Indian weddings are made up of different rituals, traditions, and customs. The country has different religions, as well as cultures, which is why weddings in India are a big event. Those old days are now gone when the brides walked down the aisle nervously to her prince charming for the further ceremony and the grooms make a bashing solid entry. Nowadays, even brides prefer entering with pomp and show while the groom eagerly waits for her. Getting beautiful and designer outfits, jewelry, and décor is not alone enough, now you even need to plan your entry in a grand way to leave everyone. Since you are the star of the night and the stage is only yours, you must make an outstanding and mind-blowing bride entry. A grand entry will give you all the attention while you walk through the way to reach the groom on the stage.
There are many ideas to make a stylish and trendy wedding entry and there are so many things to decide like the song on which you want to enter, whether you want to enter on bike, car, under dupatta, phoolon ki chadar, or palki, what can make it special, whom do you want to enter with, and many more.
Tips for bridal entry to the stage in a style
Enter while dancing to your favorite song
You can choreograph a small dance sequence with your siblings, cousins, and friends on your favorite song or mix different songs together when you enter the venue. Do not forget to inform your photographer and videographer so they can shoot you from every angle. Many brides are now choosing to dance to their favorite tunes. It will help you express your excitement and happiness regarding the day. Many brides select songs that can express their feelings towards their partner.
Enter in a traditional-style Doli
Earlier, brides were carried in Doli to her in-laws’ home after the wedding ceremony. But tradition has become a thing of the past now. Why not bring that tradition back with some twist. You can make your bridal entry in a royal style by getting carried in a Doli! Make a fresh bridal entry in garlands decorated Doli this season because your bridal entry needs to be in an authentic essence to remember forever.
Under a Phoolon ki Chaadar
Phoolon ki chadar might be an age-old-style bride entry, but you can give it a twist or replace it with a beautifully decorated umbrella with lace and fresh flowers. Make sure the flowers on the chadar or the umbrella complement your bridal lehenga. This bridal entry will give your wedding extra enthusiasm. You can customize the colors according to your wedding theme and add a dash of fairy lights.
Enter with the gang of your Veereys
It is almost impossible to imagine your wedding ceremony without the gang of your veereys and bridesmaids. You can decide to walk down the aisle with your girl gang. You can share the color of your outfit so that they can plan and coordinate their outfit accordingly.
Enter on a royal paalki
You can make everyone feel spell bounded by arriving at the mandap on a beautiful paalki. It will make you feel like a queen and your bride entry will be a royal one like that of Princess Jodhaa did on the gorgeous paalki while she reaches the castle of King Akbar in the Jodhaa Akbar movie?
Imagine yourself making entry to the wedding hall in one of these styles. Irrespective of the style you choose, you can always add elements to make it more customized according to your own taste and preferences. We hope that you’ll think of any way out of these to make you look more effortlessly beautiful.
If you haven’t attended a South Indian wedding, then you are surely missing out on a lot of fun! The rituals, amazing food, and great hospitality – all mingle together to create an unforgettable experience. But, your idea about an Indian wedding is going to change drastically when you land in South India to attend a marriage ceremony. The rituals, mantras, and even the timing of the wedding are completely opposite of what you have seen your entire life! So, ready to explore the unknown? Well, buckle up for an adventure, which will bore into your memory for a long time now!
Unveiling the popular rituals of South Indian marriage:
Nichayathartham:
What you know as an engagement party is called Nichayathartham in South Indian wedding. Also known as the famous pre-wedding ritual, this ceremony starts with a typical Ganesh Puja to ward off evil eyes and help couples start their journey afresh. Here, Lord Ganesha will enjoy lip-smacking sweets and savouries as a sign of tribute. Then the groom’s family will gift the would-be bride some jewellery and a saree to wear on this special occasion. Later on, the couple exchanges ring as a promise of fruitful married life. The guests will receive an invitation card for attending the engagement ceremony, called LagnaPatrika, with Lord Ganesha’s icon on top.
Pandakkaalnadudhal:
This ritual takes place few days before the main wedding. Here, both the families will arrange this event in their respective abodes. Here, the families will plant individual bamboo poles at the main door of their place. It is more like an official message for everyone to come and be a part of this wonderful journey of the young couple. Another main reason to perform this ritual is to keep evil eyes at bay!
Haldi:
Well, the name says it all! It is that time of the event when the bride and groom will be slathered with turmeric paste in their respective hours. This ritual takes place the day before the main occasion and falls under the pre-wedding ritual category. The anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric will fight off dirt and help the new couples to brighten up their skin and glow before the wedding. Now, this event remains incomplete without family members and friends dancing and singing to their favorite beats! So, it is the ultimate definition of fun and enjoyment!
Gauri puja:
This ritual is purposely for the bride’s family to celebrate, as it is dedicated to Goddess Parvati. This ritual is all about purity. Every new bride-to-be has to perform this puja by completing it is rituals before the day of the wedding to get blessings from The Almighty. This function is pretty colourful. The bride’s uncle plays a pivotal role here by presenting her with a saree and some gifts. The Gauri puja includes multiple husks and rice related activities, as rice means prosperity and fertility in Indian culture.
Mangalsnaanam:
Also known as purging bath, this South Indian culture takes place early in the morning. It usually takes place on the wedding day, but if the family wants, they can complete this ritual the day before the wedding. As understood from the name, this ritual talks about a holy bath. Here, a mixture is made using turmeric and pure oil and then slathered to the groom and bride’s body. Later, they will take a shower. The scientific reason behind this ritual is to help the couples get rid of harmful bacteria. Turmeric is known for its antibacterial properties and will keep infections at bay!
Kashiyatra:
Another one of the exciting rituals of the South Indian wedding, Kashiyatra, takes place on the wedding day. Here, the groom acts to leave for Kashi (India’s holy site) as he doesn’t want to marry. So, he leaves the venue with an umbrella, a walking stick, and some other necessities for completing the journey. Well, this story has an interesting turn of events! While on his path, the groom is stopped by the bride’s father, who asks him not to leave the place as his daughter is waiting to get married. After multiple appealing sessions, the groom goes back to his house to get ready and take his bride by exchanging garland, also called “maalaimaatral.”
Maalai Maatral:
This tradition of garland exchange is an age-old tradition seen in every Indian tradition. Whether you reside in South India or belongs to a North Indian city, this tradition is pretty common.
