Birth Rituals
For some period after a new birth, the new mother and child are considered unclean. Women are generally cared for after child birth.The baby is given a name by his/her fathers sister (fui).
Marraige Laws
Unlike the main stream communites where the women /girl child is usually oppressed, the tribals give a lot of value to their girls and also protect their rights. It dosent come as a surprise then, that the Dhodia have a perfect ratio of girls to boys unlike the preferance for a male child in the Hindu community.
Marriage in Dhodia are always conducted between the girls and boys of different kuls. Marriage is forbidden in the four ascending generations from both the father and the mothers side since these are close blood ties. Child marriage as a norm does not happen in the Dhodia community and most marriages happen only after the girl attains puberty. Marriage is also not enforced upon the girl child and usually the girl child is allowed to make her choice from the choices provided by the parents. Monogamy is largely practised though some men do practise polygamy. In olden days the marriage used to happen at the grooms house with the bridal party being hosted by the groom. This has now changed and like all the Hindu's around, now the marriages happen at the brides home.
Contrary to the custom of dowry in the mainstream Indian community, the Dhodia tribals have traditionally had a bride price. These days however money is just given as a token and is a very nominal amount. Dowry/Bride price are both not practised by this community.
Divorce / fargati is allowed by the community laws if both the bride and groom are sure that the differences cannot be solved, however the consent of both the parties is sought before the divorce is finalized by the community gnati panch. Whoever initiates the divorce proceedings is however fined by the gnati panch.
In earlier days the widow was usually retained in the family by marriage to the younger son. In present times this does not happen very often, but widow remarriage is definitely encouraged by the community.
Death Rituals
In case of the deaths usually the body is cremated. The elder son performs the final rites. In case of the death of a pregnant woman or child, the body is buried.
Harvest Rituals
Dhodia offer offerings to the gaam devta, kuldevta and mavli after harvest season.
Bhagats
Bhagats are the community priests who also double up as medicine men often. They often have knowledge of medicinal plants but mostly are believed to have huge spiritual powers that help them kick out the pains and sufferings of any person who goes to them. Bhagats have powers that can supposedly cure all the evil eyes, take care of ghosts and witches as well. The services of the Bhagat are usually free of cost but the devotess are expected to pay any nominal fee either in cash or kind. This however is not imperative.
Witches
A lot of Dhodia still believe in witches and quite a many illfates happening in the community are attirbuted to witches. A lot of witches usually happen to be women although sometimes males are also believed to have evil powers.
Women believed to be witches are often tolerated mostly because of the fear factor. There arent many instances of witch killing. Some sporadic incidences are sometimes reported. Often witches are believed to have powers that they transmit to their daughters or daughter-in-laws. So someone or the other in the family gets to inherit the witch powers.
Maavli
A Festival / Pooja called Mavli is also performed. mavli is the local original practice of prayers offered once a year. The local Bhagat (priest) is invited to perform the pooja wherein they wash the God and thatch the temple made from bamboo and the rituals are carried on for almost 24 hours where in the Bhagat plays some organ made out of "Dudhi".These Bhagats also perform amazing feats at the mavli like holding or eating the burning coal. They achieve a sort of trance state in the pooja where they do not register any pain if hurt by thorns etc.
Divaso
Divaso is a festival that is celebrated by the Dhodia community. The tradition on the day of Divaso is to make small dolls, perform something equivalent to marriage rites and then make small boats etc and put these dolls in the rivers to live their lives in togetherness. Some say this is a tradition of the Halpati community that Dhodia have adopted because they live in close proximity. Watching the small dolls in the tiny boats is a delight. Divaso is cebrated sometime around the time of Hindu Sharavan month.
Diwali Meriyan
It is a kind of cermony performed with a belief that there is increase in the number of cattle,agricultural products, there is no pain or calamity that falls on the people. The diwali lamp (diya) is made on mahuva / palash leaf and it is put on near the ukardo (where the cowdung is deposited for compost). Next day there are other offerings that are made near the diya like kakdi, udad daal etc.
Men vs Women status and duties
The menfolk usually work in the farms whereas women do both the farm work as well as household chores. However with some exceptions the work burden is often equally distributed. Though men hold the final decisions often, women usually have their say in the household matters.