Svayamvara

(“self-choice”) In Hindu mythology, a
form of marriage in which the bride
would choose the groom she wanted,
indicating her choice by placing her garland around his neck. In the stories in
which a svayamvara occurs, the brideto-be is usually of royal lineage, as are
her suitors, so the bride’s choice was an
exercise fraught with potential political
consequences. One famous mythic
svayamvara was that of Nala and
Damayanti, in which Damayanti prefers
Nala even to the gods who have come as
suitors. This story also illustrates the
dangers of such a choice, when an
unhappy suitor cursed the couple to
endure separation and privation.