Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Meghalaya: Modern Day Matriarchy


The one and only place in India where the birth of a baby girl is greeted with ecstasy is Meghalaya, where the mother's family, waiting in the corridor of the maternity ward, break into laughter, hugs and clap their hands for joy.

''When a boy is born, the reaction is very different, subdued - 'Oh, OK, fine, whatever God gives us must be accepted,'' says Merle Gilford, a nurse at Nazareth Hospital in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, a picturesque state of wooded hills and mists in the north-east.



In male-dominated, boy-fixated Indian society, Meghalaya is an aberration. It holds one of the world's last surviving matrilineal societies. The 1.2 million strong Khasi tribe invests all power in its women. For thousands of years, the Khasis have traced their descent, inheritance and lineage from mother to daughter.


3 comments:

Kenri Basar said...

The photo used if from Manipur a nearby State. It is Manipuri dance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipuri_dance

Just saying because Manipuris are different from Khasis and Garos from Meghalaya. Like French and Spanish.

Unknown said...

visionaries tell: In prehistoric times existed matriarchy, but very sadistic matriarchy:
matriarch.czechian.net/en.htm

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Biography & Facts said...

Nice article, thank you for sharing wonderful information. I am happy to found your blog on the internet.
You can also check - History of Meghalaya in Hindi