Bael marriageGirls from the Nepal’s Newar community are married thrice. But not all three times to men. They are first made to marry a bael fruit, also known as wood apple. They are then married to the Sun, before finally getting married to a man! The ceremony known as ‘Ehee, ihi or Bel Bibah’ in Nepal is performed when the girl is at preadolescence i.e before hitting puberty. Here are some facts about Newar community and their unusual tradition. Who are the Newari people?Known for their stringent rules, till a few centuries ago, the Newaris made up the entire population of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Back then, the Newaris primarily indulged in farming and trading, mostly with Tibet. After the invasion of Gorkhali Shah dynasty, the Newari community moved from Kathmandu and spread over the entire valley. Newari girlsWhat is Bael Bibah?Bael means wood-apple fruit and Bibah means marriage. Some Newaris consider Bael (wood apple) to be a symbol of Lord Vishnu, while others consider the fruit to symbolise Suvama Kumar, the son of Lord Shiva. Bibek Shrestha, a 19 year-old Newari, says that once a girl gets married to Lord Vishnu in form of bael, even if her ‘ human husband dies, she will not be called a widow as her husband in form of Lord Vishnu is immortal. This way, any Newari girl married to a bael can remarry after the death of her ‘human husband’. Bael fruitWhy only Bael fruit (wood apple)?Bael is considered to be a very tough fruit because of its hard shell. The ceremony with the Bael is conducted to ask Lord for a similar strong groom. The best fruit is chosen for the ceremony so that the girl gets the best husband. Since the fruit is symbolic of the Lord, it is believed to fulfill all wishes. Why are girls then married to Sun?After the ceremony called ‘Bara Tayegu’ or ‘Gufa Rakhne’ that lasts for almost 12 days, the girls are married to the Sun. Santosh says ‘Bara’ means cave and ‘Tayegu’ means to put. Girls during this ceremony are put in cave like surrounding. They remain in a dark room for 11 days, away from any man to prove their purity. It is must that the girl should not have menstruated ever before this ceremony. The twelfth day is marked by a huge celebration to signify the end of the ceremony. “Sun is ‘eternal’ that is why girls are married to sun,” says Santosh. Sun marriageWhat are the ages for the divine marriages?“There is no specific age. The first marriage, or the marriage with the fruit, is around the age of 5-10, while the second marriage with the Sun is around 10-15 years of age. We usually decide based on the physical growth of girl,” says Sanotosh’s mother. What are girls referred to before and after marriage?Girls before marriage are called ‘Kumaris’ and worshiped as goddesses. After the marriage, the girl is referred to as ‘Parvati’. What is the third marriage in the Newari community?The third, or the first non-divine marriage, of a Newari girl is with a man. The marriage happens as per the beliefs of the family. However, since the girl has already been married twice ,the presence of her husband is not mandatory. A girl in the Newari community is also free to divorce her husband, without being considered a divorcee. What is the significance of such divine marriages?No word in the Newari language signifies widowhood. A widow is referred to as ‘bhata madumha tnisa’ (a woman without husband). This practice actually empowers women since they do not have to suffer the stigmas of widowhood of divorce, according to Santosh. FacebookTwitterLinkedinEMailStart a Conversationend of article
Bael marriageGirls from the Nepal’s Newar community are married thrice. But not all three times to men. They are first made to marry a bael fruit, also known as wood apple. They are then married to the Sun, before finally getting married to a man! The ceremony known as ‘Ehee, ihi or Bel Bibah’ in Nepal is performed when the girl is at preadolescence i.e before hitting puberty. Here are some facts about Newar community and their unusual tradition. Who are the Newari people?Known for their stringent rules, till a few centuries ago, the Newaris made up the entire population of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Back then, the Newaris primarily indulged in farming and trading, mostly with Tibet. After the invasion of Gorkhali Shah dynasty, the Newari community moved from Kathmandu and spread over the entire valley. Newari girlsWhat is Bael Bibah?Bael means wood-apple fruit and Bibah means marriage. Some Newaris consider Bael (wood apple) to be a symbol of Lord Vishnu, while others consider the fruit to symbolise Suvama Kumar, the son of Lord Shiva. Bibek Shrestha, a 19 year-old Newari, says that once a girl gets married to Lord Vishnu in form of bael, even if her ‘ human husband dies, she will not be called a widow as her husband in form of Lord Vishnu is immortal. This way, any Newari girl married to a bael can remarry after the death of her ‘human husband’. Bael fruitWhy only Bael fruit (wood apple)?Bael is considered to be a very tough fruit because of its hard shell. The ceremony with the Bael is conducted to ask Lord for a similar strong groom. The best fruit is chosen for the ceremony so that the girl gets the best husband. Since the fruit is symbolic of the Lord, it is believed to fulfill all wishes. Why are girls then married to Sun?After the ceremony called ‘Bara Tayegu’ or ‘Gufa Rakhne’ that lasts for almost 12 days, the girls are married to the Sun. Santosh says ‘Bara’ means cave and ‘Tayegu’ means to put. Girls during this ceremony are put in cave like surrounding. They remain in a dark room for 11 days, away from any man to prove their purity. It is must that the girl should not have menstruated ever before this ceremony. The twelfth day is marked by a huge celebration to signify the end of the ceremony. “Sun is ‘eternal’ that is why girls are married to sun,” says Santosh. Sun marriageWhat are the ages for the divine marriages?“There is no specific age. The first marriage, or the marriage with the fruit, is around the age of 5-10, while the second marriage with the Sun is around 10-15 years of age. We usually decide based on the physical growth of girl,” says Sanotosh’s mother. What are girls referred to before and after marriage?Girls before marriage are called ‘Kumaris’ and worshiped as goddesses. After the marriage, the girl is referred to as ‘Parvati’. What is the third marriage in the Newari community?The third, or the first non-divine marriage, of a Newari girl is with a man. The marriage happens as per the beliefs of the family. However, since the girl has already been married twice ,the presence of her husband is not mandatory. A girl in the Newari community is also free to divorce her husband, without being considered a divorcee. What is the significance of such divine marriages?No word in the Newari language signifies widowhood. A widow is referred to as ‘bhata madumha tnisa’ (a woman without husband). This practice actually empowers women since they do not have to suffer the stigmas of widowhood of divorce, according to Santosh. FacebookTwitterLinkedinEMail