Kanyadanam:
This ritual talks about the epitome of faith in Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. Here, the groom plays the role of Lord Vishnu, and the bride is treated as Lakshmi. This is one emotional period for the father and his daughter, where the daughter sits on her daddy’s lap. Even though it is a pretty uncommon sight, but it is the biggest sacrifice that a dad can make! Here, the father offers his daughter’s hand to the groom (Lord Vishnu) while milk and sacred water are poured and shlokas recited at the same time.
MangalyaDharanam:
This is the most precious moment of the entire wedding everyone has been waiting for! Here, the groom carefully tied the mangal sutra or the thali around the bride’s neck in front of everyone. It is one way of tying two souls into one. The exciting vibe is all around the couple, who enters the new life of togetherness.
Saptapadi:
Known as the post-wedding ritual, here the couple circles around the holy fire 7 times, which marks 7 precious vows of life. During this time, the couple’s attires are tied together and will be kept in that manner till the end.
End of a precious ceremony:
Even though Indian weddings, in general, are known for their colors, excitement, music, and dance, the beauty of a South Indian wedding are at another level. The exciting faces, happy tears, and emotional turn of events will give you goosebumps right from the start till the end. Even though the ritual lasts for a few days, but every day brings a new level of joy to not just the couple but everyone involved in the wedding!
The image designed in our mind when we say destination wedding, is of a separate place more lavishing, over the top, and fully fantasized. A destination wedding must adore and charm everyone. The main motive that most of the people have behind the destination wedding away from their native places is to cut off the massive crowd of people. Well, it doesn’t mean you can’t stretch off one without cutting the edges.
A destination wedding becomes very helpful in terms of cutting expenses because it cost quite less than a grand city wedding. So if you have a plan in your mind to tie knots in a fascinating location, not in a local place then put on your seat belt because we are giving you some outstanding idea for an in-budget wedding.
The Ideal Destination Wedding
Planning a wedding away from home looks like a dream and is a nice idea. This proposal works so well, as it enhances everything. Hence it is not just good for newlyweds but it even provides a pleasant getaway for guests.
It seems so alluring to plan such but, to perform it successfully one needs to put all their possible efforts. You have to keep an eye on arranging, organizing, and planning the necessary items to make your destination wedding perfect.
First of all, start researching in advance to derive the place and venue. After this, try and shortlist the vendors as quick as possible.
Review your budget thoroughly
Budget is the most considerable part that you need to decide along with your family and closed ones. Choose estimated expense for the wedding. Formulate a list of objects and activities that compare to the highest and lowest prices. This can have food, fun, flowers, rental price, etc on the list.
Also the travel expenses, like hotel accommodation charges that are going to have your guests can vary. However, follow the strict budget with no need for limousines.
Know your location
The venue is one of the most crucial elements in a destination wedding since there are so many locations across the world. It is your chance which one you select as per your likings and budget. You need to analyze your geographical location and then pick the right places.
Moreover, seasons also play an important part in your favored wedding destination. Well, try to search those locations where competition is huge and resorts are higher at almost cheaper rates.
Keep a short guest list
As you are planning for a destination wedding, you must make a list of your guest according to your budget. Try to Form a guest list as short as you can, and suggest the guests as early as possible, so accordingly, they plan their trip. Help them to confirm or reject early as they know, so you have a clear view from your end like how many people will be able to come.
Have a low-cost decor
If you’re selecting an exotic location or property for your wedding, then you have to invest a huge amount as everything is stable and well organized. But this thing does not apply to everyone because not all can afford a lavishing decor in their wedding. So, it must look good and complete under a low budget, even though some people don’t want a heavy decoration at their wedding they more prefer to make it simple, even an unnecessary decor makes your bill doubled.
Request for discounts and freebies
When you’re taking so many rooms and venue bookings of resort and hotel, then don’t feel shy to request them for a discount or freebies. It helps in many ways as they might allow freebies like a free minibar or laundry.
Following all these pro tips while planning your destination wedding will help you plan one at a low-cost budget.
Whenever you hear about a Sikh wedding, what is the first thing that comes first to your mind? Punjabi weddings are widely known for their loud and lively lavish wedding ceremonies full of fun, colors, food, and music. Punjabi people and culture are believed to be a bit more expressive than the rest of the Indian culture. There is a lot to enjoy while being at a Punjabi wedding. Punjabis are very particular about their wedding rituals and follow their age-old tradition. Not just this, even the Punjabi NRI’s who are residing out of India never leave a chance to celebrate their traditional wedding. Sikh Weddings offer the best glance at a combination of Asian and Hesperian values, customs, and traditions.
Are you aware of the wedding traditions ad rituals performed in a big fat Punjabi wedding? Let us take a virtual visit to a Punjabi wedding and enjoy the vibrant culture.
Punjabi Pre-Wedding Rituals
Roka & Thaka
Roka is the first ritual of the Sikh wedding. It comes from the word “Rokna” where a family from the bride’s side visits the groom’s family with sweets and gifts. This tradition is performed in the absence of the bride. Then the groom’s family visits the family of the bride. The former family brings fruits, sweets, and gifts for the bride. The couple is then made to sit together and is announced officially as a couple. The couple is then showered with blessings and offered gifts which are known as shagan or shagun. They are offered laddu. This ceremony that happens at the bride’s home is Thaka. Earlier this ceremony was an intimate affair at each other’s home but now most people consider performing this at one place together.
Chunni Chadhana
This is the formal ceremony before the engagement where the bride and groom are announced soon to be married. The family and relatives of the Groom visit the Bride’s home with the red outfit, bangles, Chunni, jewelry, and makeup that the bride will be wearing on her wedding day. The groom’s mother put the chunni on the bride’s head as a veil. This is Chunni chadhana. Then Mehendi is applied to the hands of the bride. Then father of the groom put dry fruits in the jholi of the bride and the father of the latter put mewa (dry fruits) in the jholi of the groom.
Kurmai
Kurmai ceremony is one of the auspicious ones that is held either at the groom’s residence or at Gurudwara in the presence of close friends and family. The granthi will start the Ardas, later to which the sister of the groom put a cloth or palla on his shoulder into which the father of the girl will put dry fruits and a Kada on his wrist. The ceremony ends when fathers of both bride and groom exchange garlands.
Engagement
It is one of the common wedding rituals of all Indian weddings where the bride and groom exchange rings in the presence of close friends, relatives, and family. Once the couple exchanges the rings, the guests give those gifts and shower their blessings on the couple.
Shagun and Saha Patr
The bride’s family organize a special wedding invitation speckled with kesar. A few of the important family members take it to the groom’s house. Their visit is usually made carrying invitations with gifts like dry fruits, fruits, sweets, clothes, and a sacred coconut. The intent of this is to officially invite the groom and his family and to inform them commencement of the wedding preparations.
