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Philip Game | all galleries >> Nepal (9 galleries) >> Festivals and faith in Nepal > In the Ihi ceremony, Newari girls undergo a mock marriage to avert widowhood in later life
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08-MAR-2011

In the Ihi ceremony, Newari girls undergo a mock marriage to avert widowhood in later life

Pre-adolescent girls are 'married' to the bel fruit, which is symbolises the god Shiva, ensuring that the girl becomes and remains fertile. It is believed that if the girl's husband dies later in her life, she is not considered a widow because she is married to Shiva, and so already has a husband that is believed to be still alive. (Thanks to Wikipedia)

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