsewhere in the country.
• Role in Society: A woman commands a place of honor in hill society and is considered a “better-half in reality.”

FUNERAL CUSTOMS

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Pre-Death Rituals

• Positioning: As death approaches, the body is lowered to the ground, which is smeared with fresh cow-dung, as dying on a bed is considered inauspicious.
• Direction: The head must point towards the North.
• Signaling: Conch shells (शंख) are blown to signal relatives to gather and mourn.

Immediate Post-Death Customs

• The Lamp: A mustard or linseed oil lamp (symbolizing the deceased) is lit in a corner. It is covered with a woven grass basket or an upside-down earthen pitcher containing a hole for oxygen.
• House Rules: No food can be cooked in the house as long as the body remains inside.
• Preparation: The body is laid on plantain leaves in the courtyard, bathed, and placed in a wooden coffin or on a bier. It is then covered with a colourful sheet.

Procession & Cremation

• Adhmargi Ceremony: Performed halfway to the cremation ground; the procession stops and the body is briefly laid down. Stones and leaves are placed in the deceased’s name during these stops.
• Pind Dan: Before cremation, balls of cooked rice, sesame seeds, and curds are ritually fed to birds and elements in the deceased’s name.
• Lakri Pana: It is considered favourable for attendees to add fuel wood to the funeral pyre.

Mourning & Post-Cremation Rituals

• Third Day: Bones and ashes are immersed in holy places such as Haridwar, Rewalsar, or Mansarover.
• Ten-Day Mourning: Close relatives shave their heads, and the widow removes her marriage jewellery.
• Tenth Day (Kapad Dhulai): Clothes are washed. The Garud Purana is recited by a Purohit, Charjee, or charj (a special class that recites scriptures after a death).
• Patak: A one-month mourning period where close relatives are tabooed from consuming meat, fish, garlic, onions, and asafoetida.
• Sapindi: A special ritual performed exclusively in the event of an untimely death.

End of Mourning Rituals

• Kriya Karma:
  • Performed at the end of the 10-day mourning period.
  • It is a religious rite intended for the peace of the departed soul.
  • Lifting the Taboo: The daughter’s or son’s father-in-law (Kudam) brings food cooked with asafoetida and feeds it to the bereaved family, officially lifting the dietary mourning taboos.
• Solaha:
  • Performed 1 to 5 days immediately following Kriya Karma.
  • Involves arranging a food feast for relatives, friends, and villagers.

Annual & Long-Term Memorials

• Annual Sharaddha: A commemorative ceremony performed every year for the deceased.
• Chatur Varshik (Chauvarsha): A specific memorial ceremony performed after four years.
• Feasting: During these memorial occasions, Brahmins and family relatives are invited and feasted.

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Kinnaur Funeral Customs: Methods of Disposal

• Dubant: Drowning the dead body in a nearby river.
• Bhakhant: Throwing the body in open fields to be eaten by vultures and birds.
• Phukant: Burning the dead. This is currently the only widely practiced method in the district.

Pre-Cremation Rituals

• Drum Rating: Villagers gather at the deceased’s house at night.
• Preparation: The body is bathed in a large vessel called a Lam Kunyal and wrapped in a white shroud.
• Transport: The body is carried on a plank by two people.
• Leg Positioning: The knees are turned backwards and secured with wooden pegs; straight legs are believed to allow evil spirits to enter the body.
• Crow Offering: A piece of bread stuffed with Dal is thrown on the roof for crows, who are believed to communicate with the dead.

Cremation Ground Rituals

• Foa: The Lama (priest) holds the deceased by the hair and recites this prayer into their ears three times.
• Auspicious Omen: It is considered auspicious if a drop of blood appears on the deceased’s forehead while the Lama recites mantras.

Post-Cremation & Mourning Timeline

• Next Day (Ashes): Those collecting ashes often leave a stone or little flag on a hilltop in the deceased’s name.
• 3rd Day: The Chholya ceremony is performed.
• 13th Day: The Damkochang ceremony is performed (equivalent to the Kriya ceremony in the plains).
• 15th Day: The Lama performs a Havan (holy fire offering).
• 7-Week Period: The Lama visits the house to recite the sacred text (Chhos). At the end of seven weeks, the Lama and a Jomo (an unmarried girl who becomes an ascetic) read the text together and are fed by the family.
• 1 Year: The Fulayach (or Dalhyang) ceremony is performed; the Lama receives food and clothes in the name of the dead.

