A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism Klaus K Klostermaie

115 matriarchy
one should not have an unmarried girl
who has reached puberty in the house.
Nineteenth-century reformers tried to
abolish child marriage. Indian civil law
prohibits it, and has set the legal age for
marriage at 18 for girls and 21 for boys.
(See also EQUALITY OF WOMEN.)
Maruts
The storm gods, sons of RUDRA, quite
prominent in the Øgveda, friends and
allies of Indra. Many legends surround
their origin and their name (derived
from Indra’s injunction ma rodih, ‘cry
not’).
mätä, also mätäjï (‘mother’)
Honorific for religious women, especially
the leaders of religious movements.
A Hindu wedding taking place in the
United Kingdom. The bride is placing
a garland around the groom’s neck.
the goal of marriage is to enable a man
to offer to the gods and to beget a son
who will ensure the continuity of the
sacrifice. Woman was called ‘half of
man’, and the domestic sacrifices could
only be performed by husband and wife
jointly. A son, putra, is so called
because he pulls (tra) his parents out of
hell (pu). He is important not only for
the continuation of the family, but also
for the spiritual welfare of his parents
and ancestors in the world beyond. The
last rites can normally only be performed
by a male offspring (when no male relative
was available, a girl had to be ‘made
a son’ to qualify for this ritual).
In the Middle Ages the marriage of
young children became a common custom
(consummation being delayed, usually
until puberty). Since child mortality
was very high, many children were married
and widowed several times before
puberty. The custom is believed to have
had its roots in a Hindu tradition that
maflha
A hermit’s hut, a cell, a religious centre,
‘monastery’, often combined with a
school.
Mathurä
One of the seven ancient holy cities of
India, on the right bank of the Yamunä,
about 150 km south of Delhi. It is the
birthplace of Kø•æa and an important
centre of Kø•æa worship for over 2,000
years, with many temples and maflhas.
Mathurä was famous for its school of
sculptors (some of the most celebrated
figures of Buddha came from it) that
lasted from about 50 to 1200 CE and is
also the site of an important archaeological
museum.
matriarchy
There are several accounts in Sanskrit
literature of realms ruled by women and
matriarchal constitutions of tribes. At
present the Nairs of South India provide
the best example. Nair is a generic name
covering the castes of Menons,
Panikkars, Nambiars and others, mainly