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[pclaus at s1.csuhayward.edu]

New Message
Date: March 18, 1996 
 
Indology List
indology at Liverpool.ac.uk
 
Dear Members,
 
I didn't catch the beginning of the discussion of the placement
of a woman in relation to men in ritual, but I have something of
an 'explanation' in response to Dr. Bapat's observation that in
Maharashtra the bride initially sits to the right of the groom
and later to his left. 
 
During a fieldwork methodology workshop in India we made video of
each of the stages of a wedding as practiced by Telugu-speaking
Gollas (pastoralists) living in Karnataka.  During the stage when
the couple is washed with turmeric, and then playfully smear
large handfuls of turmeric on one another (the act resembling
throwing a pie in someone's face!) the bride sits on the groom's
right.  Later, as Dr. Bapat observed, after the garlanding, she
stands to his left.
 
Now, interestingly, the workshop participants, all highly
educated Indians, insisted that the bride sat on the left at all
times, and it took repeated replays of the video to convince them
otherwise.  Finally, we came up with the same explanation
(interpretation) that Michael Rabe has already given: "during the
wedding ceremony the bride stands to the right UNTIL the
appointed time for her to move to her appointed place as wife, at
her husband's left." 
 
But fortunately, we were still in the field and could go and ask
the Gollas themselves: were they aware of the switch? why do they
do it? etc.  
 
They were indeed aware of it and laughed at our interest in the
matter.  We suggested our interpretation of why it was done like
it was.  They laughed again, harder.  The reason THEY gave was
that with the bride on the groom's right, he could reach his
right arm around her back and hold her firmly while he pasted her
in the face with a handful of the turmeric!  Their explanation at
first appeared purely practical: he could control (overcome) her
better. She was at a disadvantage in that regard.  (In fact she
had missed his face and merely grazed his check, depositing most
of the turmeric on his shoulder.)
 
While this may not satisfy many Indologists as THE explanation
(it doesn't me) it is certainly ONE explanation, and it does tie
in with the fact that this was a stage in which there was other
humor and playfulness.  At South Indian weddings, in fact, there
are definite stages in which a variety (varying by caste and
region) of formal games are played. Certainly, one can say that
the Golla explanation fits well with why the GOLLAS do what they
do, and why at this stage in the wedding the bride sits on the
groom's right.  Furthermore, in this fairly strongly male-
dominant community, despite being on the usually more dominant
right side, it puts her in the more submissive position,
perfectly in keeping with her husband's responsibility to control
her, physically, and in most other ways. A rare case of the
exception proving the rule!
 
Peter J. Claus                        
fax: (510) 885-3353
pclaus at csuhayward.edu