Akhand Path
Akhand Path is the reading of “Guru Granth Sahib”, the holy book of Sikhs, for 48 hours continuously prior to the wedding date. Both families organize paths separately. After the path, kirtan is conducted where religious hymns and songs are sung. In the end, ardas is made, and Karah Prasad is distributed among all.
Mehendi Ceremony
Every bride ever loves this ceremony where she applies henna or Mehendi on her hands and legs. Either someone from the family or any Mehendi artist is called to apply the beautiful Mehendi design. Along with the bride, her friends, sisters, cousins or any other ladies can also apply henna to their hands on this day.
Ladies Sangeet
In ladies sangeet, ladies who are close to bride and groom, sing and dance at night. It is almost similar to a bachelor party. Along with the enjoyment, light snacks as refreshments are also distributed among all.
Jaago
Jaago means to wake up. In this ceremony, a night before the Sikh wedding, relatives of the bride and groom sing songs, dance with decorated pots and diyas the whole night. Other villagers and neighbors are also called for this event. The purpose of this ritual is to make noise all night and party. Bamboo sticks and chaj are banged until they break.
Sikh Wedding Day Ceremony
Kangana Bandhana
This is the first ceremony held on the day of the wedding. This mouli (a pure sacred thread) is tied to the bride and groom’s hand by a priest. This Kangana or mouli has to be there until it itself falls off.
Chooda Chadhana
In this ceremony, the maternal uncle or mama of the girl with his wife presents a set of 21 red and ivory bangles to the bride. The bangles are first dipped in milk and rose petals that are later put on the wrist of the bride. Then immediately those bangles are covered with a white cloth so that the girl doesn’t see them.
Kalire Ceremony
It is a kind of fun ceremony held between the bride, her sisters, and female friends. Kalire is tied to her hands that are a symbol of fertility and lively life. Once kalire is tied to the bride’s wrists, she shakes and tries to shower it on other girls. On whom the kalire falls off by breaking will be the next girl to get married.
Maiyan/Vatna
A colorful rangoli is prepared on the floor. The maternal relatives of both bride and groom usually make it. A peerhi is placed near to it on which bride and groom will sit at their respective home. They are then made to sit on a peerhi with a tray filled with decorative items.
Haldi Ceremony
It is again a ceremony that happens in most Indian weddings. In this, a paste of turmeric is prepared with rose water, sandalwood, and mustard oil. It is then applied to the arms, legs, and cheeks of the bride and groom separately.
Ghara Gharoli
After the Haldi ceremony, the bride visits the nearby temple where sacred and pure water is poured over her. Then she enters the temple to take the blessings from God and then return back to her home.
Sehrabandi
In sehrabandi, once the groom is ready for the wedding he takes the blessings of all the deities and elder members of the family. A pink turban cloth is worshipped that is called sehra and then is wrapped around the head of the groom. The sehra is then tied to his head that has strings and his face is partially visible in it.
Ghodi Sajana and Ghodi Chadhana
The baraat comprises the groom who rides his horse on which he enters the wedding venue where the ceremonies take place, and his close family and friends dancing as a part of the procession. Before proceeding with the journey on the mare, she is decorated and offered chickpeas and jaggery.
Agwaani and Milni
It is one of the most important traditions in Punjabi weddings. The family from the bride’s side welcomes the baraatis which sometimes includes aarti too. Then all the members of the corresponding family greet and meet each other. There is then an exchange of gifts or grooms relatives are sometimes offered some money known as milni.
Varmaala
After the groom enters the venue, the bride is called for another ceremony. It is called Varmaala or Jaimala. In this both bride and groom exchange garlands.
Madhuperk/Madhuperka tradition of Sikh Wedding
After the garlands are exchanged, the bride and the groom are made to sit around the sacred fire. The bride first proffers the groom a bowl of water. He splashed some droplets first on his feet, then the body, and ultimately drinks the rest.
Then the groom is given a sharbat called madhuperk, prepared from ghee, curd, honey, and some essence to drink. He takes it and shower some in all directions and then slowly sips it.
Kanyadan
This is an emotional moment for the bride and her parents. The bride’s father gives the hand of the bride the groom’s hand and asks him to treat her well with all of his love, care, respect, and security.
Laavan Phere
It is a prayer of four vows that confirms the marriage. One end from the dupatta of the bride is tied to the shawl or dupatta on the groom’s shoulder. They then take four pheras or circles of Guru Granth Sahib.
Joota Chupai
While the groom is busy with the rituals, the sisters and brothers of the bride hide his shoes and then demand money in exchange for those, if he wants them back. After some bargaining they arrive at an amount considered by both the parties and are then exchanged with the shoes.
Post wedding rituals
Vidaai
Viddai is the overwhelming part of every wedding. Now the time has come when the bride has to say goodbye to her family and move to the new one. The new family with new people will be now her family and she has to live there for the rest of her life.
Paani Varna ritual of Sikh Wedding
It is the first Sikh Wedding ceremony that happens with the bride and groom together after the wedding in the groom’s house. On their arrival at the entrance of the house, the groom’s mother does aarti of them with a utensil filled with water. After each circle, the groom’s mother tries to drink that water, but the bride has to stop her. And mother is allowed to drink water only on the seventh circle. The bride is then welcomed in the house and she enters by leaving her footprints colored with the red lac dyed water and then visit the temple of the house to take blessings.
Mooh Dikhai
In this Sikh Wedding ceremony, the bride is introduced to the groom’s relatives and neighbors for the first time. The mother-in-law of the bride offers her gifts and jewelry and other elders also present her gifts.
Reception
In the honor of the new couple, the guy’s family throws a grand reception party at their residence, where guests are invited to meet the new couple. It is a night of fun and excitement. Everyone enjoys, dance, and celebrate the union of the couple.
Pag Phera
A day after the wedding day or next to the reception, the bride and groom are invited to the bride’s house for a small gathering. The family of the bride visits the groom’s home to take her back for the event of pag phera.
This calls for the end of the rituals of the Sikh wedding. Hope you must have enjoyed this virtual tour. Let us know your experience with this.
It is a fantasy of every groom to look even better than his best on his wedding day. Since winter is a season that doesn’t allow dressing up according to your taste and preferences, with these tips, you can ace your looks on your wedding even on the most chilled day. This article will be fulfilling the expectations and sort out all the queries. You can undoubtedly follow it for making yourself feel warmer even in the chilly weather.