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Lahaul Valley Funeral Customs

• Pre-Disposal Rituals:
  • Initial Rule: No one may touch the dead body until the Lama arrives.
  • Fuhan: The Lama whispers an invocation into the deceased’s ear, asking the soul to leave the body.
  • Positioning: The body is seated on a metal or wooden chair in a corner, with a butter lamp lit in front of it.
  • Waiting Period: The body is kept in the house for two or more days, depending on the family’s status, before cremation.
• The Procession:
  • The Lama recites prayers while conch shells are blown.
  • Two men follow the procession: one carrying a conch shell and the other carrying a flag.
• Cremation Ground Rituals:
  • The shroud is torn into five pieces.
  • Four pieces are hung on the four corners of the funeral pyre, and the fifth is placed on the deceased’s forehead.
• Post-Cremation:
  • The next day, family members collect the ashes and immerse them in the Chandrabhaga river.

Spiti Valley Funeral Customs

• Role of the Jhanvar: When a death occurs, a Jhanvar (witch doctor) is called to determine the method of disposal.
• Disposal Methods: The Jhanvar decides whether the body should be:
  1. Burnt
  2. Buried
  3. Cut into pieces and thrown upon hilltops for wild animals to consume.
• Compliance: All communities within the Spiti valley strictly follow the orders given by the Jhanvar.

Cremation Ground Rituals

• Preparation: Clothes and ornaments are removed from the body.
• The Shroud (कफन): Torn into five pieces. Four pieces are tied to sticks as flags on the four corners of the pyre; the fifth is placed over the deceased’s head.
• Offerings: The Lama pours ghee, barley, mustard, rice, and incense while chanting mantras just before the body is consumed by flames.

Post-Cremation & Immersion

• Next Morning: Drums are beaten while four bier carriers collect the ashes.
• Effigy & Prayer: The Head Lama makes an effigy of the deceased and chants prayers for 3 to 8 days, depending on the family’s status.
• Immersion Procession: The effigy is placed on a pony and taken to Tandi (the confluence of the Chandra and Bhaga rivers) for immersion. One man holds an umbrella over the effigy throughout the journey.
• Post-Death Offering: An offering of butter is made to God Trilokinath.

The ‘Sham’ Funeral

• Purpose: Arranged when medicine and sorcery have failed and death is certain, in a futile attempt to deceive the angel of death.
• The Effigy: A life-size effigy is built on a wooden frame, plastered with barley dough, painted, and dressed in the sick person’s clothes and ornaments.
• The Ritual: The effigy is cut into pieces and solemnly cremated. A professional wailer shouts that the sick person actually died years ago.
• Result: This custom typically results in a family paying for two very expensive funerals (one sham, followed by the real one).

BIRTH CUSTOMS

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Delivery and Immediate Post-Birth Customs

• Location: The mother is housed in a separate room, usually on the lower storey, to protect her from the cold and high wind of the hills. In tribal areas, she is often lodged in a cattle manor (Gohad).
• Assistance: There are no professional midwives; instead, several experienced village women of any caste and other elderly women of the household assist at the birth.
• Umbilical Cord: Cut by the midwife holding on to a silver rupee coin or a silver ornament.
• Immediate Care: After delivery, the infant is bathed and wrapped in a clean cloth, and then the mother also takes a bath.

The ‘Sootak’ Period

• Duration: The first twenty days (and in some cases only ten days) are called Sootak, marking a customary period of mother’s pollution.
• Restrictions: During this period, the family observes all religious rituals, and no one accepts food and drink from the newly become mother except people of low caste.
• Key Ceremonies During Sootak:
  • The first sighting of the baby by the father.
  • Feeding of ‘Ghutti’: The first feeding of the tonic ‘Ghutti‘ to the infant is an important ceremony. It is believed the child imbibes the temperament of the person who gives the first dose, so a good-natured family member is usually selected to administer it.

Purification and Cleansing Ceremony

• Timing & Officiant: Takes place after the Sootak period is over and is usually presided over by a Brahmin or a Buddhist priest (Lama).
• The Purification Mixture: A mixture consisting of curd, sugar, cow’s urine, milk, and Gangajal is used.
• Ritual Application:
  • The mixture is sprinkled over all the clothes in the house.
  • It is tasted by all young and old members of the family.
  • A spoon of the mixture is sipped by the mother, an act which signifies her purification.

The ‘Goontar’ Ceremony & Post-Birth

• Celebration: Held by well-to-do families with great fanfare.
• Special Food: Sund (sweet cookies made of dry fruits) are prepared and distributed to close relatives and villagers.
• Transition: After the ceremony, the mother and newborn move to the family’s living room.
• Travel Restriction: Mothers avoid taking infants to distant places for the first six months to a year until an astrologer fixes an auspicious day.

