"Babuji, paag ab bhari lag rahal chhay (Father, the cap is feeling heavy now)."

Tired of carrying the bright "crown" on his head for seven days, Ranjit Jha (22) had another disappointing outing at Saurath sabha, a marriage assembly for Maithil Brahmins that takes place in Madhubani district every year.

Ranjit was there in Saurath village last year also, but in vain, as he found no takers for his marriage "candidature". The youth, a matriculate whose job in a medicine shop in Darbhanga earns him a paltry Rs 1,500 per month, will have to wait until next year.

The tradition of Saurath sabha dates back to the 14th century and Raja Haridev Singh of Mithila is usually seen as the man who started it. This year's edition was held from June 30 to July 6.

Maithil Brahmins, who avoid marriage in same gotra (lineage) for six generations, say their predecessors were well aware of the "cross-fertilisation" theory. Besides, this system also involves registration before marriage. Village registrars have records of 15 generations, compiled in alphabetical order.

Ranjit's father Mahesh Chandra Mishra, a tutor from Darbhanga, still has faith in the practice as his marriage was solemnised at a sabha in 1972. But he also regrets that today's Maithil youth do not find the tradition appealing. "Sitting at a Saurath sabha in a bridegroom's dress was once a matter of pride. But today's youth think it's a joke."

As Mishra said this, 24-year-old Amrendra Kumar Jha from Hetedanbani village in Madhubani spread a bedsheet to "announce" his candidature. But his father Bhavanand Jha found it hard to explain why the youth was clad in shirt and trousers and not dhoti-kurta.

The correspondent, however, did not see the fathers or guardians of any girls at Saurath throughout the day on July 4. The waning popularity of the custom was obvious, with only a few old-timers attending the sabha in the hope that their sons would find takers just the way they had years ago.

This year's assembly had 70 prospective bridegrooms, only 30 of whom returned home satisfied.

Last year, more than a hundred prospective grooms turned up and 50 marriages were settled. Till the late 1990s, around 1,000 marriage negotiations would take place at Saurath every year.

But those days are well and truly over. Mass migration, intervention of middlemen, dowry demands
and general apathy have contributed to the falling popularity of the sabha.

Village registrar Pandit Vishwamohan Chandra Mishra regrets that young Maithil Brahmins with decent jobs opt against taking the Saurath sabha route to marriage as they do not want to become "exhibits".

The registrar points out that the demand for dowry through middlemen has worked against the custom.

"The middleman culture has defamed this tradition. Though rich families hardly come here, the ones which do come indirectly ask for dowry ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 60,000."

The shadow of the dowry system first fell on the tradition around 25 years ago and now only 3 per cent of the negotiations take place without money coming into the picture, said Vishwamohan.

Mishra said though there was no direct demand for dowry, it was "understood".

Lalit Jha, a Saurath resident, said "some agents try to get a good deal from the girl's father so that he gets a good commission".

Ruing the lack of interest in the gathering, former chief minister Jagannath Mishra said: "Mass migration and the changing times are threatening the tradition." While the Bihar government only recently introduced marriage registration, Mithila had it centuries ago, he added.

Bihar Legislative Council member Tarakant Jha said: "Decay of tradition is a social problem and only the Maithil youth and elders can help retain the scientific system of marriage."

Earlier, marriage assemblies used to be held at 42 places in East and West Champaran, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Samastipur, Saharsa, Purnea, Sitamarhi and Khagaria districts.

But with time, Saurath, 210 km from Patna and 10 km from the Madhubani district headquarters, remained the only place where Maithil youth assembled to impress the fathers of young women.

Explaining the system, the registrar said the girl's father and relatives get inputs on the boy's family from the pundits at the assembly. If satisfied, they talk to the groom's family and decide if the two sides can enter into a matrimonial alliance.

Vishwamohan, who claimed to have seen the marriage registration of former Bihar chief minister Bhagwat Jha Azad, said the grooms have to answer queries on education, profession, knowledge of predecessors and the culture of Mithila.

A registration slip bears the names of the couple's fathers, grandfathers, great grandfathers and maternal grandfathers.

The names of the groom and the bride are, however, not let out. Besides, the girls are also not allowed to attend the sabha.

(Courtesy The Telegraph)