Initially every woman had one very precious thing that they guarded with all their efforts. Back then, it was a disaster and undoing for a woman to lose her virginity at a tender age, because no man in his senses wouldn’t risk to be associated with.
In contrary modernity has faced out the fallacious analogy of ‘purity’ as a prerequisite for marriage and it is even demonized for those women who are found to be pure. It was a sign of good morality to a woman and her parents would gain more respect, leave a side dowry quoted being hefty.