<img title="The var-vadhu meet at Thane was attended by over 1,500 Maithils" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2016/oct/30var-vadhu-1.jpg" alt="The var-vadhu meet at Thane was attended by over 1,500 Maithils" /> The var-vadhu meet at Thane was attended by over 1,500 Maithils
Every year the Mithila region of Bihar witnesses a cultural fair that sees thousands of Brahmins from the Maithil community come together to engage in a rather, unusual trade. Known as the Saurath Sabha Gachchhi (sabha meaning congregation and gachchhi, orchards, in Maithili), the sole purpose of this fair is to bring people under one roof, to negotiate marriages for their sons and daughters.
Last Sunday, for the first time, Mumbai witnessed its own Saurath Sabha, with over 1,500 members of the Maithil community turning up for the var-vadhu parichay (matrimonial meet) at Kiaara Banquet in Thane West. The turnout has validated the community's recent concern about the lack of availability of brides and grooms. "Traditionally, the Maithils of the region used to assemble for matchmaking at the Sabha Gachchhi. But, over the last few decades there has been large-scale migration, because of which this institution is almost on the verge of extinction," says Dr Sandip Jha, who conceptualised the event for the Maithili Samanway Samiti in Mumbai.
<img title="The organisers have made a directory with details of eligible youngsters " src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2016/oct/30var-vadhu-2.jpg" alt="The organisers have made a directory with details of eligible youngsters " /> The organisers have made a directory with details of eligible youngsters 
"A lot of Maithils who have migrated to other cities tend to marry outside the community. This has led to a skewed male female ratio when it comes to finding prospective partners within the community," he adds. The organisation has already made a directory of all the eligible girls and boys. According to Sandip, one of the most unfortunate consequences of this imbalance in the demand and supply of grooms is the rise in dowry practice, which wasn't the case earlier. "Dowry has made its way into the social fabric of the community," says Sandip, who has a PhD in engineering.
The Maithil Brahmins hail from Mithila, which is located in the northern part of Bihar. In Mumbai, their strength is close to 10 lakh. Anjali Jha, one of the participants who attended the matrimonial meet, belongs to a family that is liberal and has no qualms about their daughter marrying outside the community. "However, it's good to be connected to your roots. We don't get a chance to socialise with community members," says the banker.
<img title="Dr Sandip Jha" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2016/oct/30Dr-Sandip-Jha-1.jpg" alt="Dr Sandip Jha" /> Dr Sandip Jha
The meet saw the prospective grooms and brides come up on stage and introduce themselves. They had to speak about their expectations from their partners, hobbies and other interests. "I was the first to introduce myself on stage as all the other girls were hesitant. There was a girl who even admitted that her family was not in favour of her attending the meet because they found the approach too forward. But, she chose to come with a friend," says Anjali.
Sandip Jha said the intention was also to get the youngsters closer to the roots. "When you live in a cosmopolitan city you tend to lose touch with your roots. We have a rich culture, and we don't want it to get diluted," says Sandip, who has already started work on the next marriage meet.

The Maithili community in the city recently organised a var-vadhu meet to address the skewed male female ratio, and nip the dowry practice in the bud

Marriage on their mind

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Marriage on their mind

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