Did any communities in Bihar traditionally marry older girls or young women to much younger boys? Looking for historical context and personal experiences.
Not sure if this is the right sub for this question.
I recently saw an Instagram reel claiming that Vidyapati's "Piya Mora Balak" is metaphorically about a man-child. But it reminded me of something a neighbour once told me. Her mother was married to his father when he was still a child and she was already a teenager, there was a 10-15 year age gap between them, with the wife being older.
They told me that in their caste, it used to be fairly common for older girls or young women to be married to much younger boys. I haven't really come across this type of marriage elsewhere in Bihar, nor have I been able to find much information about it online.
I am not sure how widespread this practice actually was. Has anyone here come across such marriages in their family or community, or know more about the historical background or reasons behind it?