Rajasthan: Family gifting ₹21 crore in a Mayra ceremony has stunned the internet, reigniting debates on dowry practices.
Historically, Mayra aimed to provide financial support to daughters excluded from wills, as women rarely owned property or assets. A brother would gift his niece or nephew to ensure his sister’s child was supported.
However, this mirrors dowry, where a bride’s family sends gifts or assets to her in-laws, not in her name, bypassing her inheritance rights. Both practices reflect a similar injustice: denying women direct ownership of familial wealth.
Dowry has morphed into a coercive demand, fueling crimes like harassment, violence, and dowry deaths against women in India. Dowry is banned under India’s Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
