INDIAN FAMILY LIFE

Evening Star, Issue 22327, 1 May 1936, Page 11

INDIAN FAMILY LIFE

SOME VARIED CUSTOMS The news pages sent by the Otago University Home Science Branch _ to country districts contain an interesting account of Indian family life, written by Miss Florence Saker, 8.A., principal of the Brahms Girls’ High School at Calcutta, who is spending a year at the department. Miss Saker says;— “ As distinct from Western homes, the Indian home consists of parents, children, children’s children, widowed aunts, etc. The mother is in entire control of the whole home, and she issues instructions to others. The father gives her a certain amount for running expenses, and does not interfere in any way with her as regards management. Should the mother die the wife of the eldest son takes her place. The young Indian couple do not set up housekeeping on their own account, but they live with the bridegroom’s family. The bride is entirely under' the control of her husband’s family—her own parents having no claim on her whatsoever. The bride brings in a dowry with her which is arranged between the respective parents and consists of money and jewellery—jewellery in India is wealth —being regarded as an investment and not merely as an adornment. Owing to caanomic pressure, the dowry system is not eo stringently enforced in recent years as formerly. This relaxation of the dowry custom has been fortunate for India as, at one time, rather than involve their fathers in debt, which the provision of a dowry would necessitate, it was by no means uncommon for unmarried girls to commit suicide. So extensive wae this before the Great War that the public mind was aroused. The economic pressure and the ability of women to become educated and selfsupporting were the two factors which really helped to make instances of this suicide, now comparatively rare. “ Home life in India is very different from that of the West, but there may be points of similarity as regards routine of work. The Indian housewife begins very early—s,3o a.m. The first thing she does is to have a bath of purification when she changes into working clothes. After this she swabs the house (the floors only in brick houses and 3ft of walls as well if the house is built of mud). In the country the average Indian home consists of just one large room with a front verandah —the kitchen and dining room combined form another building which is separate from the house. “The kitchen is regarded as very sacred, no one is allowed to enter it except for meals and after purification. PART OF GODLINESS. “ After swabbing the kitchen-dining room, then the housewife makes an offering of fruit and flowers to the shrine that is found in every home—making herself clean before entering the shrine. The religion of the Hindus makes cleanliness a part of godliness, and it is strictly applied to the home and person. After touching anything ‘ Unclean ’ he bathes his whole body and changes his < clothes—this may happen 10 times in the day! However, he has no sense of civic cleanliness and makes no attempt to prevent the streets from being strewn with debris, and leaves the cleaning up to the municipal authorities, and in the country, to Nature! Hence the villages are full of disease, “ Like other housewives, the Indian housewife prepares no menus beforehand. If there is a garden attached, she goes to the . garden and gets a ‘ brain-wave ’ there ns to what she will cook, otherwise some male member from the house will do the marketing. Breakfast in India ranges from 9 a.m. for business and professional people

and school children, to 1 p.m. for those who stay at home. Children are given a glass of milk at about 7 a.m., but adults partake of something very light (like biscuits), if anything at all. The cooking is done by the mother, and servants and other household members assist. Everything is prepared fresh in an Indian home —the keeping of stale food (left over) being absolutely forbidden by religious laws. The women of the house have this meal at about 1 o’clock (but men have-always been served before this), after which they either rest till 3 or do needlework. LAMPS CEREMONIAL.

“ The preparation for the evening meal commences at about 6 p.m., after the mother Ims performed a religious vesper service—a ceremonial of lighting the lamps. Dinner may range any time from 9-12 p.m. The average Indian has tiro meals a day. Men and. women eat at separate hours; the womenfolk attending on the men. (Aside: I find that in one respect women all over the world are the same—they simply spoil _ the men and consequently make * tin gods ’ _of them!—and the men, voo, enjoy being spoilt!) , _ .. “ Tea, which is exported from India in large quantities, was never appreciated by Indians, but it is getting very popular in modern times. Teadrinking is now indulged in in most homes, so much so, that when domestics are engaged, the provision for their preparing morning tea at 7 o’clock is stipulated. (And when they drink tea, it isn’t “ water-witli-a-blush,” but strong, with mUk and sugar added)* Look out, New Zealand, for tea importation in the future! “ This is the routine followed in all homes.' hut the educated Indian woman in the towns has something definitely to look forward to in the course of the day she belongs to clubs, committee, attends conferences, spends time in the shops, plays bridge, and indulges in other such Western vices!”