1) The document discusses Ameeshi Goenka's research into the traditional Marwari ceremony called Parojan. 2) Parojan involves adopting a male child for families with only daughters so that the ritual can be performed, leading to changes in family structure. 3) One focus of the research is how the adopted child and family adapt to the changes. The ceremony and its history are described based on interviews with family members.

1. RESEARCHING THE TRADIONAL
„PAROJAN‟
AMEESHI GOENKA
-PDP 201

2. THE PROCESS

3. STEP 1- MIND MAP
Mind maps were made by us to guide us with what information we need
to find and the questions we may need to ask our research participants.

5. WHY DID I CHOSE THE TOPIC?
To me, Parojan is an interesting topic for research. It is a
tradition that has been practised for several generations, and
has been followed very rigidly by a specific group of families
in the Marwari community. Even so, it has remained
relatively obscure to those outside the Marwari community,
and has never been formally documented. It had been
practised with great sincerity until around fifteen years ago.
Since then, families have made their own modifications to it.
In certain cases, in order to perform the ritual for the benefit
of their female children, some families choose to adopt a
male child from within the extended family. This causes many
changes in the structure of the extended family. An area of
study that I believe deserves focus is how the adopted child
copes with the day to day events of his new family, and what
changes said family makes for the sake of the child.

6. STEP 2- WEB INFORMATION
The web did not have any information related to the Parojan in a few
Marwari families which may involve the adoption of a male child by a
couple who has only daughters during the ceremony.
STEP 3- RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS
 Suman Goenka (my mother)
 Shanti Devi Goenka (my grandmother)
 Govind Ram Goenka (my grandfather)
 Mrs. Dhanuka (a distant relative)
Method: in-depth interview

7. STEP 4- RESEARCH PAPER
After gathering all the data from all the research participants, we
followed a guideline for the research paper. It took three to four days, to
translate the interview material to English and use it in the paper, to
clarify doubts along the way, complete the writing and finally two rounds
of editing.
STEP 5- SUBIMSSION
Once the editing was done, the data was put into respective folders and
shared on dropbox with the facilitator and the class on the 23rd of
October, 2013.

8. THE CEREMONY

9. From the interview with the first and second research participants, I gathered that,
the members of the family conducting the Parojan will leave their home under the
shade of the traditional “chunri” and walk to the family temple where the “pujari” or
priest will give them the “devi” to take home for the duration of the ceremony.
Following that, the ceremony of “haldat” takes place. In this ceremony, the members
of the family create rangoli out of crushed dal. Then, the family offers five bags of raw
wheat, each weighing sixteen kilograms to the devi. The wheat is later ground in
order to prepare dishes such as sweet oats, “poori”, “halwa” and others, which are
eaten by the family members as “prasad”. The remaining prasad is distributed among
the domestic help, and the underprivileged. The same night, the “ratri juga” is
celebrated. Here, a “diya” is lit, and the ancestors of the family are invoked in order to
seek their blessings. Throughout the night, the family remains awake. “Mishranis”
sing the “geet”, and all female members of the extended family apply “mehendi” or
henna on their hands and feet. The following morning, the entirety of the husband's
side of the family along with the wife proceed to the abode of the wife's extended
family, and take part in a ritual bathing. They then wear new clothes presented to
them by the parents-in-law of the husband. Afterwards, the entire extended family
proceeds under the shade of the “chunri” to the place where the Parojan for the
children will be carried out. The ceremony itself takes place in multiple parts. The first
part is the “anchjala” which involves the wife and her brother, and is followed by the
wife and her sister-in-law. Here, the wife presents money to the elder females of the
family, and seeks their blessings. The husband and children also seek the blessings
of the elders by the act of touching their feet. Then, food and presents are brought
and distributed to the entire family by the wife's parents. On the same night, after
dinner, the “devi” is returned to the family temple, and given back to the “pujari”.
For every Parojan, the presence of the male child is strictly necessary. Should this
not be the case, the place of the male child is taken by a symbolic coconut.

10. THE FOCUS

11. One of the main impacts of the Parojan is male child adoption.
It used to be taken extremely seriously until the 1980s. There were great
celebrations in the family and with neighbors if a son was born to a couple. It was
necessary for every couple to give birth to or adopt a male child. The adoption of
the child was done according to the religious customs and the law. Usually the child
was adopted within the family itself.
People used to believe that only a male child can protect the family and when
grown up will support his parents in their old age whereas the daughter will be
married and sent off to her husband‟s house in her teenage years. They thought
that it wasn‟t right for the girl to work and earn, that was only a man‟s job. A son was
essential to carry on the family name and inherit his ancestral property. There are
certain rituals during marriages, funerals and other ceremonies that only a son or a
brother can perform and his presence is compulsory. This belief also led to female
infanticide and domination of the males over the females in the Indian community.
In the present days, this custom is fading. People are making a conscious effort to
look at men and women equally. The women study, work, earn, carry forward their
family name and can raise their own family and take care of their parents. People
don‟t find it absolutely necessary to have a son.

12. RESEARCH PAPER
http://www.slideshare.net/AmeeshiGoenka/parojan

13. THANK YOU