Pregnancy Customs & Restrictions (per Mian Govardhan Singh)

• Husband’s Restrictions: Must refrain from killing animals with his own hands (though consuming meat is allowed).
• Expectant Mother Taboos:
  • Must not visit places on fire, streams, forests, or isolated areas unfrequented by men.
  • Prohibited from seeing the face of a dead person.
  • Prohibited from looking at lunar or solar eclipses.
  • Her old ornaments must not be melted down to form new ones.
• Religious Modifications: The traditional tying of a knot between husband and wife during religious ceremonies is skipped if the woman is pregnant.

Customs Regarding Girl Children

• Birth: The birth of a girl child is typically not celebrated with great joy.
• Social Status & Veneration: Despite birth customs, young girls are given high respect.
  • Navratras: Special pooja (worship) is offered to young girls.
  • Festivals/Fairs: They are presented with special gifts, including clothing and sweets.

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Celebration of a Son’s Birth

• Announcement: The birth of a male child is announced on the same day by distributing Mura (made of sugar lumps or parched grains) to friends and relatives.
• Festivities: People light lamps, and neighborhood women gather to sing joyful congratulatory songs known as Sohar Badhaiyan.
• Mother’s Status: The mother is treated with great reverence. Visiting women are fed sweets and given money.

Specific Customs & Terminology

• Badhai:
  • Relatives and friends offer the father “turf leaves” along with a one-rupee coin.
  • The father keeps the turf leaves and returns the money at double the amount.
• Shukud (Kinnaur Area):
  • Practiced by well-to-do families who bring the palanquins of the gods into their house.
  • Villagers are treated to a feast of rich food and liquor.
  • A goat may be sacrificed during this time.
• Maternal Uncle’s Role:
  • For the birth of a male child or a maiden delivery across most of the state, a messenger is sent to the maternal uncles’ houses with turf leaves and one rupee to announce the news.
  • In return, the uncles send gifts consisting of ghee, pancakes, and clothes for the baby.

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Childhood Ceremonies & Customs

• Brahmin Ceremonies: Namkaran (naming of the infant), Chudakaran (first snipping of locks), and Annaprashan (first tasting of cereals) are celebrated with great joy.
• Solan Regional Custom: In some areas, the infant is taken to a waterfall and lodged near it for the first three days.

Astrology & Horoscopes

• Significance: Casting a child’s horoscope (usually by a priest) is mandatory for propitiating evil stars and is crucial for future marriage matching.
• Protective Measures: Little silver or copper Jantar (amulets) are hung around the child’s neck to ward off the bad effects of evil stars.
• Gandmool Hour: Children born during this specific time are considered unlucky and are often ritually gifted away immediately upon birth.

Naming Conventions

• Horoscope-Based Naming: The family priest ascertains the first letter of the name from the child’s horoscope.
• Day/Month-Based Naming (Lower Castes): Boys are frequently named after their day or month of birth.
  • Examples: Manglu (from Mangal/Tuesday), Budhias (from Budhwar/Wednesday), Braistia (from Brihaspati/Thursday), Chatia Ram (from Chet/March-April).
• Common Suffixes: Ram, Lal, Das, Chand, Singh, etc.

Surnames and Ancestry

• Ancestor-Based Surnames (Irrespective of Caste): Surnames such as Pantas, Jathraik, Madhaik, Nagraik, Barthatas, Gazatas, Banchaik, and Frangraik (named after the ancestor Frangi) are used based on lineage rather than caste.
• Rajput Examples: The Negis found in Kinnaur district, Bodna village of Chopal, and some areas of Jubbal (Shimla) are mainly Rajputs.

Caste Identity & Social Mobility

• Surname Adoption: Erstwhile lower castes and sub-castes have adopted higher-caste surnames (such as Thakur, Rathor, Tomar, Parmar, Chauhan, and Sharma) to uplift their social position, ignoring true descendants or family backgrounds.
• Government Benefits: Despite adopting these surnames, they do not shun their original caste identity when it comes to claiming government facilities like financial help and reservations.

The ‘Jatloo’ Ceremony (First Haircut)

• Timing: Performed in the 3rd, 5th, or 7th year after birth.
• Significance: Holds great religious importance.
• Purpose: The sacred first hair is offered to receive blessings for the child and to prevent the hair from being defiled.
• Primary Offering Locations:
  • Shrine of a goddess.
  • Temple of Shiva.
  • Shrine of Kulja.
  • A holy river.
• Delayed Offerings (Alternative): If not offered immediately, the hair clippings are stored in a piece of cloth or a metal container along with cow dung, milk, and two coins to be formally offered at a later, appropriate time.