How to Celebrate a Traditional Indian Wedding
Traditional Indian weddings are typically grand affairs with lavish ceremonies spreading over many days. Though the customs and rituals differ with respect to region and religion, Indian weddings, in general are considered to be a merging of two families rather than the union of two individuals. Arranged marriages are common in India with the families taking the initial step of bringing the bride and groom together to get to know each other before the wedding.A Hinduwedding in North Indiawould typically have the engagement ceremony or the ‘roka’, the tilak ceremony and the ‘mehendi’ or the ‘sangeet’ ceremony in the days before the actual wedding. The bride and groom exchange rings during the engagement ceremony and it is usually a small affair attended only by close family and friends.
The ‘roka’ ceremony actually signifies the commitment of both the families in taking the relationship to the next level and they exchange sweets or small gifts to convey their happiness. An auspicious date for the wedding is set after the horoscopes of the bride and groom are matched by the priest.The ‘tilak’ ceremony is common among certain communities in India where the male members of the bride’s family visit the groom’s house with gifts and apply the auspicious ‘tilak’ on the groom’s forehead. A puja is also carried out by a priest during this ritual seeking God’s blessings.Due to the fast-paced life in today’s times, many families tend to combine some of the ceremonies and celebrate them together to save time. During the ‘mehendi’ ceremony, intricate designs are drawn on the bride’s hands and feet to adorn her before the wedding. This is a women-only function and is usually accompanied by a lot of songs and dancing. ‘Haldi’ or turmeric, rose water and sandalwood paste is also applied on the bride’s face, hands and feet before mehendi is applied. This is actually an antiseptic combination and signifies purification or protection before the bride and groom step into the next phase in their lives. Unlike mehendi, haldi is applied on the groom too.The actual wedding has many rituals and starts with the ‘baraat’ which is the wedding procession from the groom’s house with all the family and friends leading the way with songs, dancing and bursting fireworks. They are welcomed at the ‘mandap’ or the hall where the actual wedding takes place by the bride’s family and the bride's mother performs a traditional ‘arti’, welcoming the groom.
The bride and groom exchange wedding garlands made of flowers and go on to take the ceremonial seven ‘pheres’ around a fire and take vows to love and honour each other. The mangalsutra or ‘thali’ as it is called in southern India is a gold chain with black beads which the groom offers the bride to wear during this ceremony and ‘sindoor’ or red vermillon paste is applied to the bride’s parting of the hair.The ‘bidaai’ is a post-wedding event which is practiced only in North India and signifies the departure of the bride to her new home and is usually a very emotional affair. All wedding ceremonies usually conclude with a grand reception with all family and friends attending to wish the new couple the very best in their married life.Almost all the functions during the wedding are marked by lavish feasts and music in India. In almost all the communities, the wedding ceremony is usually arranged by the bride’s family while the reception is arranged by the groom. Small gifts are usually handed out to all the guests before they leave.