Ways to keep you warm in winter wedding
Select warm Inners or thick fabric outfit
The most comfortable and best thing to choose in a winter wedding is either you go with heat transferring inner under your sherwani, kurta, or a Nehru jacket, that can keep you warm in your winter wedding. Or you can choose some thick fabric that does the same work but even adds a style to your outfit like velvet. Such fabrics give an elegant look and didn’t make you feel cold as well. You can even team up your sherwani with a stall to keep yourself warm.
Choose a daytime for winter wedding
Another option to have a warm winter wedding can be choosing a daytime wedding like one on a sunny day. The reason for this is that the winter season experience darkness earlier and people couldn’t enjoy the functions and traditions on a chilly night that much, so daytime is suitable in every aspect. It will also give an essence of cozy and beautiful the wedding and you can also take its advantage for good outdoor photography as well. The lunch menu is even lighter and costs less than dinner.
Wisely pick the venue
It’s a major part of a winter wedding to choose the right venue because the weather will not be always in your favor, so if you might feel cold if you opt for an open area or hilly site for the wedding. Everything must be accurate and perfect according to the season. And you just have to be selective and smarter in terms of selecting the right fabrics such as gabardine and wool. Also pick sensibly the texture and color like black, navy, or red and suitable accessories, pinstripes.
Seasonal food and drinks
It’s very important to make sure there should be a portion of seasonal food and drinks on your menu. While hiring the right catering, you must be aware bout seasonal food and drinks, which are delicious and warm to allow every guest pleasantly enjoy your wedding. You can offer some drinks and cocktails that keep the guests warm like rum, coffee, hot soup, green tea, and warm water. Apart from that, you can even add hot chocolate for kids on the menu too. Coming toward the meal section where eating makes you happy and protein & calories make our body stay warm. So, barbeque is the best idea in terms of taste and season Other than that you have to put some vegetarian items as well, like paneer, aloo dishes, and seasonal salad, for those who do not eat non-veg.
Groom entry
You are the hero of your wedding, so your entry should be like heroic types, where everyone attracts on you as you gaze their attention. You can go for some filmy entry. You can even hire a wedding planner for this. Gone are the days where the groom’s entry is on the horse or a carriage to the wedding venue. Now things are change, grooms love to choose a car, or bike to enter in the wedding venue. Hence the idea behind choosing a car for entry is to keep yourself warm at your wedding. Instead of freezing even before the wedding rituals get started. So we suggest you stay warm and comfortable.
Do you ever wish to attend a south Indian wedding? Weddings in South India have completely different cultures, rituals, cuisine, outfits, and living standard. Our country is a bundle of various cultures along with holding a bunch of vibrant tradition, thus every Indian maintain the creed of their religion and that is why South Indian weddings are stacked with emotions. Indian weddings have drawn noteworthy attention globally delivering different cultures hence people offer their blessings and make colorful memories. If you have queries from where to begin and what makes a south Indian wedding and its rituals different from a normal wedding read this article till the end.
Well, listing all the south Indian wedding rituals would have made this blog too long, so we have selected the top 10 wedding rituals that cherish the southern part of India
Some popular rituals of south Indian wedding
Nichayathartham: This difficult to pronounce ritual is called engagement; yes you’re right, pre-wedding rituals, which begin with Ganesh Puja- a puja dedicated to Lord Ganpati without whom, one won’t be able to pass down any difficulty. The rituals include sweets and savories present to Lord Vinayaka, the groom’s family gifts the bride a saree and jewelry on nichayathartham. The day becomes even more beautiful when the couple exchanges the rings as a sign of agreement for their marriage. At the time of engagement, keep notice the word ‘’Lagna Patrika which an invitation card printed traditionally, with the icon of Lord Ganesha.
Pandakkaal nadudhal: A few days before the wedding both the family arrange this event in their respective homes. Pandakkal nadudhal is a ritual where both families plant a bamboo pole at the main door of their homes. This sounds like an official message for all the near and dear ones that they have a wedding upcoming in their home. Another reason to do this event is to protect from the evil’s eye.
Haldi: It’s all about applying the paste of Haldi on the bride and groom’s body in their respective places before the wedding day. It is also a pre-wedding ritual. This ritual has a great significance for the anti-inflammatory property of turmeric that helps to fight dirt and outshine the glow of bride and groom. This Haldi ceremony is incomplete without songs and dance.
Gauri puja: This ritual is actually celebrated in the bride’s family because it is all about Goddess Parvati. This is the sign of purity and every south Indian bride will complete this ritual before her wedding to get the blessing from Goddess Parvati. This is a colorful function where the bride receives a saree and other gift items from his uncle. According to Indian culture, rice represent prosperity and fertility as Gauri puja include a series of activities to be performed with rice and husks.
Mangal snaanam: This South Indian culture is called a purging bath. It requires getting up early morning. It is carried on the wedding day but some even prefer for a day prior to the wedding. It’s a holy bath where turmeric with pure oil is applied to the bride and groom’s body in their respective homes followed by a shower. This is done as Haldi has antibacterial properties that help fighting infection.
Kashi yatra: This one is the exciting ritual from the south wedding conducted on the wedding day, where the groom pretends to leave for Kashi as he doesn’t want to marry and leave the venue with a walking stick, umbrella, and some other thing for the journey. Felt heartbreaking and shocking right? But there is an interesting twist where the father of the bride tries to stop the groom and ask him to not leave the place for his beautiful daughter waiting for him. After appealing many times, the groom gets ready and accepts the bride so they advise exchanging the garland as a symbol of agreement, known as “maalai maatral’’.
Maalai Maatral: Garland exchange or we can say maalai maatral can be witnessed nearly in all Indian traditions even though the couple belongs either to the southern or northern part of the country. Back in history, queens also used to pick their prince through swayamvaram.
Kanyadanam: This one is a popular ritual that is the epitome of faith in Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu, where the bride is treated as goddess Lakshmi and the groom to be Lord Vishnu. It’s an emotional kind of moment between a father and his daughter, do you know why? Because in this ritual the daughter sits on the father’s lap. It’s quite uncommon to see such kinds of rituals, well it’s the biggest sacrifice a father could ever make. Here as per the Vedas, the man offers his daughter to Lord Vishnu( the groom) along with that shlokas are recited while milk and sacred water are poured.
Mangalya Dharanam: All the above rituals that are designated as pre-wedding rituals have patiently waited to witness this moment. This is one of the important moments of a wedding when the groom ties the mangal sutra aka thali around the neck of the bride amidst the crowd. You can feel the vibes of excitement along with the Mangala Vadya in the background.
