Hindu women's caste status

[marina orelskaya]

> Dr. Richa Puranik asked
>
> >>Is a Hindu woman considered to be 'reborn' at the
> time of her marriage?
> >>If yes, is she 'reborn' into her husband's caste?

I would say she is. Her name (including the first one)
is changed into appropriate to her 'new' caste, she
performs the appropriate home etc. rituals and raises
her children as belonging to her husband's caste. It
is said that the parting of the hair on the bride's
head signifies the two completely different parts of
her life: before and after marriage.

> >>If her birth-caste is different from the caste of
> the family she is
> >>marrying into, what is her own caste after
> marriage?

She becomes of her spouse's caste. Of course, provide
that the members of the community have accepted her as
their own.
There is a curious example (perhaps, not entirely
proper, but interesting enough): in as resent as July
this year a man in India has married his minor
daughter off to a friend's dog, believing that this
will change her gotra into 'sArameya' and stops her
constant ailments and bad luck.

Regards.
Marina Orelskaya

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