Page 112 - Health, Population and Environment Education 9

3. On the basis of age at marriage
Marriage is divided into three types on the basis of age at marriage. They are as follows:

a. Child marriage
The marriage in which a boy and a girl get married
before 16 years of age is called child marriage. This
type of marriage is still prevalent in our society.

b. Early marriage Fig: 39
The marriage in which a boy and a girl get married
between (16 – 20) years is called as early marriage. It
is common in rural areas of Nepal. The majority of
children in rural areas get married between (16 – 20)
years.

c. Marriage at appropriate age
The marriage in which a male and a female get
married at the appropriate age, i.e. (25 – 30) years is Fig: 40
called marriage at appropriate age.

Socio-culturally practised marriages in Nepal

Nepal is multi–religious, multi–cultural, multi–lingual and multi ethnic country. Different
types of marriage are practiced by different people and communities in different parts of
Nepal according to their social traditions, cultural activities and religious practises. Some
of them are described below:

a. Betel nut marriage (Supari bibaha)
The marriage in which boy’s party offers betel nut
to the girls party is called as betel nut marriage. If
the girl’s party accepts, it indicates the confirmation
of marriage. It is common in Newar community.
After the betel nut is accepted marriage is not
supposed to be broken.

b. Marriage by request (Maghi bibaha)
It is the type of marriage in which parents
request for the marriage between their children. Fig: 41
The parents themselves ask hand of bride for
bridegroom or hand of bridegroom for bride. If the parents accept the proposal, then they
get their children married. It is common in Brahmin and Chhetri community.

112 GREEN Environment Population and Health Education Book-9