Brahmin grooms in ‘lesser’ careers break caste barriers

Many grooms of the Brahmin community from Uttara Kannada district have tied the knot with girls from an orphanage at Ramanagar

These days grooms from the Brahmin community who pursue traditional occupations like priesthood, cooking and farming face an acute shortage of brides.

To address the issue, a number of grooms belonging to the community from Uttara Kannada district have tied the knot with girls from an orphanage at Ramanagar, run by the Women and Child Development department, in the city.

The marriage between Subraya Manjunath Bhatta of Kumta in the district and Sowmya K M, an inmate of the state home for women, is the latest example.

Most girls in the Brahmin community want to marry software engineers working in big cities or settled overseas. They are not keen to marry men in traditional occupations. So, men from the community are showing interest to marry girls from orphanages, irrespective of their caste and region.

Nagaratnamma, superintendent of the state home for women, told DH that 40 marriages were held at the home for women so far. Among them, more than 20 grooms belong to the Brahmin community from Sirsi, Gokarna and Kumta in Uttara Kannada district.

She pointed out that men from other communities enquire about the caste and family background of the girls at the state home. But Brahmin grooms have never sought such details. They want girls who are physically and mentally fit.

“We tell the men that they should never seek details like the family background of these brides even after marriage. Also, the wife has equal rights in the property of the husband,” Nagaratnamma said.

As per norms, the officers regularly visit the residence of the couple to confirm whether the bride is treated well or not, between six months and three years after marriage.

After three years, the money deposited in a bank in the name of the girl, before the marriage, is given to her, if all conditions are satisfied.

Ma Sa Nanjundaswamy, the spokesperson of Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Mahasabha, told DH, “We have always encouraged inter-caste marriages. Men from the community who marry girls from the orphanage have the responsibility of conveying a strong message to the society that they would better the lives of these girls. The Mahasabha is ready to address issues in the marriage, if any.”