Himachal Pradesh Marriage Customs Quiz

1. In Himachal Pradesh, who usually takes the initiative for a marriage betrothal?

2. What is the nominal payment called that the boy’s father customarily pays to the girl’s father to help defray marriage expenses in Himachal?

3. What ritual gift is exchanged once a marriage match is settled in Himachal Pradesh?

4. Which type of betrothal is generally practiced by the upper classes in Himachal Pradesh?

5. Which forms of betrothal are adopted by middle and lower-class communities in Himachal Pradesh?

6. In some areas of Mandi, what are the names for the ritual gift/betrothal?

7. Which marriage system involves a father promising his daughter’s hand to a boy whose father, in turn, is obligated to marry his daughter to a third man, with a breach of promise invalidating the entire chain?

8. In Himachal Pradesh, with whom is the wedding date typically set in consultation?

9. What is customarily done with all wedding preparations in Himachal Pradesh?

10. If a betrothal is settled and one party backs out in Himachal Pradesh, what is expected?

11. How are marriage rules in the hills of Himachal Pradesh generally considered compared to the plains?

12. What is the practice of high-caste people regarding marriage within their own caste and ‘Gotra’ in Himachal Pradesh?

13. What are the ascendancy restrictions for marriage through the father’s side and mother’s side in Himachal Pradesh?

14. What are the names of the exogamous units for Brahmans and Vaishyas, Rajputs, and lower castes, respectively?

15. Are inter-caste marriages generally encouraged in Himachal Pradesh today?

16. Which inter-caste marriage combination is somewhat accepted in Himachal Pradesh?

17. Which marriage involving a ‘shudra’ by any of the three high castes (Brahmin, Rajput, or Vaishya) is generally not socially approved?

18. Which form of marriage is solemnized in accordance with the ‘Shastras’ and is considered the superior form, widely practiced without any consideration received by the girl’s family?

19. Which informal marriage forms are solemnized without the ‘Saptpadi’ or other formal religious ceremonies and are popular among low-caste people?

20. In which districts is polyandry most prevalent in Himachal Pradesh?

21. Is polygamy common among the vast majority of the population in Himachal Pradesh?

22. Which peculiar form of marriage among the tribes of Kangra and Chamba involves setting fire to a bush and walking around it seven times without parental approval?

23. Which tribal system, prevalent in Kinnaur, involves the forcible abduction of a girl from a fairground, followed by the boy’s family apologizing and paying ‘Izzat’?

24. In which type of marriage do lovers elope, and the boy’s father sends a ‘Mazomi’ with gifts, followed by sad tunes and the son-in-law presenting ‘Masore’ to the bride’s mother?

25. Which marriage custom applies when a boy kidnaps a girl, or a girl elopes with her fiancé, or a woman leaves her husband to live with another man, and is popular among ‘Gaddis’ and in the Kinnaur region?

26. How do the Gaddis perform their marriage ceremony?

27. In Pangi marriages, what right does the groom’s younger brother gain by presenting a silver rupee to the bride’s mother?

28. Are love marriages and widow remarriages permissible in higher castes in Himachal Pradesh?

29. Is widow remarriage common among tribal communities in Himachal Pradesh?

30. What is ‘Reet Marriage’?

31. In some tribal communities, what is the divorce law known as ‘Dehri’, ‘Hari’, or ‘Har’ involve?

32. What are widow remarriages called in Shimla hills, and in Kangra and Chamba regions, respectively?

33. What is the general social status of women in Himachal Pradesh?

34. What trend has the spread of literacy led to regarding divorces and love marriages since independence in Himachal Pradesh?