Nagaur (Rajasthan): Three brothers of a farmer family from Burdi village in Nagaur district, Rajasthan, have made history by paying the biggest ever mayra in a wedding ceremony. The brothers paid a total of INR 3.21 crores as mayra for their sister's daughter's wedding in Jhadeli village.
The myara included 16 bigha farm land and a 30 lakh plot on the ring road, 41 tola gold, 3 kg silver, a new tractor and trolley full of paddy, a scooty, and a silver coin to each family in the village. The mayra was given by Bhanwarlal Garwa and his three sons Harendra, Rameshwar, and Rajendra, who are farmers and financially stable due to their 3,500 bighas of land.
The marriage was between Bhanwarlal Garwa's daughter Anushka and Kailash, a resident of Dhingsari. The bride's maternal grandfather and uncles carried INR 80 lakh cash, jewelry, plot papers, and a tractor for the traditional ritual called mamera or mayra, where the maternal uncle of the bride or groom carries gifts for his niece or nephew in their marriage. The mayra included land that was given to the family of the bride's maternal grandmother, along with silver coins for the entire village that were presented on a plate kept in the mayra.
“This is my sister’s daughter’s wedding and I wanted to make it memorable. I have given everything I could and I believe that both the bride and the bridegroom will be happy. I wish them a very happy married life,” Bhanwarlal Garwa said.
The mayra tradition is a crucial part of Hindu wedding ceremonies, where the maternal uncle pledges to share the financial burden of the wedding expenditure. In ancient times, women had no right to their father's property, which automatically went to their brothers. Therefore, at the weddings of their nieces and nephews, the maternal uncle is expected to show a great deal of generosity and play a supportive role, which the ceremony of mayra confirms.
The myra filled in Jhadeli on Wednesday broke all previous records of such ceremonies in Nagaur district. In the last one month, half a dozen mayra were filled, which were up to one crore each, but this mayra was the biggest in the district's history so far.
The ceremony of mayra is an extended version of dowry, where the bride/groom's maternal family is welcomed by the sister's family with much fanfare, and the maternal uncle gifts clothes, jewellery, and sweets to the entire family of his sister. This gesture signifies his pledge to share the financial burden of the wedding expenditure. The mayra tradition is an essential part of Indian culture and reflects the value of family support and financial assistance during significant life events.