Saptapadi: Saptapadi is the post-wedding ritual and happens almost in all Indian weddings. Here, the couple circles the holy fire in seven rounds taking the seven vows of life. Along with this, the attires of the couple are also tied tighter before the ritual begins.
Things to remember before attending a South Indian wedding
Attending a south Indian wedding means you will get to experience something new than any other. As it said that before doing something new, homework is necessary to understand things. The same goes for a south Indian wedding before attending. Here’s everything you should know before you ready for a south Indian wedding.
Dress code – If you believe, you know everything about south Indian culture and their wedding rituals since you have watched so many Bollywood movies then you’re wrong. The dress code for a south wedding is quite different as you have to wear a wedding guest dress, i.e. white shirt and a veshti (a silk Dhoti). A girl attending a wedding can drape herself with a silk or kanjeevaram saree, a festoon in hairs, and some gold jewelry.
Get up early else miss everything – To not miss out on anything, get up early morning. Else if you wish to attend the wedding ceremony then you can be there by 4 pm to see the Muhurtham.
Long day: The traditional south Indian wedding relies upon different traditions and customs such as with Telugu weddings; they used to wind up in 16 days! However, in recent years, this has come down to two or three days in South India. Each day indicates a particular theme and has a set of rituals and weddings can also be quite long depending on the status of the family.
Gonna be loud: Indian weddings are meant to be louder and have full music, DJ, and all that just like Bollywood movies. But when you come to know about south Indian weddings and their rituals, they are different from the rest of India. Hence in the south wedding, they usually play a nadaswaram accompanied by a mridangam along with some thumping instruments like a shehnai played in north Indian weddings.
Eat with your hand: This is going to be tough for the western people as it’s not less than a task to eat with your hand as there is no use of spoons. Hence it’s all a traditional style in the south. They usually serve the meal on the banana leaf. So if you’re planning to attend a south wedding then do practices.
Eat the right way: South Indian meals are one of the best parts of the entire event and they give enough attention to their guests. They serve every item from the meal on a banana leaf and it is their common practice to start eating after serving everything on the leaf. They have three main courses, rice with sambhar, next with rasam, and last with buttermilk or yogurt. A cup of payasam, a south Indian rice pudding is usually served as a dessert at the end of the meal.
Folding the leaf: The full course of the south Indian meal is serving all the dishes together on a single leaf. Hence it is their symbolic style though it is far different than others. This rule is followed by the majority of south Indian cultures, to take the top portion of the leaf and fold it over the lower portion. This indicates that you enjoyed the meal.
Fun and games: South Indian weddings are very simple and sober as compare to north Indians and Punjabi. In the same way, they arrange some fun games that are simply amusing and funny. E.g. the couple trying to get a coin out of a pot of milk simultaneously trying to hide garland from their partner, the basis of these games is to help the couple to evolve and feel comfortable with each other, as most South Indian weddings are arranged marriages.
Gift and guide: If you have a plan to gift something to a newlywed couple or buy something expensive, you need not worry about it because they will not make you realize as it’s your choice to gift them or not. Hence they have one critical rule that gifting money is treating as an important custom. It is their traditional rule as they think it helps the couple to start their lives. Gifting money can be attached with one rupee coin and the amount should be an odd number since an even number considered an evil sign.
You can be a beau: South marriages are still majorly arranged as the elder member of the family do his job and search for eligible bride or groom. In the same way, if you plan to attend a south wedding or even a bachelor or bachelorette then there are high chances for you to get noticed. Marriages in south India are done based on Jathakam (Birth-chart) so you don’t need to be amazed if someone asks for your date of birth.
10 beautiful South Indian Wedding Bridal Look
South Indian weddings appear to be very fascinating and so they inspire the millennial generation. You can be a glorifying and elegant human structure draped with beautiful outfits and jewelry. It can be the best bridal look that rolls all eyes upon you. These elegant south Indian bridal looks are flattering and can attract the new generation with the astonishing hairstyle, and simple attire with minimum gold jewelry, all this gives the most refreshing look. There are many people who love these looks but don’t know how to make those. Presenting you some interesting bridal wedding looks from the south.
Red & Magenta Kanjeevaram saree Look
This look involves draping around a red or magenta Kanjeevaram silk saree along with a coordinating blouse carrying some simple jewelry and there you go to élite yourself
Pastel Pink Palette
Pastel Pink is mostly loved by everyone and though its designer’s first choice. The aura and color combo is magnifying the whole look. This color combination makes the bride more compelling as this pure pastel pink bordered silk saree enhances the look. Adding to this some gold jewelry with red-green bangles to finish the look.
Green look with vibrant pink saree
This one is a no-makeup look, just simply a vibrant pink silk sari paired up with a green and golden zaridar blouse along with golden jewelry.
Multilayered look with Pastel color
One more pastel color looks along with multiple layers of blue, pink, and golden. This color outshines the whole attire as these original silver diamond jewelry drill a great look.
A glimpse of yellow
This one is called a one-frame picture, where a simple yellow saree matching up with a magenta-colored blouse has a pure glitz look. Mirror festoon jewelry with a magenta gold bangle makes the best combination.
A combination of red-orange
Its bride common color that she wore, a combination of the orangish-red sari and daze up with green beautiful jewelry and bangles, making it a pretty look.
A red look for South Indian Wedding
This is something like southern movie types look. A full red silk sari that simply paired with red lip shade. A cinch of hairstyle and some gold jewelry with all-green glass bangles. That’s all to complete the look.
A white & pink basal look
Purely a white golden saree that usually south Indian wears at their wedding to refresh the look. Pair up this look with a sheer pink saree along with a golden border and Indian gold jewelry.
A lively and colorful look
The South Indian bridal wear should be lively and bright. This gloomily embroidered magenta-colored Saree and blouse mixed with gloomy makeup with some south Indian style to make them look colorful.
Classic Golden Attire
This one traditional style of south Indian bridal to wear and that is written all over it. A classic golden-white saree pair up with heavy embroidery, shiny golden blouse. Some real gold jewelry with a heavy drip of green work to complement the look.
So these were some of the popular stunning south Indian bridal wear that even you can try at your wedding. All these looks are perfectly set for daytime weddings as well as for evening indoor weddings. You can pick one of them and enjoy these colorful combinations. Have a look, and decide what works in your support.
5 important tips for South Indian bridal look
South Indian bridal look combines beautiful traditional sarees, makeup with some matte lips, gloomy gold jewelry, a temple motif, etc. The sarees carry vibrant colors with detailed designs that symbolize different motifs like a temple, peacocks and leaves, etc.
