US EditionTribal Tradition Challenges: Inter-Caste Marriage Stirs Rituals in Odisha
- On June 21, 2025, approximately 40 members of a tribal family in Baiganaguda village, Rayagada district, Odisha, underwent a traditional head-shaving ceremony following the marriage of a woman from their community to a man belonging to a different caste.
- The ritual occurred because the marriage, involving a Scheduled Tribe woman and a Scheduled Caste man, violated community norms that traditionally prohibit inter-caste marriages in the Rayagada tribal area.
- After facing villagers' anger, the family was shunned and threatened with an indefinite social boycott unless they performed animal sacrifices and underwent head-shaving rituals to regain their standing within the village.
- A video showing the shaved heads went viral on social media, sparking outrage, while the Kashipur Block Development Officer investigated and found both families participated voluntarily without coercion.
- The administration pledged to take appropriate action based on the investigation's findings, highlighting ongoing tensions around inter-caste marriages in traditional tribal societies.
11 Articles
11 Articles
40 tribal family members tonsure heads following inter-caste marriage in Odisha
Bhubaneswar, Jun 21 (PTI) 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 on Thursday at Baiganaguda village in Gorakhpur gram […]
Tribal Tradition Challenges: Inter-Caste Marriage Stirs Rituals in Odisha
In Odisha's Rayagada district, 40 tribal family members shaved their heads in a purification ritual following an inter-caste marriage. The ritual, including offerings to a local deity, was performed due to community norms. Authorities investigated, and both families reported completing the rituals voluntarily.
Odisha: Tribal woman's family forced to shave heads after inter-caste marriage
Around 40 members of a woman’s family were forced to shave their heads as part of a “purification” ritual after she married a man from a different caste in Odisha’s Rayagada district. The incident took place in Baiganaguda village, located in the Kashipur block. The woman, belonging to a Scheduled Tribe (ST), had recently married a man from a Scheduled Caste (SC) from a neighbouring village. Her family was subsequently ostracised by the villager…
Even today, inter-caste marriages are not recognized in India. Due to such marriages, the families of boys and girls have to face many problems. One such incident of inter-caste marriage has come to light in Odisha, where a girl married a scheduled caste boy from another village. Due to this, the villagers were angry with the girl and her family. It is being said that after this, the angry villagers forced the girl's family to undergo a purifica…
‘Forced cleansing ritual' after inter-caste marriage sparks outrage in Odisha
In a deeply troubling incident that underscores the persistence of caste-based discrimination in parts of rural India, around 40 members of a tribal family in Odisha’s Rayagada district were reportedly forced to undergo a ‘cleansing ritual’ involving head tonsuring after a girl from their household married a man from a different caste.
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