Exploring the Unraveled Naktauri-Geet: A Study on a Ritual Performance in an All-Women Space in a Hindu marriage Ceremony

Abstract

This research explores the ritual performance action known as Naktauri, which occurs during Hindu marriage ceremonies. In these ceremonies, women from the bridegroom’s family are excluded from the wedding rituals at the bride’s house and are left behind by the men. (In contemporary times, few women have begun to attend the wedding ceremony at the bride’s house. However, this step remains very limited in rural parts of the northern belt of India.) These women then engage in a ritual performance that enacts the entire sequence of the marriage, including the first night of the couple (suhagraat) and the birth of a child. This enactment is complemented by geet (songs), dance, and male impersonation, and it takes place in an all-women space where men are strictly prohibited. Any male attempt to intrude is met with a barrage of abuses. Based in Akbarpur, Uttar Pradesh, a place in northern India, this study underscores the importance of location as this performance holds multiple signifiers depending on its regional context. The performance of Naktauri has received negligible attention in academic discourse. This research aims to illuminate the significance of the geet and dance elements within this ritual performance, highlighting their role in providing a space for women’s cultural expression and agency.