Getting married

More about the book

This volume is the third and final installment examining Hindu and Buddhist life-cycle rituals among the Newars of Bhaktapur, Nepal. It integrates extensive fieldwork with the edition and translation of relevant ritual handbooks. Following the first two volumes, which focused on death and childhood rituals, this work centers on marriage rituals. It begins with an overview of marriage studies in Nepal, outlining key marriage rules for Hindu and Buddhist Newars, social hierarchies, and the challenges of endogamy and exogamy in Bhaktapur. The authors provide a detailed account of the marriage rituals, some of which are documented on an included DVD, and draw conclusions about the significance of these rituals within Newar society and Hinduism. Additionally, the texts utilized by Brahmin and Buddhist priests during these ceremonies are edited and translated. The volume includes comprehensive appendices featuring a list of ritual elements and mantras, along with a mantra and general index for all three volumes. This richly illustrated work has garnered acclaim in the scholarly community for its thorough ethno-indological study of major life-cycle rituals within this specific Hindu and Buddhist community.