The Baigas believe that sex is an extremely important part of marriage and give due importance to it. This tribe has the custom of organising a mass dance. And it is on this occasion that a couple can reveal their feelings for each other in the form of songs and jokes. Subsequently, they meet at village fairs and bazaars and gradually establish sexual relations. Although the members of a particular gotra are not free to marry, it is all right for children of the maternal uncle and paternal aunt to marry each other.

There are six different types of marriages prevalent among the Baigas. One very common custom is for families to exchange sons or daughters. As far as the decision making is concerned, the first choice rests with the girl, the second with the boy, the third with the parents, and the fourth with the panchayat. If this were so amongst modern societies, many a Hindi movie wouldn’t have any storyline left. First the boy and girl decide to marry, then their parents meet each other and determine the details of the marriage. In those cases where the children do not choose their life partners themselves, the boy’s parents choose a suitable girl and first obtain her permission for the liaison. It is only after the girl agrees that the matter progresses. There are some cases where the boy or the girl is an orphan. At such times, the members of the panchayat fix their marriage. In such cases, too, the consent of the girl is given prime importance. Thus the feelings and preference of the girl is respected by Baigas.

‘Marriage by compromise’ is fixed up by the parents of the girl and the boy. In this type of marriage, parents of the boy choose some girl whom they see at some public place. They then ask the girl whether she is ready to marry their son. Once the girl agrees, the boy along with his family visits her parents with two bottles of liquor and expresses his desire to marry their daughter. The parents then ask their daughter whether they should drink the liquor that the boy has brought. If the girl refuses, then the boy has to return. If the girl agrees, both the families enjoy the liquor, a feast is prepared and the marriage is regarded as fixed. Later, according to various customs, the wedding takes place.

Another type of marriage is by elopement. Here the boy and girl run away from their homes into the forest for a few days and, it is taken for granted, that they have had sex with each other. And in order to give this physical relationship a place in society, they are married off to each other. The members of the panchayat take this type of relationship seriously and they persuade the parents of the boy and girl to arrange for the marriage as quickly as possible. In those cases where one or both sets of parents refuse to give their consent, the couple is married off by the panchayat. The basic reason for giving unmarried people the freedom to indulge in sex is to enable them to choose their future life partners with complete freedom. This is also in order to keep the identity of the tribe intact. This way, the Baigas feel, their youth will not be tempted to have a relationship with anybody outside the tribe.

The fourth type is marriage by service. This is resorted to in those cases where the parents of the particular boy chosen by the girl are unable to bear the expenses of the marriage. Also in those cases where the boy’s parents do not want their son to marry a particular girl, and the boy is himself unable to afford the marriage. In such instances, the girl’s parents confer with the boy and it is decided that the expenses will be regarded as a debt incurred by the boy. For this the boy will have to come and stay in the girl’s house after, marriage and serve her family. He will do this for a certain period of time till the debt has been considered as paid. This period is usually between one to five years. After the boy has worked off his debt, he can taken his wife and live separately.

Another type is marriage by intrusion. This is usually resorted to by married women. An unhappily married woman may enter the home of a particular man she likes. She will stay there and refuse to go back to her husband’s home and express her wish to be married to the man of her choice. When such an incident occurs, the panchayat is called and a certain sum of money is paid to the husband, and the woman is then married off again. The usual procedure for such a marriage is that the woman who wants to marry another man first goes to the village headman. She tells him of her intention. The headman then informs the man she has chosen and, subsequently, takes her to his house and leaves her there. Later, matters are sorted out with her first husband in an amicable manner. Sometimes unmarried girls also resort to this practice. They enter the home of the boy they wish to marry and stay there. The couple is then married by both sets of parents.

The Baigas do not neglect their widows either. Widow marriage is extremely common. When a woman is widowed, she takes off the bangles that she had worn in her husband’s name. After the various funeral ceremonies are over, she is asked whether she would like to marry any one in particular. If she expresses her choice, the consent of the particular man is taken and he gives her metal bangles to wear. She then becomes his wife. In case the man whom she chooses does not want to marry her or when she does not have any particular choice, she is asked to wear bangles in the name of her husband’s younger brother. In case she refuses, she is asked to wear bangles in the name of any one of her husband’s male relatives. If she still does not agree, she is asked to wear bangles in the name of her son’s son. If she still refuses or does not have a grandson, as a last resort she has to wear bangles in the name of her husband’s house. This means that she will never leave the house. Sometimes after wearing bangles in the name of a particular person, the woman marries again. In such a case, the new husband would have to pay a sum of money to the previous husband. But if she had worn bangles in the name of her husband’s house, he does not have to pay anybody. However, she can wear bangles in the name of someone only after all the ceremonies involving her dead husband are taken care of. Sometimes, due to lack of money, this can take a long time, and until then the widow has to remain unmarried.

By studying the various types of marriages prevalent among the Baigas, it is clear that the women of the tribe are much better off than their so-called advanced sisters in the city. Whether it is sexual relationship, love, marriage, remarriage or widow marriage — in all cases the woman’s wish reigns supreme. Perhaps, modern societies need to learn a thing or two from Baiga tribesmen. This will result in fewer unhappy marriages and lesser number of divorces.