Booze paid as bride price for 11-year-old girl

Nomagivi

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posted on 13 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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CHENNAI: A 50-year-old man recently married an 11-year-old girl. And that's not what's strange anymore, what with the recent spate..

CHENNAI: A 50-year-old man recently married an 11-year-old girl. And that's not what's strange anymore, what with the recent spate of child marriages reported. The groom paid a bride price-most unusual considering the continuing widespread practice of dowry, but what's stranger is that it was paid in the form of cash-and booze!
The bridegroom Jayapal Singh gave the father of the bride Radha (name changed) `25,000 and two bottles of brandy and a large beer at the wedding ceremony on Thursday at dawn.Apparently, neither custom is outrageous in the Narikuravar (gypsy) settlement at Melanur, in Tiruvannamalai, 160 km from Chennai. The only redeeming factor, if one can call it that, is that the wedding was reportedly more of a puja of penitence (known as Kannitheetu) and, as per the community, not binding if the bride does not wish it to be, when she attains puberty.

Apparently, according to gypsy customs, Radha returns to her parents' house after the ceremony. Once she attains puberty, she may choose to either remain wedded to Jayapal or have the 'Karumani' (sacred knot) removed and wed another man later. Jayapal wed Radha, who has not yet attained puberty, so that his family, which had been ostracised, is accepted into their community again.

As for the intoxicant bride price from Thursday's marriage ceremony, it's safe to say it didn't last beyond the wedding feast.