Munda kinship pattern

[Vishal Agarwal]

----Original Message Follows----
From: "N. Ganesan" <naga_ganesan at HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Munda kinship pattern
Date: Sun, 5 Dec 1999 06:12:33 PST

NG: Noted several references from puranas,etc., where South Indian
marriage systems prevailed in North India in ancient times.
The cross-cousin marriages in Krishna, Buddha, ... life stories.

VA: They did not 'prevail' but were an exception. Manusmriti in general
advocates the rule of 'leaving the 6 pindas' but allows exceptions where the
groom is very well qualified. Such exceptions occur even today, a case
exists in my own family. (The wedding was however a hush up affair for the
fear of attracting social ostracism. Cause of the wedding was that the
bride's family was very poor and therefore the elders of the family decided
to offer one of her cousins as her husband). However, they are not as common
as in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra (to some extent).

A Buddhist version of Ramayana makes Rama and Sita siblings, and that seems
to stem from the Sakya custom of permitting such 'incestuous' marraiges. The
Buddhist version of the nuptial was highlighted during the leftist campaign
(sponsored by the Union minister Arjun Singh) named "Hum Sab Ayodhya".
Vishal

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com