Role of thaali in hindu society: a study based on Ampara district

Abstract

Giving dowry is considered as an important event in Hindu wedding procedure. But dowry is not accepted in any Hindu cultural literature. Time to time people only decided the dowry system to fulfill their needs. As far as Eastern Sri Lanka is concerned, dowry is maintained in most of the villages. It has made a remarkable influence in people’s life in these areas. Thaali is a vital part of this dowry. Karaitivu, Panankadu and Kalmunai areas, where Hindus are living mostly, are taken in Ampara district to select samples for the research. Data which has been received directly from research area is considered as main data of this research. Dowry is against to the unity amongst families. Also dowry is a contrast in a society which is consisting families as members. The research and the recommendation on dowry lead to a unity not only in a single family also in whole society. There is a tradition wearing of the thaali which is considered as vital part of dowry, which is in yellow color rope. Later it is mostly converted into gold thaali. Nowadays gold thaali is mostly compulsory in a wedding. Even if gold thaali is worn mostly in India, yellow rope was also worn as thaali in most of the villages in India and people accept this yellow rope commonly. It depends on economic and geographic factors. But in Sri Lanka, women dislike to wear the thaali in yellow rope. They wear only gold thaali, otherwise they don’t wear thaali, even if they got married. It can be seen as a social disease. So this is identified as research problem. If wearing thaali is considered as a traditional event only, we can not say that the research on it gives better results. Beyond on the tradition, it transforms as a social problem of women. Pressure based on dowry from Bridegroom’s family mostly affects bride’s family. So this research considers and studies this problem.