Bihar groom fair loses out to technology
CHANGING TIMES Internet, mobile phones spell the slow death of Saurath Sabha, the traditional matchmaking meet
For generations of Brahmins of Mithila or Maithil Brahmins, matches were made in a haven named Saurath.
Every wedding season, hundreds of prospective grooms, their relatives, and kin of potential brides would reach Saurath village in north Bihar for their traditional groom’s fair known as Saurath Sabha (congregation).
Accompanied by ghataks or mediators and assisted by panjikaars who maintain family records, they would explore prospects and finalise weddings. The gathering would be at Sabha Gachhi, a mango orchard. Women were not allowed at the gathering then, they are not now.
Then 21st century arrived and nudged out a centuries-old matchmaking tradition. People moved on. Internet, mobile phones and technology helped fix more matches than Saurath Sabha.
Footfalls at Saurath Sabha in Madhubani district, 192km from state capital Patna, dwindled. But 2017 brought a few Maithil Brahmins back following a concerted community campaign.
However, even the faithful acknowledge Saurath Sabha is not sustainable.
“These were needed when people had limited sources of communication. You cannot expect a Maithil settled in Delhi, Mumbai or abroad to spend days at Sabha Gachhi for wedding negotiations,” says Saurath resident Bipin Bihari Jha, a retired government official. “It (Sabha Gachhi) is redundant now.”
This upsets panjikaar Vishwamohan Chandra Mishra. “Engagement ceremonies and weddings at five-star hotels are a status symbol these days. People find it degrading to visit the Sabha Gachhi,” he says.
“Panji is a socio-cultural system, which prohibits marriages between persons of similar genealogical background. It was prevalent even during the age of Nanya Singh Dev, the first Karnat ruler of Darbhanga. Raja Hari Singh Dev, another Karnat dynasty ruler, codified it in 14th century. It is a scientific system and the Sabha facilitated Maithil Brahmins to follow it,” he adds.
Prafull Chandra Jha, president of Saurath Sabha Aayojan Samiti, says their congregation losing influence has hurt locals too who earned by providing different services and materials. “Not less than 50,000 people have lost their source of livelihood.”
Jha adds, “Barring former railway minister Lalit Narayan Mishra, nobody did anything for development of the site. He got half-a-dozen yatri sheds (resting places) built and renovated ghats (flight of steps) along the pond at the site. Most of these are now in a poor condition. A couple of structures are being used for coaching classes and homeopathy clinics.”
Some do believe there is a future for Saurath Sabha, but not in its present format.
Vijay Kumar Mishra, president of Chetna Samiti, an organisation of Maithils, says, “Sabha Gachhi might be not relevant for matchmaking these days, but it
Saurath Sabha was among 22 gatherings held in ancient times in villages of Mithila comprising Maithili-speaking regions of northern and eastern Bihar, say experts. Raja Hari Singh Dev donated 22 acres to Karn-Maithil Brahman Mahasabha nearly 500 years ago for the congregation.
The site is now owned by Kameshwar Singh Trust and has a Madhaveshwar temple and pond. These were developed by Maharaja Chhatra Singh Bahadur, a Khandawala dynasty ruler of Darbhanga.
A circular issued by the collector of Sangareddy district in Telangana seeking to file kidnap case against headmasters and wardens taking students to participate in agitations has triggered a controversy.
In a circular issued to all headmasters and hostel welfare officers on July 7, Sangareddy collector Manicka Raj Kannan said it had come to his notice that some persons and organisations were unauthorisedly taking students, who were still minors, from schools and hostels to participate in rallies and to form human chains.
The collector said the head masters and wardens would face charges of abetting the kidnap if they don’t file a case of kidnapping against such persons and organisations.
While the collector was not available for comment, a student organisation condemned the circular. Telangana Tribal Students Federation said the circular was nothing but stifling the voice of the students who want to highlight their problems. “Does this circular apply to the government authorities, too, as they take out students to participate in human chains, public meetings and rallies for government programmes?” said TSF state chief Bhukya Chandu Naik said. gency rescue, as well as jointly maintaining security of international strategic seaways,” the Xinhua report.
The People’s Liberation Army Daily said in a front-page commentary this was a landmark move that would increase China’s ability to ensure global peace, especially because it has so many United Nations peacekeepers in Africa and is so involved in anti-piracy patrols.
China would not seek military expansionism or get into arms races no matter what happened, it said. “These promises will not change because of the construction of the overseas logistics base,” it said.
The state-run Global Times said in an editorial on Wednesday there could be no mistake that this was in fact a military base. at Salt Lake in Kolkata.
CBI officers arrived at the house of Dutta around 7am on Wednesday. According to sources, they found piles of cash at every nook and corner of the house, including the kitchen, toilets and under the bed. Till afternoon, the officers were busy counting the notes with machines.
Besides Dutta, offices and residences of three other senior income tax officials and six businessmen, including a chartered accountant, was also raided by CBI officials. In addition, raids were conducted at Posta in Burrabazar area, Kolkata's trading hub.
The meteorological department has predicted heavy to very heavy rains for the next 24 hours as well.
Cabinet minister Madan Kaushik said, “District magistrates are authorised to take a call to close schools or halt pilgrimage... It’s a temporary arrangement and nothing to panic (about).” tic helps who mostly live in Barola area of Sector 49 assembled outside the gate and started pelting stones. Around 25 of them managed to enter inside the premises of the society and damaged the house of Mitul Sethi on the ground floor of Manchester-5, a low rise block in the society.
The chaos continued for more than three hours. Police officials negotiated with the domestic helps who finally dispersed from the spot. Residents remained indoors and could not send their kids to school.
“We have received complaint from the woman who was allegedly beaten up, while Mitul Sethi has not lodged any complaint so far. There are various versions of residents as well as the relatives of the maid. The matter is under investigation,” Singh said.
Singh said that the husband of the maid told them that she did not return home last night.
Police said the maid was found near the house in the morning and was taken to hospital for treatment and discharged after an hour.