Incredible India: Mithila’s marriage fair
Tradition has it that the marriage of Lord Ram’s consort, Sita, took place at Saurath, the fair venue
Saurath Sabha, a matrimonial fair and one-of-its-kind socio-cultural event going back hundreds of years in Mithilanchal in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, concluded on a dull note on July 7 in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic. The fair, where the families and other relatives of bridegrooms and brides, along with grooms, would gather in an orchard to fix matrimonial alliances, had lost much of its popularity in recent decades, which led to efforts to give it a fresh lease of life. However, Covid-19 reduced the fair to a total flop show last year, and the situation was only a tad better this time.
Manoj Mishra, convenor of the Saurath Sabha Utthan Samiti, an organisation spearheading the efforts to revive the fair, said the decline of Saurath Sabha had gathered pace with the socio-economic-political marginalisation of Maithil Brahmins, the erstwhile dominant caste of the region.
“Saurath is a small village, about six km north-east from the district headquarter town of Madhubani, a district bordering Nepal. Saurath Sabha Gachi is a sprawling orchard spread over about 22 acres. A few decades back, more than a lakh people would attend the fair, held during the Hindu calendar months of Jyeth-Asaadh (usually June-July as per the English calendar).”
— Manoj Mishra, Convenor, Saurath Sabha Utthan Samiti
“In the wake of socio-political change, middle class Maithil Brahmins migrated to other places, dealing a blow to their unity, sanskar and culture.” By 1997, Saurath Sabha had become a non-event, he said.
Saurath is a small village, about six km north-east from the district headquarter town of Madhubani, a district bordering Nepal. Saurath Sabha Gachi is a sprawling orchard spread over about 22 acres. A few decades back, more than a lakh people would attend the fair, held during the Hindu calendar months of Jyeth-Asaadh (usually June-July as per the English calendar), said Mishra.
Tradition has it that the marriage of Lord Ram’s consort, Sita, took place at this place. King Janak, who finds mention in the Ramayan, was the ruler of Mithila and Sita was his daughter.
After 1997, the efforts to revive the fair met with some success, with a few thousands gathering there. But it received a setback again in the last two-three years. Despite the spectre of corona this year, a few thousand people thronged the place during the fair, though no marriages were fixed!
There are many distinguishing features of this marriage fair. There is a fixed place – dera – for every village in the Sabha where the bridegroom and bride side would arrive and then look for a suitable match. Traditionally, both bridegroom and bride side would hold a debate on socio-religious issues, to ascertain if the other side was intellectually compatible with them. Once they decided on matrimonial alliance, they would approach panjikars (registrars) who would check from records maintained on palm leaves to ensure that the two sides were not related by marriage for the last seven generations! The panjikars also tally the horoscopes of the prospective groom and bride. If the horoscopes match, the marriage is given a go-ahead! After ensuring this, the marriage proposal is recorded on palm leaves, even now.
Many families who finalise matrimonial alliance at other places, also visit Saurath Sabha to get their marriages recorded in palm-leaf panjis (registers). Even judicial courts honour these marriages. The system of keeping genealogical records (panjis) is said to have been introduced by the king of Mithila, Harisingh Deva, in early 14th century.
At the Sabha Gachi, a well, a yajna spot called Ramyajna Mandal and Madhweshwar Nath Mahadev Mandir have been renovated with public initiative. The temple is said to resemble the famous Somnath temple in the western state of Gujarat. It is widely believed that two brothers had migrated to this place from Gujarat after Mahmud Gazni’s invasion in AD 1025 and the destruction of the Somnath temple.
A move is afoot to revive the lost glory of Saurath Sabha, with an eye on preserving the cultural legacy of Maithil Brahmins. Demands have been made to turn this place into a tourist spot and to digitise the panjis (registers) maintained on palm leaves.