Abstract
Marriage is a universal cultural phenomenon, albeit the forms of its practice vary from one society to another and from one religion to other; every religion has its prescribed procedure of marriage and most religion entails observance of certain rituals and taboos by its adherents as requirement of a legitimate marriage.In tribal societies religion acts as the main agency for regulating and recognizing a marriage; marriage rituals are closely associated with its worldviews and socio-cultural values. Prior to coming of Christianity in Nagaland, the Nagas practiced the indigenous religions. Now nearly 90 percent of the Nagas practice Christianity. Christianity is claimed to have generated massive cultural change in the Naga society. A comparative study of marriage rituals through the framework of change and continuity is therefore attempted to understand the socio-cultural life of the Naga tribes before and after coming of Christianity.
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