Marriage in Nagaland is centered around many interesting beliefs, facts and principles that are rooted deep within the tribal people of the state. They strictly follow a set of traditional morals of marriage. As far as the marriages of Nagaland are concerned, the different tribes have different beliefs and morals, which they maintain with dedication and commitment.
As far as marriage is concerned, the Naga tribes of Nagaland follow the exogamous principles. People of the same clan do not marry each other. The only exception in this case is the Konyak chiefs. They are considered sacred and their wives can be of the same clan.
Another tribe named Angami follows a ritual like the strangling of a fowl. Here, the girl can reject the suitor if she dreams of anything inauspicious within a prescribed period of time, while the negotiation is still going on.
The members of the Mongsen tribe practice a strange norm. After the engagement, the boy and the girl sent on a trading journey for twenty days. If the expedition is gainful, the preparations are made for the marriage. In case of a loss the engagement is broken off as it is considered inauspicious.
While the Angamis are monogamous, the Semas choose to be polygamous and marry as many girls as possible. One of the wives is given the place of the head wife, though she may not be the first wife. Four to six wives are permissible to the Changs. As far as the Lothas are concerned, a rich man may marry another time and have a second wife.
All these curious and peculiar facts make the Nagaland marriages very exciting and interesting.
Last Updated on : 22/06/2013
Nagaland Society and Culture
