| 1.14.2. Sacrifice |
| To satisfy the gods and goddess, the Uralis at times sacrifice cocks, sheep, etc., during the festival seasons and during the family ceremonies. Except in the Bannari temple where there is a professional priest to perform the regular `puja’ who is appointed by the temple trust, the other places of worship maintained by Uralis do not have any appointed priest. Only during the festival seasons, somebody from among the Tamil Non-Brahmin priests will be invited to perform the proceedings of the temple; for the family functions, one of the senior members of the family (only a male member) will conduct the `punja’ and perform the sacrificial rites. |
| 1.15. Marriage and Sex |
| Considerable importance is given to marriage and the general belief is that the worldly life cycle of a human being is completed only through a fruitful married life. So, it is the moral obligation of the parents to arrange the marriage of their offspring. |
| 1.15.1 Selection and Restriction |
| Usually, the parents of a boy select the suitable girl for their son. At times, the parents consider the choice of their son’s future partner if he has any preference for a particular girl. |
| Though there is no caste system prevalent among Uralis, intra clan marriages are totally prohibited and never entertained. Person from one clan can have a marriage affiliation with the member of the other clan. |
| 1.15.2 Romance and Pre-marital Contact |
| As mentioned earlier, boys and girls have the liberty to select their own life partner. It is not uncommon to find love affairs in the community. But, in most of the cases, only arranged marriages take place. Sexual relationship before marriage is very rare and pre-marital pregnancy is looked down upon. However, the community tries to settle the marriage of the concerned woman with the man at an early date. |
| 1.15.3 Age of Marriage |
| Child marriages are totally absent among Uralis. Usual age for a boy to get married is between 16 to 25 and the prime period for the girl to get married is between 16 to 20. Unusual circumstances like prolonged illness can postpone the marriage of an affected person. Otherwise it is uncommon to find a batchelor or a spinster after crossing the marriageable age. |