Jewelry: South Indian wedding is incomplete without jewelry as they believe jewelry is the main element of the bridal look. Usually, they prefer heavy jewelry that represents temple embellishment. So, make sure you select the right pieces of jewelry to adorn yourself.
Traditional sarees: Another important part of the bridal look is the Kanjeevaram saree and it is their main outfit. But there is an excess of other sarees as well, so choose wisely for your special day.
South Indian bridal makeup: Makeup is a central constituent in South Indian weddings, the eye makeup and matte or glossy lips are the centers of attraction.
South Indian bridal hairstyle: Long braid topped with flower garland is the specialty of South Indian looks. It looks so perfect and enhances the entire attire.
Blouse design: The South Indian bride’s look is complete when it pairs up a panache silk saree and a heavy design blouse on their wedding.
Hence these were some important elements that you must know before you prep up yourself to attend a beautiful, fiesta kind of elegant South Indian nuptials.
Have you ever thought of organizing your wedding in a place called heaven? Yes, heaven; we are talking about the “Land of Gods” or “Dev Bhoomi” Uttarakhand. Just like matches made in heaven a wedding can be organized successfully on Dev Bhoomi to get the blessings of God. Uttarakhand is known for being a tourist attraction or holy sacred place, but it is also getting immense fame as a spot for most wedding destinations in India. The beautiful lakes, lush green mountains, holy peaks, waterfalls, and rivers make it a place none less than a heaven.
Who would not want to have a wedding like dream in the lap of nature? The place is slowly developing recognition as a major tourist attraction and wedding destination. You can perfectly plan for your pre-wedding shoot, candid photographs, and an intimate Indian wedding here in Uttarakhand. You can have your own style of a temple wedding or organize a lavish destination wedding to add charm to your special day making it more memorable.
One of the reasons Uttarakhand is a suitable choice for your wedding is the availability of markets to buy the necessary stuff without difficulties, scenic resorts, luxury hotels, banquet halls, lawns, and beautiful guesthouses. And if you are looking to add a Pahadi, touch to your wedding what can be a suitable place than Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand Wedding Destinations
Dehradun
Dehradun can be a great option for your summer wedding in Uttarakhand in the middle of the hills. You can find several high-end infrastructures in the Doon Valley and the airport is also very near to the city. You can find a plethora of wedding venues in Dehradun along with budgeted banquet halls. Many couples visit Uttarakhand for the pre-wedding shoot in the scenic beauty. Your guests will thank you for inviting them to such a beautiful place in summer.
Rishikesh
Tying knots near the banks of the holy river Ganga can be a special and blessed experience for most wedding couples. You can pick any of the many available Indian wedding themes to plan yours. If you have ever dreamt of having a beach wedding, you can fulfill it too here. The couple can enjoy being a Pahadi bride and groom by dressing up using Pichora and Nathuli. You can turn your wedding into a gala by playing the Pahadi songs and dancing on those in pahadi style. You can even amplify the aura by organizing the Garhwali, Kumaoni, and other pahadi dishes.
Ranikhet
Ranikhet is also known as the “queens meadows” is located in the Almora district of Uttarakhand that can highlight the beautiful captivating landscapes and picturesque. You can find different awesome wedding destinations in Ranikhet like Tarikhet, Bhalu Dam, Majhkali, Mankameshwar Temple, and Haidakhan Temple. Organizing your wedding to this place will make you feel like being in heaven on earth. There are also several hotels and resorts in Ranikhet that can be turned into beautiful wedding spots.
Nainital
If you want to give your married life a romantic start, you can consider Nainital as a perfect wedding destination in Uttarakhand amid those florescence forests and breezing wind. You can find multiple stoppages for having a memorable and candid wedding or pre-wedding photoshoot. For this purpose, you can visit, Naini Lake, Tiffin Top, Naina Peak, Bhimtal Lake, Kainchi Dham, and St John Church.
Jim Corbett
Jim Corbett is another great location to plan your destination wedding at a place surrounded by the breezy mountains, lushy green forests, beautiful and a river flowing in the middle of the jungle. This place is nothing less than heaven and you can understand this when you visit this place. Organizing your wedding, anniversary, or pre-wedding shoot in the green ambiance of this mesmerizing jungle will be a great idea.
Naukuchiatal
There are only a few people, who are aware of this beautiful destination in Uttarakhand. You can call it the home of beautiful mountain peaks, crystal-like colossal waterfalls, lush green landscapes, and scenic beauty. If you organize your wedding in a place like Naukuchiatal, it is going to be par mesmerizing. You can visit places like Naukuchiatal Lake for your beaches like a wedding or pre-wedding shoots.
Pithoragarh
Pithoragarh is also known widely as a mini-Kashmir. It is famous for the pleasing view and captivating beauty of the place. This place is located nearby the borders of Nepal and the spellbinding beauty of the place makes it a perfect wedding destination. You can consider places like Munsiyari, Pithoragarh fort, Jhulaghat, and Dhwaj Temple.
Triyuginarayan
If you want your wedding to happen at a place that is nonetheless heaven, then Triyuginarayan is the place. It is a remote village situated far away from the crowd that speaks to be the grand wedding of “Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati” in the recent past. Even different celebrities consider this place for organizing their dream destination wedding. The major attraction of this place is the Triyugi Narayan temple, which is devoted to Lord Vishnu.
Hence, these were some of the best wedding destinations you can consider to plan your destination wedding in Uttarakhand. You will surely adore the memories you make during your wedding in the future.
There is a buzz created in media that long-time friends who studied together at Maneckji Cooper School and were in a relationship for so long, superstar Varun Dhawan and fashion designer Natasha Dalal tied knots at an intimate wedding on January 24 Sunday. The wedding turns out to be an intimate affair happening just with their families and some of their close friends. The wedding was held at their five-star hotel Mansion House in Alibaug as their chosen destination. Even though the wedding was a private event, it was nothing less than a big fat Indian wedding.
Just to take precautions against Covid 19 as well, so they invited only 50 guests to their wedding ceremony. Varun Dhawan’s close friends from the Bollywood industry including Karan Johar, Manish Malhotra, Alia Bhatt, Arjun Kapoor, and Jacqueline Fernandez along with some other Bollywood celebs marked their presence at the event.
The mehndi ceremony as well as the DJ night was held, the popular DJ Bosco splashed house, making the evening an unforgettable one. The wedding venue is covered from all over, as per the insider, even their families are keeping it short and simple and have planned to keep the location a big secret till the very end no pictures or videos are exposed.
