Tripuri culture
The married or unmarried daughters or sisters of a person are only entitled to receive property if the father or brothers desire so.
Occasionally, the father is forced to divide the property to avoid a disturbance created by the adult sons.
When a father marries a second time, he divides his property earlier on so as to avoid quarrelling among the sons of two wives.
If the girl is chosen by the parents of the boy, the guardian of the daughter demands dowry of money, ornaments etc.
If the proposal is accepted by both parties, then they fix a date for a final settlement called Kokswhngmung.
On the fixed date the bride is brought into the groom's house and received with much enthusiasm, and dangdua.
Jari is a pot made of brass, somewhat like a kettle but elongated, that is used in carrying the secret water to be sprinkled over the bridegroom, first by the priest then by the parents and other elders.
The next day of the marriage is called dolan, when a post-marriage ceremony is observed by the close relatives of both parties.
The non-vegetarian dish that is served on this occasion is an important part of Tripuri marriage ceremonies.
Sometimes marriage is arranged between two families by exchanging a boy and a girl and thus avoiding the payment of bride-price.
The marriage ceremony would be conducted in a supportive relative's home by performing the wathop worship.
In this form of marriage, the bridegroom or his parents pay a sum of money in cash to the bride's family as her price.
After hearing the facts, circumstances, and opinion of either side, the village head man, Chokdiri, gives the judgment in front of the gathering; it is bound on both parties.
It is said that at the time of Subrai Raja, the most famous and legendary King of Tripura, through his 250 wives he had invented 250 designs of rignai.
The male counterpart for the loin area is rikutu and for the upper part of the body is the kamchwlwi borok.
Today, however, very few men wear this style of dress except in rural Tripura and by the working class.
A pregnant woman is to refrain from hard work and lifting of heavy objects for the well-being of both baby and mother.
Abul suhmani is the purification ceremony after the birth of the baby and is held nine days after the delivery.
The ha kahrima and sal phunukma are, respectively, the touching of the ground and seeing the sun by the newborn baby.
The Tripuri practice for disposal of a dead body is by cremation except for that of a newborn or for a cholera death in earlier days.
The relatives who come to pay homage to the dead person place paddy, cotton, and flowers at the feet of the body.
Cooked chicken and rice in a newly made bamboo basket is offered up to the body.
The funeral procession proceeds towards the cremation ground, generally at the bank of river or stream.
The eldest son reserves the right of touching the fire to the mouth of the dead body; this is called hortanlaio.
He takes a bamboo stick, the top of which is wrapped with a piece of cloth, dips it in oil and lights it.
Thereafter all persons attending the cremation place the fire to the dead body turn by turn.with left hand.
When the cremation participants return home, they are sprinkled with secret Ganges water by using a Tulsi leaf on their head and touch fire.
The maikhlai rimani ceremony or shraddho is observed at the end of the mourning period by the offering of food and drink to the departed soul.
The ash or the piece of bone of the forehead is kept in a small, newly constructed hut (osthi nok) for the purpose and worshiped until the first Hangrai the Sankranti, after the death.
They need to follow vegetarian food until maikhlai rima / offering to the deceased person is performed.
