Asma Durrani
Jehaz Ki Doli (Palanquin of Dowry)
Mixed Media
2022
The Ruksati/Barat/Vidai ceremony is meant to honour a bride's first journey from her parents' home, which is no longer associated with her wedding. Doli symbolizes well wishes and a gentle farewell to the bride's maternal family before she leaves to start her married life. The bride's emotional ties to her parents and home are also highlighted throughout the ceremony to bring closure. It shows how her life is changing as she leaves her home for the first time to begin her new life as a married woman.Wealth and beauty are more important to South Asian communities than the fragility of life. A dowry devalues a woman's worth. The groom's family must have the most admirable materials and a trophy daughter-in-law to show off. If the bride does not come from a wealthy family, she is criticized for her dowry and low lifestyle. They are continuously judged and bullied because of their social status.The Doli, which occurs after the Ruksati/Vidai, is the starting point for harassment. The imitation of the doli and the materials mocks the auspicious event of the bride's life. The bride's parents give her the elements in the doli to protect her from such a nightmare. Little does anyone know what the bride suffered because of the dowry's greed. The narrative of a bride in folklore artwork will be fascinating. It is a real-life dispute and learning experience. Culturally, shattered bangles signify each bride's failed marriage due to dowry abuse. "My marriage has been destroyed because I was hounded and mistreated because of dowry," reads one of the phrases on each bracelet."My in-laws despised me since my family provided the bare minimum of wealth upon marriage.""My family traded me for marriage. Therefore, I was burnt and worked until I bled.""I was obliged to give up my independence and fortune to stay married since my marriage was a compromise."
“The threat of dowry is becoming a social threat in our status-conscious culture with each passing day. The dowry threat is a crucial component in women's discrimination, physical violence against the bride, and financial and emotional strain on the bride's parents.”