Coordinating off-white outfits
Varun Dhawan and Natasha Dalal walk out of their wedding venue to pose for photographers. The couple was noticed dressed up with the matching off-white royal outfits for their wedding setting a new tradition among the brides and grooms. Varun dresses in an off-white bandhgala sherwani, heavily festooned with gold floral handiwork, and silk pajamas on his wedding day. He balanced the look with a blue dupatta that had paired with borders and mojaris.
The off-white lehenga which Natasha dress in and highlighted a wide deep V-neckline blouse along with sheer sleeves. The blouse highlighted intricate sequin and small scalloped details all over. As for her lehenga, it appears with a lovely layered Ghera emblaze with sequined patterns all over. The lehenga flare with a zari dupatta that Natasha droop over her head. It had nick borders fix up with floral sequins and stone design.
Back in the old days Varun and Natasha first crossed the paths hand in hand while they were in school but they have started dating later, most of the time the couple avoided talking about their relationship in media especially the earlier time of Varun’s career. They even didn’t comes up in front of the media for clicked together. In Kareena Kapoor Khan’s show What Women Want, the actor Varun Dhawan shared an incident where Natasha Dalal rejected him many times before actually agreed to a relationship.
Varun Dhawan’s filmy style grandeur entry to his wedding
Being an actor and a kid from a Bollywood background, Varun left no stone unturned by making his filmy entry over the bike. Just like any other Hindu marriage in India, he even has a kid sitting behind from the family as a “sarbaala”.
After all this, the two of them have finally and officially announced in media about their marriage as they both have been going strong for the last few years and were reported to tie the knot this year only, just like the other Bollywood big celeb weddings they were going to do the same. Though in an interview with Film fare, Varun Dhawan has finally said about his marriage plans with her longtime girlfriend Natasha. Also, the ‘Kalank’ actor said, probably I’m doing all these movies so I don’t have time right now I’m not saying I won’t get married but It’s not going to happen this year, I need to find the right time for marriage for sure When Varun always said that they both were school friends and his family know her since ages.
Wedding is one of the most auspicious moments of everyone’s life, the utmost momentous for bride and groom; a wedding is a complete box of multiple traditional rituals and customs and holds many knotty ceremonies, like applying henna on the hands and feet of the bride, which is called as mehndi ceremony. Festoons are presented to guests of honor, and sometimes a bouquet of flowers and rose petals are showered too for good luck.
Gratefully, you do not need to worry about all of this, a simple wedding with a peaceful venue can make your day even more special. What you need to do is, make a mindset that your wedding ceremony is going to be exceptional in the form of a destination wedding. A destination wedding is probably something new concept in India, but so many people want to experience this special ceremony in some way being just with their close friends and family members.
Thankfully India has a variation of some exotic and beautiful locations that adorns the most precious occasion of a person’s life with charm and a delightful elegance that can be seen in diverse places of India. Right from beautiful high mountains, flowing rivers, palaces, beaches with coconut and palm trees, houseboats to the epitome of love, the Taj Mahal of Agra, we have so many memorable wedding destinations here.
Presenting the lists of 10 remarkable wedding destinations in India
Udaipur: Venice of the east
Udaipur is one of the most popular and royal places for the destination wedding and tourist spot, it needs no introduction as it has been the best place in the world, Udaipur is very well established still carrying the greenery and enamor of an old Heritage City. It happens to be known more than any other destination in the city of Rajasthan. Indians, as well as foreigners, adore this royal place too, the beautifying lakes and majestic palaces standing in Udaipur still give a sort of magnetism as the best ambiance. For a traditional marriage, you can consider the great Jag Mandir Palace, the Oberoi- Udai Vilas that serve you a touch of majesty, luxury, and royalty. One of the best examples of the grand destination wedding ceremony in Udaipur can be Kalki Koechlin’s wedding in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.
Kerala: God’s Own Country
The most amiable and agreeable destination, Kerala is for those who urge for serene and picturesque ceremonies rather than those who prefer a big and crowd-packed event. The backwaters are serene, beautiful and a view that dwells in the eyes mostly forever. The absolute getaway for a Destination Wedding in India. Exploring beaches covered with coconut palm trees, and lovely houseboats.
Havelock Island, Andaman Nicobar
Beyond the mainland, somewhere in between island entered in a new compass, in the midst of white sand beaches, probably in an amazing private resort. Nothing less than a marshy bliss dwell in the Bay of Bengal embrace the peaceful beaches and lush green forests, Havelock and the Ross Islands are one of the pristine islands of the Andaman & Nicobar for one’s special day to tie the knot.
Hyderabad, city of pearls
For the great hospitality and vintage feel, a proper divine style of the royal palace is here in Hyderabad the Nizam’s palace. This palace has a huge collection of Venetian chandeliers, unique Jade collection of the world. It includes paintings, statues, manuscripts, books, photographs are the elegant part of this place. Either it’s a small destination party or a large destination ceremony this place is completely perfect for the perks of a destination wedding.
Kashmir, heaven on earth
Kashmir molds the perfect location for an exceptional experience and for the utmost romantic and gorgeous destination wedding. This is because it is called the heaven on earth, far away from the chaos of the city, among the peaceful outskirt of Kashmir, as the beauty of this place is unmatched. While planning for the destination wedding in Kashmir, the place provides the myriads of professional wedding planners and vendors who are good enough to take care of all your wedding necessities.
Goa, a place to party hard
Wedding or party hand in hand Goa is apparently the swank and the most ubiquitous destination wedding in India because it gives the chance of creating multifarious sort of weddings or ceremonies, parties on the beaches along with the quiet ceremonial rituals of the old churches. It’s one of the most immerse venues, everyone loves the vibe and aroma.
Mussoorie; a great wedding destination
The panorama of Mussoorie, which determined the vision is one of the vogues to, makes a paradigmatic backdrop for a heartening wedding. A trendy tourist destination, the town gives extensively amazing and astonishing outdoor venues that make a lively ambiance for enjoying.
Agra, the epitome of love
The most exotic wedding venues in India, a wedding cannot be complete without this place. Isn’t it a perfect idea to celebrate one’s spousal bliss in the surroundings of the epitome of love (Taj Mahal) Agra? You can acquire some tremendous hotels and resorts pass by the Taj that many people set up for their wedding ceremonies in the flame of the most peculiar astonishment of the world.
