988
Sachchidananda
Anthropos 65. 1970
The Shahabad Gond observe a puberty ritual for girls. When a girl is in
her periods for the first time she is considered to be in state of pollution. She is
segregated in a room. When she takes her bath on the fourth day, the Brahman
priest propitiates the family deity. If possible, sweets are distributed among
relatives. Some Gond also observe the sacred thread ceremony for boys. It
takes place before marriage. A day is fixed with the consent of the Panchayat.
The rituals are performed by a Brahman. This is followed by a feast. As among
the Singbhum Gond, the vows taken by the boy at this time have no relevance
to the social situation and hence are never kept.
In Saran, by and large, the Gond are too poor to arrange feasts at the
purification ceremony following child birth but sometimes sweets are distributed
among neighbours. There are no ceremonies for naming, ear-boring and puberty
although ritual pollution is observed for four days on the onset of the first
menses. In Champaran, those Gond who can afford it, consult the Brahman
about fixing the date of the purification ceremony after child birth.
5. Marriage
Ranchi Gond regard marriage as a religious sacrament. Although some
cases of child marriage were found, most marriages take place after boys and
girls have attained puberty. It is the duty of the father to find a girl for his son.
During the negotiation it is seen whether the rashi of both the boy and the girl
tally. The engagement is made a year or more before the actual marriage. The
groom's party go to see the bride and make presents of a sari, glass bangles
or a cash gift and sometimes some cheap ornaments. A customary present has
also be sent to the bride on the ekadashi of the month of bhado if the marriage
has not come off by that time. The bride price has been fixed at Rs. 2.50. It is
known as kanyadan. The amount cannot be altered. Out of this amount the boy
and the girl get Ra. 1 each and the respective parties are given Ra. 0.25 each.
The date of marriage is fixed after consulting the almanac. The Brahman is
called for this purpose. A large amount of food-grains, condiments, a goat and
a sari are sent to the bride’s house before the bridegroom’s party reaches there.
The groom applies either vermilion or kajal (lampsoot) from the nose of the
bride to the forehead. The bride also repeats this process on the bridegroom.
Unlike Hindu women, Gond married women never apply vermilion on their
forehead again. Sometimes the dust of the groom’s feet mixed with oil is used
in place of vermilion. On this basis the Gond are divided into four divisions,
those who use vermilion (Sinduria), those who use kajal (Kajalia), those who
use oil (Teliya) and those who use dust (Dhurwa). A Sinduria enjoys highest
prestige and can enter the kitchen of any of the three other groups. The three
other groups cannot enter the kitchen of the Sinduria.
Besides this marriage, true to tribal tradition, the Gond practice another
type of marriage or dhuku marriage. This is contracted with the mutual consent
of both the partners without any information to either family. Such a marriage
takes place under the following circumstances: