Contemporary Marriage Practice of the Zou tribes in brief

The Zou tribe - In India, the Zou are officially recognized as one of the thirty-three indigenous peoples within the state of Manipur, and are one of the Scheduled tribes. According to the 2001 Census, the Zou population in Manipur is around 20,000, less than 3% of the population. The community is concentrated in Churachandpur and Chandel districts of Manipur in North-East India.

The Zou Customs - The traditional customs, practices and other related issues of this small tribe has recently been explored systematically. Unfortunately, this tribe has escaped the attention of social scientists in general and sociologists in particular. The Zous like other tribal communities in the northeast India have maintained their age-old customary practices.

Types of Marriages - The Zou tribe generally follows what is called as "Patrilineal cross-cousin's marriage" which is their first choice known as Neila. It is generally observed that the traditional marriage system of the Zou tribes is regulated either by (i) Tong Mou (Arranged marriage), (ii) Neila (Cross cousin Marriage), and (ii) Elopement Marriage. THe above three types of marriage of course consist of arrange as well as love marriage. There are minute details to be explored with related to Zou customary marriage practices, I am not going to elaborate on all these minute details at the moment. This article aims at the contemporary practices without going in deep studies.

Awunching Gargen - The Great Escape

Awunching Garden at Pheidinga hillock as seen on January 21, 2018.

Awunching - The Great Escape at Pheidinga built over 36 hectares of land. It was dedicated to the public in 2003 as a tribute to the legacy passed on from a dear father to a daughter. Shri Khumuckcham Tolchou presented this venue as a wedding gift (Awun Pot) to his daughter Khumukcham Ningol Ningthemcha ongbi Brajamani Devi in the 1940s.

This is one of the best amusement park to unwind, to breathe fresh air and to spend holidays with family and kids.

At the bottom, there is a lake for boating like Shillong's Wards Lake which is a good place for photography. If you climb up a little steps from the lake, you will be welcome with a beautiful garden where families and groups of people relax and have funs with a number of huts and meadow. Again if you climb a little higher, children's amusement park with different sets of entertainment inftrastructure will be there. Once little children reach this place, parents said it is hard to pull them out again.