A marriage is arranged continues....


After a good deal of consideration, father selected Kesri Devi, daughter of Lala Nand Lal Mahajan of Shahpur Kandi, District Gurdaspur. She belonged to a high caste Mahajan family of Bhekhetras and was handsome, good natured and of simple habits. Lala Nand Lal was a petty shopkeeper but was married in a well-to-do Mahajan family of Dina Nagar. Nand Lal lived next door to the house where my uncle—my mother’s sister’s husband-lived. My mother’s sister gave all details about the girl to my mother. The match was thus arranged between them, the poor bridegroom knowing nothing about the bride and the bride, of course, knowing nothing of the groom!

A small marriage party left for Shahpur Kandi on the hottest day of May. The graduate bridegroom was carried in a palanquin to the bride’s house. After the marriage, the bride travelled closely covered in another palanquin and guarded by a woman relative and a barber’s wife so that the husband may have no contact with her. Father invited all his friends and relatives for the marriage feast at Bhadwar. Some 1,500 of them, in all, responded to the invitation. Tents and shamianas were set up to accommodate the gathering. All officials of the District, members of the Bar, notably R. B. Sukh Dial (who retired as Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir State) R. B. Bakshi Sohan Lal, Bakshi Tek Chand, R. B. Chuni Lal, then District and Sessions Judge, Mr. Moti Lal Kaistha, Dewan Bishan Dass, were all there. Lala Ghanaya Shah and Lala Har Dayal Shah looked after the guests and did it very well. My grandmother acted as the presiding deity.

Costly dresses made at Amritsar and ornaments were given to the bride, but she and the bridegroom were not allowed to see each other, though our hearts ached for at least one look.

I remember an incident of some interest. Back home, the “Kangna” (a thread tied round the wrist of the bridegroom during the marriage ceremony) has to be untied by the bride.

to be continued...