Unique Tribal Wedding Customs

In Orissa, men and women gather and choose spouses on the spot, removing the need for a dowry.

Every winter, during the month of January, hundreds of tribal people from all over Orissa gather in Biswanakan village with one goal: to find their life partner and get married. This festival has been going on for more than 250 years, creating opportunities for thousands of tribal men and women to get married, regardless of their age and social origin. The celebration, which lasts for one day, sees couples – who were strangers just a few minutes earlier – coming together and getting married by simply holding hands. These unexpected unions are usually blessed and celebrated by the respective families afterwards, but in certain cases the young couples take advantage of the festival to elope briefly and enjoy some intimacy.

This system is well appreciated among tribal people because it nullifies the payment of a dowry, which usually proves to be a burden impossible to bear by an impoverished tribal family. What’s more is it allows a lot of freedom to young men and women in the choice of their life partner. Many couples actually use the festival as an occasion to make public love affairs that have been going on for some time.

Sarita has been going regularly to this festival, that is also attended by non-tribals who enjoy the joyful and relaxed atmosphere. She decided to make a video on this event that she found rather peculiar: “It is quite a unique event in India. I enjoy this festival because it gives freedom to women to make choices about their marriage. Also, it’s a way of getting rid of the appalling tradition of dowry giving,” says Sarita.

Sarita Biswal
I am an activist and teacher in Kochilanua village. I help with tutoring drop-out students and I make people aware about the Right to Information Act and other such government policies. I came to know about Video Volunteers through the NGO I work with. I have always wanted to work for the betterment of women, because my mother was never able to study and was married off at an early age – she is my greatest influence. My brothers now work as a policeman and an engineer, and my sister is married. I wish I had more freedom to do all the things I want to. Working with video and community media has allowed me to go out and explore new things. It was my dream to use a camera and be in front of one, and now I am actually doing it. I feel like I achieved what I set out to do. One of my major concerns at the moment is the attitude of the youth. I am 26 years old, and everyone around me is trying to follow the western traditions of dressing and music. I want there to be balance between development and sticking to tradition, and I hope that I can change their minds with my films.

Sarita Biswal has produced 13 stories for us.

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