Certain rituals and practices have remained part of Indian culture almost since the beginning of time, and remain unchallenged. As generations moved forward, the meaning behind their existence has since been lost, but they continue to be held sacred, and are practised religiously through various parts of the country.
But ever so often, in some part of the country, someone will question them. Earlier this month, the Shekhars, who belong to Patna, Bihar, did just that.
In a post shared on Twitter, Mimansa Shekhar, a journalist currently living in Delhi, wrote about how her parents made her break the tradition of a certain patriarchal ritual by making her perform a ceremony, which is otherwise done by the groom’s brother.
The meaning behind gurhathi
“The ritual, called gurhathi, is considered very important,” Bhavna Shekhar, Mimansa’s mother, tells The Better India. “Before the bride and groom enter the mandap for pheras, the bride is made to sit, and the groom’s elder…