SIKH (Punjabi) Indian Wedding

SIKH INDIAN WEDDING

In a Punjabi Indian wedding, the wedding atmosphere sets in a week before the wedding. Shagun is the first ceremony which marks the commence of activities, where the two families exchange gifts to conform the engagement. An important ritual connected with the bride is the bangles ceremony, where the maternal uncle and aunt of the bride put white and red bangles on the bride’s wrists. Light ornaments of beaten silver and gold called kalira are tied to the bangles.

The groom’s procession, the baraat, reaches the bride’s house, with friends and relatives dancing to the tune of the music. After the feast, in the late hours of the evening, the actual wedding ceremony commences. Here the bridal couple sit in front of the Granth Sahib. The ardas are read, and the ten Sikh gurus are saluted. The last ceremony is the doli, or the farewell to the bride. As the bride leaves she throws handful of rice over her shoulders.

Christian Wedding In India

CHRISTIAN INDIAN WEDDING

A Christian marriage is initiated with the church announcing the name of the bride and groom three weeks prior to the date of marriage. The marriage is conducted in the church, which is decorated to mark the occasion. The proceedings of the marriage ceremony is accompanied by a group of choir singers.

The Christian marriage rituals are brief, which is attended by the friends and relatives of the bride and the groom. Before they leave for the church, there is a get together in the respective houses where a prayer is said. The bride is dressed in a brocade saree, or the long, loose traditional white gown. The bride in a white veil, is accompanied by her friends and two little girls who hold the flower baskets, while the groom is accompanied by his best man.

Hindu Wedding in India

Hindu Indian marriages are performed by priests who chant Sanskrit hymns and mantras in front of the sacred fire, while special Indian wedding music – Shehnai in the North Indian weddings and Nadaswaram in the South Indian weddings – are played.

A typical Hindu Indian marriage begins with the selection of an auspicious day, and time to perform the wedding. A day before the wedding, the bride’s palm and feet are decorated with henna or mehendi. The Indian wedding ceremony is conducted in a mandap, a special dias decorated with flowers for the occasion.

The Indian wedding procession of the groom, the Baraat, is a main event on the groom’s side. The baraat headed by a display of fireworks, accompanied by the rhythm of the dholak or melam, reaches the meeting point, where the elders of both the families meet and welcome the groom with garlands and aarati.

After this the bride, decked with the finest of jewelry, and the groom sit in the mandap in front of the sacred fire, where the kanyadaan is performed. Kanyadaan is the ritual where the bride is given to the groom by her father, symbolizing giving of the bride to Vishnu. Next, the groom ties the knot. The ritual of pradakshina follows, where the bride and the groom walk seven times around the sacrificial fire. The last stage of the Indian marriage ceremony is the saptapadi, where the bride and the groom take seven steps together facing the north, after which the bride shifts to the groom’s left. The couple is now declared married.

Muslim Wedding in India and its Dress

MUSLIM INDIAN WEDDING

:: Pre Wedding

Mangni

The prospective bride and groom exchange rings during the mangni or engagement ceremony. The bride-to-be wears an outfit gifted to her by her future in-laws. A convenient date for the wedding or the Nikaah is fixed after the mangni.

Mehndi

The Mehndi (henna) ceremony is held at the home of the bride-to-be on the eve of the wedding ceremony or a couple of days before it.

The female relatives of the girl anoint her with turmeric paste. A relative or a mehndiwali (henna artist) applies mehndi on the hands and feet of the bride-to-be, in thin artistic patterns. The mehndi is traditionally kept overnight to obtain a dark hue.

The event has a festive feel to it with the women singing traditional songs.

:: Wedding

Baraat

The groom arrives at the wedding venue with his baraat (wedding procession). A band of musicians strikes up some traditional notes to announce their arrival.

The groom shares a drink of sherbet with the bride’s brother. The bride’s sisters play pranks and slap the guests playfully with batons made of flowers.

Nikaah

The Nikaah or wedding ceremony can be conducted at the home of the bride or the groom, or at any other convenient venue. A Maulvi (priest) conducts the ceremony in the presence of close family members and relatives. The ‘Walis’ (the father of the bride and of the groom) play an important role in the ceremony. The Maulvi reads selected verses from the Quran. The Nikaah is complete after the Ijab-e-Qubul. (proposal and acceptance). Usually, the boy’s side proposes and the girl’s side conveys her assent. The mutual consent of the bride and groom is of great importance for the marriage to be legal. Neither of them must be forced to enter into the marital contract. It is on the day of the Nikaah that the elder members of the two families decide the amount of Mehar (nuptial gift that is a compulsory amount of money to be given by the groom’s family to the bride’s.)

Nikaahnama

The Nikaahnaama is a document in which the marriage contract is registered. It contains a set of terms and conditions that must be respected by both the parties. It also gives the bride the right to divorce her husband. For the contract to be legal, it must be signed by the bridegroom, the bride, the Walis, and the Maulvi.

Blessing the groom

The groom receives blessings from the older women and offers them his salaam. The guests pray for the newly-weds.

:: Post Wedding

Rukshat

The bride’s family bids her a tearful farewell before she departs for her husband’s house. The bride’s father gives her hand to her husband and tells him to protect and take good care of her.

Welcoming the bride

The groom’s mother holds the Quran above the head of her new daughter-in-law as she enters her new home for the first time after the wedding.

Valimah

The Valimah is the lavish reception that the groom’s family hosts after the Nikaah. It is a joyous occasion that brings together the two families, their relatives and other well-wishers.

Indian Wedding Dress

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Below are the some of the famous religious Indian wedding dresses

Muslim Wedding

Christian Wedding

Hindu Wedding

Sikh Wedding Dress