Gowns add flamboyance to tribal weddings

Ranchi: Christian weddings in tribal Jharkhand are known for their simplicity since the enculturation policy adopted by the Vatican in 1960s. Brides prefer simple white sarees without the flamboyance of a usual wedding gown.But with the rise in the number of nouveau riche among tribal Christians, weddings are increasingly becoming more extravagant. Young couples, who are well connected to the world via internet, are going for elaborate decorations, and of course glitzy wedding gowns. It is perhaps the only part of the world where Christian brides are allowed to apply vermilion and wear mangal sutras after marriage. Traditional ceremonies like haldi, dwar chheka and sangeet are also quite common.However, the biggest change is the westernization of weddings. "I used to find it weird that all my cousins always used to zero in on sarees for their weddings and not gowns as they do in western Christian countries. Hence, I had decided to wear one on my D-day. The gown I finally wore cost me around Rs 25,000 but it was a much satisfying experience," said Rose Kujur, who got married to a city based guitarist in 2015."Enculturation has been practised by churches in India after he Vatican issued a directive around half a century ago to adapt the way Church teachings are presented to non-Christian (tribal in Jharkhand's case) cultures. Hence, a lot many customs practiced earlier by the tribals converts are readily assimilated in local Christianity," said Santosh Kiro, HoD, mass communication department, St Xavier's college.The rise in demand of gowns has the wedding dressmakers happy too, since there are very few such establishments to tailor a perfect gown in Ranchi. Emlin Kujur's Diana wedding accessories shop is one of them. Making gowns since 1996, Emlin has scores of brides in exquisite gowns over the years."There is definitely a rise to the tune of almost 50% in the sale of gowns. The youngsters nowadays wish to have a fairy tale wedding like they show in movies and on Television these days. Moreover, it also has to do with increasing disposable income among the local Christians here," said Emlin.The trend has also helped provide a stable source of income to tribal girls as Christian weddings take place all year long except during Lent, a 40 day period in which weddings are avoided. "We have over 20 employees who work here all year long, embroidering the gowns and putting together other accessories. Though the rise in sale of gowns is still quite less than that of sarees, I'm sure it will grow manifold over coming years," said Vinita Rashmi Topno, who is into business since 2008.