Though a local form, the ritual portrayed in the painting is a part of the vocabulary of a Hindu marriage convention observed in different areas in different styles, or rather suiting to each area’s or community’s broad conventions and convictions in regard to auspiciousness. In eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar’s western part it is colloquially known as ‘parachhana’, a corrupt derivation of some Sanskrit term earlier in use. The ritual is performed in two steps, one, relating to welcoming and blessing the bridegroom with the grace of the deities, and the other, reflecting bridegroom’s assurance as to pursuing modalities current in his social system and maintaining a good relation with the bride’s family.
As soon as the bridegroom arrives for wedding at the bride’s door, her mother, or some elderly woman as respectable as the bride’s mother, welcomes him with ‘arti’ – a rite performed with a ritual lamp believed to spread divine light and hence representing every form of auspiciousness. The tray of ‘arti’ contains three, five, seven or nine lamps, or other auspicious things, such as fruits, sweets etc. including at least one lit lamp; three, being symbolic of Tri-murti – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, five, of Pancha-agni – five fires, or five Guardian deities presiding over five directions, seven, of Sapta-matrikas – seven Mothers, and nine, of Nine Durgas. The ‘arti’ is believed to bestow on the bridegroom these deities’ blessings and protection.
Conventions in regard to the second step vary locally. Usually the welcoming mother, after the ‘arti’ has been performed, gives to the bridegroom a stem or twig of mango tree or some other auspicious object characteristic to local convention, or bridegroom’s family line, with which he strikes the festoon of sacred mango leaves laid over the entrance of the bride’s house, or the venue of marriage symbolic of her house, before he enters it. In some of the farming communities the bridegroom uses a braid of corn for it, while in some tribes, it is a peacock feather. Among Rajputs, the bridegroom strikes the festoon with the sword he carries as part of his ensemble. Obviously while the mango contexts assure of auspiciousness, the sword context defines assurance of protection and assistance in every event relating to arms. The braid of corn and the peacock feather have similar symbolic dimensions.
The painting portrays the bridegroom as standing on a carpet with chess-board design. The soft features of his face in relation to the iconography of the bride’s mother reveal his youngish age. Simply line-drawn, the faces of them all effectively portray the age-variations of all figures. The foremost of the ladies and the most aged of all, obviously the bride’s mother, is holding in her left hand the tray of ‘arti’. It contains, besides a lit lamp, five fruits or sweets and a tiny votive icon, obviously one of the family deity. Perhaps in adherence to some family convention, the ‘arti’ sought to bestow the blessings of family deity and five Guardian Spirits appeased by five sweets or fruits, besides the emergence of the divine light which the lit lamp symbolises. The tray in left hand suggests that the ‘arti’ has already been performed and the second step of the ritual is in the process.
With her right hand the bride’s mother is extending to the bridegroom a beautifully moulded and embellished wand with a colourful parrot icon perching on its top. In all likelihood made of mango-wood this wand seems to replace the usual mango branch. The bridegroom is extending his hands for receiving the auspicious wand. The festoon hung over them comprises, besides the peacock-pairs and fish motifs, bunches of fruits. It seems that the local tradition that the painting portrays required the bridegroom to raise the parrot on the wand to the fruits’ height and feed it on them – perhaps requiring an assurance of compassion towards all beings.
This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.
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