Bhubaneswar: Around 40 members of a tribal family in Odisha’s Rayagada district shaved their heads as part of a purification ritual after a girl from the ‘kutumb’ (extended family) married a man from a different caste and community, officials said.
The incident took place Thursday at Baiganaguda village in Gorakhpur gram panchayat under Kashipur block.
The matter came to light after a video of the ritual, showing men with tonsured heads, went viral on social media.
PTI, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the video
Sources said the girl, belonging to a Scheduled Tribe community, married a man from a Scheduled Caste family against her family’s permission. This had caused resentment in the village, sources added.
Following a village meeting, it was suggested that the male members of the girl’s extended family shave their heads and offer sacrifices of goats, chickens and pigs to the local deity.
Inter-caste marriages are traditionally prohibited in Rayagada tribal community, and marrying outside the caste is considered taboo.
The woman’s family was allegedly warned of social ostracism if they did not follow community norms.
After the issue came to light, the district administration sent Kashipur Block Development Officer (BDO) Bijay Soe to investigate the matter and report to the collector.
Soe said the investigation involved meeting both the bride’s and groom’s families, who said they had no complaints and had performed the rituals voluntarily.
PTI
