Pachchi and Pedo
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Pachchi and Pedo
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The dowry and the dower. People in those days considered it utterly shameful to ask for dowry. It was upto the bride's parents or guardians to decide what they should give the girl as Pachchi, the dowry, according to their affordability. The Cutchi Memon women had no right to property until 31st October 1938 as the Memon community was governed by the Kutchi Memon (Hindu) Act. Yet there was no demand for any property transfers or gifts by way of dowry. In fact many families did not even consider land gifts in terms of Pachchi. Nevertheless, it was a customary responsibility of the girl’s parents to provide for the establishment of a household for the newly weds. The girl's family, therefore, gave her Khat Paathar (bed and household utensils), originally in kind which later got reduced to cash as a token. It was a routine custom to bring special type of Cutchi or Sindhi furniture all the way from Cutch. In the more recent times it has reappeared as gifts of residential flats, cars and other expensive paraphernalia, forcibly demanded as supplements to cash-dowry. Yet, there are a few families that religiously stick to no-dowry ideal.
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The Pachchi basically included one or more sets of gold ornaments and five, seven, nine or eleven sets of apparel. Three and thirteen were considered inauspicious. Similarly plain white and black fabrics were also never given, unless they were embroidered with gold or silver thread or furnished with Zari, Badlo,, Chamkis, mirror bits etc. Ornaments, on a minimum, invariably included a necklace, a forehead tab (LaNi Teklo) and a pair of bangles. edit me. It's easy.
​Pedo signifies the bridegroom's gift to the bride. Conceptually, the parents of the girl are supposed to be giving away the girl in body and soul, not in wraps. So pedo consisted of the dress, including undergarments and jewelry that she shall wear at the time of solemnization of the marriage and until she is permitted to retire to bed. During this time she was not allowed to wear anything other than what was provided to her as Pedo. Interestingly, Pedo also contained all the cosmetics, perfumes and even toiletries needed for and mandated to be used in bridal preparations. The dress included two important things. A Missar (a short mafta type head scarf) and a Khombi (a well decorated veil usually made of heavy silk styled as Bandhni, tie and dye fabric very specific of Cutchi wardrobe) to cover from head to knees. Most families possessed the Missar and Khombi as ancestral property, and made available, on a returnable basis, for the marriages in the family.
There weren’t any jewelleries with large collections. So buying ready made items was not common. Ornaments were made by goldsmiths who were summoned home. They helped in buying the gold and the stones. Old jewels available with the family could also be cleaned and polished for inclusion in Pachchi or Pedo, as the case may be. Alternatively the old ones were melted and new pieces fabricated by adding some virgin gold. The jewels were made at the user’s residence or the goldsmith’s place of work, under instructions of the lady of the house and according to the designs, models and modifications desired by her. Though there were no ceremonies attached, goldsmiths insisted on selecting auspicious days according to their custom for buying gold and commencing the work, not being a day of Nahs. Friday after Jum’a was preferred while Wednesdays and Saturdays were avoided. Gold was never used for the Jhanjer (anklet) or Metti (toe ring) as it was considered demeaning the royal metal to wear it on the feet.I'm a paragraph.
Similarly all clothes were stitched by the tailors and seamstresses and embroidered by the women at home or women hired for that purpose, as ready made garments had not yet made their entry in the market. Fabrics were brought home by vendors and shop keepers for selection by the ladies. Choice of days for buying fabrics was also in keeping with the custom related to gold, with the addition that Tuesdays were also shunned. There were interesting beliefs in avoiding these dates. Tuesdays being days of fire, new clothes bought or even worn, for the first time, on that day were likely to catch fire. Wednesdays represented a heavy planet. So any work begun on that day would tend to be heavy and so tardy, delaying everything. Saturday was universally believed to be a day of Nahs, good for nothing, probably arising from the Jewish concept of Sabath, the day of rest and no work or the Indian concept of Saturn as one causing impediments and havoc.
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Gifts to and by close relatives
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Common to both sides, it was, and continues to be, customary to make gifts of new clothes to the near relatives and members of the household. In turn the girl's relatives were also expected to make contributions towards pachchi. Two important gifts came from the grandparents, known as Nanathro and Dadathro, meaning gifts from mother's parents and father's parents respectively. If such grandparents were not alive then a senior uncle from the family concerned discharged the obligation. The gifts used to be sets of gold or silver jewelry. In course of time these mutual gifts became token cash payments in lieu. Relatives whose hands were to be kissed by the bride and / or bridegroom were, expected to make small gifts, Hath Chummani and Gor, Charity. Collections became the property of the one who received it and eventually of his / her family; but all collections after Nikah went to the husband.
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