The Chakma new generations maynot know about the laws and steps followed in marriages. Here is a full discription about the chakmas marriages. According to customs prevailed in the Chakma Society marriage can be held only between Khellya Kudum ( even relation) i.e between the same generation or alternate generation and it should not be of the same Goza (Sept). And if of the same sept there should be a gap of seven generation from the family. However, marriage between a related grand father and grand daughter ,a related grand mother and grand son and vise versa is practicable. (It should be noted that in the Chakma society, the term used for grandparents are the same for great uncles/aunts as well). Nowadays, after late Bhuban Mohan Roy, the Chakma Chief who reportedly married his related grand daughter, has permitted marriage from a gap of five generation of the same sept. The following are the marriageable relation prevalent in the society : (a) between cousins like fathers sisters daughter ; (b) with fathers cousin sisters daughter and vise versa ; (c) with fathers cousin brothers daughters and vise versa if not of the same sept, and there is a gap of five generation if from the same sept; (d) with maternal aunts daughters and vise versa; (e) with mothers cousin sisters daughters; (f) with mothers cousin brothers daughter; (g) any one from other sept if of the same generation; (h) the younger sister-in-laws of elder/older brothers; (i) younger cousin-sister-in-laws of elder/older brothers; (j) Elder/older sisters younger sister-in-laws; (j) Elder/older sisters brother in laws; (k) own younger sister in laws/cousin sister in laws, brother in laws/causin brother in laws. A marriage in the Chakma society may be performed in two ways i.e.Mela : the conventional method in which a bride is brought to grooms house, and the other Jameia or Jamei Tulhee Dena (literally to lead or to put the groom in the brides house) where , instead of taking the bride to grooms house, the groom goes to the brides. In this process the relatives of the groom lead him to the brides house and the marriage ceremony is performed there and the he remains there for a certain period of time say one year, two years etc. This system is applied when :- (a) the groom is poor and cannot afford the marriage expenditure and when the brides father is ready to bear it, (b) When the groom has got no well-to-do relatives, (c) When the parents of the bride have got no other earning male members, (e) The parents of the bride do not want to part with their daughter due to affection,and (f) A death has occurred in the year in the house of the bride,etc. In a Jameia, all the marriage rites like Jaqdan, Chumulang, Byah Burh etc. are performed in the brides house. However, the Byah Sudh Bhanga, Bizu Beran,etc are done at the house of the groom or his relatives. According to customs, the mother of the bride must receive at least two rupees as Dudholee Tenga (price for breast feeding) and Dabha (bride price) from the grooms. Other wise it becomes Kanya Daan (gifting of daughter). In such a case the parent of the bride losses the right even of the shade of their daughter, let alone talk about visit, drinking and eating. Since as per Chakma custom, once you have gifted anything to anybody, you loss all the rights and interest on such thing. A Chakmaboy get married at about eighteen to twenty one years of age and a girl is married off at the age of about fifteen to twenty. However marriageable bachelors of the age of about thirty and boys of the age of sixteen years were also seen to have got married. It may be due to economic condition of the groom or for not getting a suitable bride or for the demand of old relatives that they want to see grandchildren and great grandchildren before death. In amarriage, the parent of the groom and his relatives gather information for a bride.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 07:06:49 +0000
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