CONCEPT OF DOWRY IN HINDU MARRIAGE SYSTEM: A STUDY

Abstract

To demand Stridhana, formerly a woman's property, is now a boy's right. Her father freely gave it to her. It is part of a prenuptial agreement between two families, and even after the wedding, there is an expectation of more. Insufficient dowry has sparked protests due to the brutality of the dowry process and the deaths of females. Women's stridhan was a fundamental right. While the aristocracy had a lot of money, the impoverished women had to labour as maids or in handicrafts, agriculture and basket-making to support their families. The Manusmriti, a granth created by many between 200 BC and AD 200 and committed to writing in the twelfth century AD, had a significant impact on the position of Hindu women. According to the author, 'Brahma divided his body into two pieces, one for man and one for woman.' In other words, she was born equal. Where women are revered, there are gods, and where they are degraded, there is no hope. Manu, like the Jatakas, sees women as tempting, who blame males, and who should be avoided in isolation, much like in the Jatakas. No one expects males to gaze at women when they decorate themselves, dress, or rest. The daughters kid was not allowed to participate in rituals including mantras from infancy through puberty. Here, there is no mention of the guru's ashram's Brahmacharya time or the upnayana being done on girls.