The social customs of the Kachhis resemble those of the Kurmis. The
descendants of the same parents do not intermarry for three
generations. A man may have two sisters to wife at the same time. In
the Damoh District, on the arrival of the bridegroom's party, the
bride is brought into the marriage-shed, and is there stripped to the
waist while she holds a leaf-cup in her hand; this is probably done
so that the bridegroom may see that the bride is free from any bodily
defect. Girls are usually married before they are ten years old, and
if the parents are too poor to arrange a match for their daughter,
the caste-fellows often raise a subscription when she attains this
age and get her married. The bridegroom should always be older
than the bride, and the difference is generally from five to ten
years. The bridegroom wears a loin-cloth and long coat reaching to
the ground, both of which are stained yellow with turmeric; the bride
wears a red cloth or one in which red is the main colour. The girl's
father gives her a dowry of a cow or jewels, or at least two rupees;
while the boy's father pays all the expenses of the wedding with the
exception of one feast. The bridegroom gives the bride a present of
three shoulder-cloths and three skirts, and one of these is worn by her
at the wedding; this is the old northern method of dress, but married
women do not usually adhere to it and have adopted the common sari or
single body-cloth. The principal ceremony is the bhanwar or walking
round the sacred post. While the bride and bridegroom are engaged
in this the parents and elderly relatives shut themselves into the
house and weep. During the first four rounds of the post the bride
walks in front bowing her head and the bridegroom places his right
hand on her back; while during the last three the bridegroom walks
in front holding the bride by her third finger. After this the bride
is hidden somewhere in the house and the bridegroom has to search for
her. Sometimes the bride's younger sister is dressed up in her clothes
and the bridegroom catches her in mistake for his wife, whereupon the
old women laugh and say to him, 'Do you want her also?' If finally
he fails to find the bride he must give her some ornament.
After the wedding the bridegroom's marriage-crown is hung to the roof
in a basket. And on the sixth day of the following month of Bhadon
(August), he again dresses himself in his wedding clothes, and taking
his marriage-crown on a dish, proceeds to the nearest stream or river
accompanied by his friends. Here he throws the crown into the water,
and the wedding coat is washed clean of the turmeric and unsewn and
made up into ordinary clothes. This ceremony is known as moschatt and
is common to Hindu castes generally. Widows are permitted to marry
again, and the most usual match is with the younger brother of the
deceased husband. Divorce is allowed at the instance either of the
husband or wife, and may be effected by a simple declaration before
the caste committee.