Rajasthan Birth, Marriage and Death Rites: Bandola, Baan, Samela, Mayra, Mausar Notes

At a glance

Asked: Satarwada is the odd one out among Samela, Baan and Mugdhana (PO 2022) · Bandola is a marriage rite (PO 2024) · Badhar is a wedding feast (CET 2022).
Death feast law: the Rajasthan Prevention of Mrityu Bhoj Act, 1960; its definition of mrityu bhoj includes a nukta, a mosar and a chahallum.
Jadula: the Rajasthani name for mundan, the chudakarma samskara.

Namkaran	Around the eleventh day after birth (some books say the 10th or 12th); women sing songs of praise and a priest recites mantras before the child is named
Mundan	Between one and three years of age, with Vedic verses recited while the hair is shaved
Toran	The groom touches the toran over the bride's door, after which his mother-in-law greets him with a tilak
Saptapadi (phere)	Seven rounds of the sacred fire with Vedic mantras; the bride leads the first three and the groom the last four

Rite	Meaning
Agrani	The Marwar name for Simantonnayan; in about the eighth month of pregnancy the woman's mother sends an odhni and sweets
Jamna	Clothes, jewellery and sweets brought from the child's maternal side (nana or mama) at the birth
Panghat poojan	Worship at the well some days after the birth, also called kuan poojan or jalwa poojan

Stage	Rite	Meaning
Engagement	Tika	Gifts sent from the bride's father's side to the groom
Engagement	Reet	Gifts sent from the groom's father's side to the bride
Before the wedding	Bandola (Bandoli)	The bride and the groom are taken out with music to close relatives, who feast them
Before the wedding	Baan	Pithi (turmeric paste) is applied to the bride and groom, who are 'seated for baan'
Before the wedding	Mugdhana	The firewood for the wedding kitchen, brought and worshipped after Vinayak (Ganesh) is installed
Before the wedding	Mayra (Bhaat)	The mother's brother brings gifts for his sister's family and drapes a chunari on her
Wedding day	Samela	The bride's father and relatives welcome the baraat on its arrival
After the wedding	Badhar	The community feast (preeti bhoj) of the wedding
After the wedding	Riyan	In western Rajasthan, guests are honoured with opium on the day after the wedding
Farewell	Pahravani	The bride's father gives a gift to every member of the baraat as it leaves
Farewell	Seekh	Gifts with which the couple and the baraat are sent off
Later	Muklawa (Gauna)	A girl married while young is sent to her in-laws' home when she grows up

Rite	Meaning
Bakher	Coins and things such as khil and cotton thrown over the bier on the way to the cremation ground
Aadheta	Changing the direction of the bier on the way
Laampa	Lighting the pyre, done by the eldest son or the nearest kin
Satarwada	Those back from the cremation bathe and go to the bereaved home to console the family
Mausar (Ausar, Nukta)	The death feast; one held by a person while still alive is a Josar
Pagdi	A turban is tied on the eldest son as successor, on the day of the Mausar

Baan or BandolaBaan is the turmeric paste (pithi) · Bandola is the pre-wedding outing and feast.
Tika or ReetTika goes from the bride's side to the groom · Reet from the groom's side to the bride.
Mayra or JamnaMayra is the maternal uncle's gift at a wedding · Jamna the maternal side's gift at a birth.
Badhar or MausarBadhar is a wedding feast · Mausar the death feast.
Samela, Pahravani or SeekhSamela welcomes the baraat · Pahravani and Seekh are gifts when it leaves.

Which of the following customs is not related to marriage ?

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✓ (2) Satarwada

'Bandola' is a ritual related to which social ceremony?

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✓ (4) Marriage Ceremony

What is the ‘Badhar’?

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✓ (1) Wedding banquet

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