Neemrana Fort
This perfect ancient fort near Delhi is right for imposing destination weddings, in between the Delhi-Jaipur highway, the absurd architecture and effect that many places do not bluster of. The Neemrana Fort Palace becomes one of the popular and royal wedding ceremonies that highlight some precious moments with the bride and groom (and photographs) this place in India is supreme as a wedding destination to look back.
Lavasa
If you want an Italian touch in your Indian wedding, this place serves as a wedding destination in India located near Pune away from the shore of the cities. This is one of India’s key planned Hill stations modeled on a town in Italy. A waterfall, mountains, lakes, winding roads, astonishing views from beautiful buildings, fascinating infrastructure, and amenities everything is great.
JimCorbett
If you are nature as well as adventure lover, you will surely adore the idea of marrying your partner at a place located in the middle of the jungle with lush mountains spreading cool breeze and beautiful birds chirping around. Jim Corbett National Park gives you a perfect opportunity to celebrate your special day in a jungle. You can book any resort in Ramnagar that reflects the beauty of the place.
A wedding is a ceremony where two people take vows for getting united for their life. It is an embodiment of love and seeing two people swearing to love each other be together until death part them is simply amazing. Wedding rituals, traditions, and practices vary with the countries, social classes, religions, cultures, and regions. Majority of wedding ceremonies involves couple taking wedding vows, exchanging rings, garland, or dress. They rightly say, “A successful wedding needs falling in love many times, with the same person.”
India is a land where people follow diverse cultures, traditions, and religions. From that diversity, here we have Kumaon where the wedding rituals and traditions are quite different from any other Hindu wedding in India. Kumaoni wedding is truly a relish to grace with your presence. It is a graceful wedding intertwined with the delightful culture of a pleasant and peaceful region. Not just Kumaoni, all weddings in Uttarakhand are held like a grand gala, where you get a chance to meet your relatives, friends, and family living far from each other. A wedding here in Uttarakhand is a grand get-together.
There are some peculiarities, about Kumaoni wedding, which makes it different from others. Let us have a glimpse of those –
Every Indian woman knows how to impress everyone by dressing up in the traditional way. And when it is about Pahadi women, they leave no stone unturned by capping themselves in their best outfits, complimenting it with traditional Pichora and Nathuli. This comes out as one of the major attractions of a pahadi wedding.
The dishes prepared in any wedding held out in pahadi or Kumaoni region, are quite tempting. No one can hold himself or herself from having such yummilicious food enriched with exotic flavors.
The major attraction of all in a Kumaoni wedding is the giant traditional touch Pahadi Nath or “Nathuli”. This old-style Nathuli has become fashionable jewelry among the brides in Uttarakhand. Almost every Pahadi bride can be noticed wearing this on her wedding day.
The Kumaoni brides wear a beautifully embroidered drape known as Pichora and married women since it is an indication of being married. It is a kind of legacy that is transferred from one generation to another and is the only native attire of a bride’s wedding dress.
Traditions & Rituals followed in Kumaoni Wedding
We all are aware of how unique and admirable Pahadi weddings are and how ravishing it is to be a part of that. If you want to tie the knots within a Kumaon region, you are required to follow the traditions followed in their weddings. Let’s just now get introduced to the rituals of a pahadi wedding
Pre-Marital Rites
Every Indian wedding begins with some rituals that are performed days or months before the wedding day. Such events mark the beginning of a journey, for a couple that is going to be married. In India, we believe a wedding is not something that connects two persons rather for us; it’s a bond that connects two different families.
Engagement
Kumaoni weddings are initiated with high enthusiasm by the engagement ceremony before the wedding. It signifies that the two different people have begun their journey to be a couple. This ceremony involves full excitement and enjoyment. The engagement ceremony in Kumaon is different from what happens in different parts of the country and world. Here, the rings are exchanged among the fathers of both the bride and bridegroom.
Mehndi Ceremony
Later to the engagement ceremony, the mehndi ceremony is held. This is quite an amazing and fun ritual. On this day, henna is applied to the bride’s hands and feet by a mehndi artist whereas the groom also follows this ritual but he doesn’t apply much of that. The ritual is celebrated in both the family. It is believed that the deeper the color of henna comes out, the stronger is the relation and loving husband. Many people like to get henna applied by family members while some go for the mehndi artists.
Haldi Ceremony
The next morning after the mehndi ceremony, the Haldi ceremony is held. In this ceremony, Haldi, i.e. turmeric paste is applied to the face arms, and legs of the bride and groom with few twigs of grass. Both the families at their residence celebrate this ceremony with jokes, dance, music, excitement. It is really a great ritual performed with high josh.
Ceremonies During Wedding
Ganesh Puja
Lord Ganesha or Vighnaharta is known for being the Lord who is a remover of obstacles and hurdles, therefore is worshipped everywhere in India before the commencement of any fortuitous event. Whether it is the opening of a new business, hosting any pooja, or inauguration of the new shop, Lord Ganesha is worshipped always. Wedding is again one of the most important phases of human life, the people of the Kumaon region, start the rituals of Kumaoni wedding after performing Ganesh Puja.
Suwal Pathai
Suwal Pathai is a unique ceremony coming from the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand and is particularly noticed in Kumaoni weddings when the wheat flour is pummelled into the dough and then turned into circles just like any flatbread but thinner. It is later dried under the sun rays after plunging in dry flour. Once they are completely dried, they are fried and then offered to the gods as a Prasad.
Duliagarh
Duliagarh ritual or rasm in Kumaoni people is really important as the groom who is considered as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the father of the bride along with a priest worship him. The Father of the bride then washes the feet of the groom and then offer him sweets or “pithya”. This ceremony goes on for over 30 minutes after the baraat (or groom’s cortege) has arrived at the wedding venue.
Varmaala
After the groom has arrived and the rituals are performed, he is taken to the stage where he sits, and following him the bride is also taken there. After that, the exchange of var mala of garlands takes place among the bride and groom. During this auspicious moment, the friends and family members from both the side accompanies them on the stage and help them cherish their moment. Then the exchange of Jai Mala happens among the bride and groom followed by huge joy, cheerfulness, and applause from the crowd with some jokes and laughter.
Photo session accompanied with dinner
After exchanging the Jai Mala, the camera begins the exclusive photoshoot of the Bride and Groom by the professional photographers and takes their clicks with the friends, family, and relatives present at the wedding. After the photo session, there occurs a dinner feast where the entire guest making their presence enjoys the food. After the guests have eaten the food, they go to the dance floor to set it on fire.
By the time, the guests have done their dance and dinner; it’s time for the couple to have food together where they are also accompanied by their close friends, loved ones, and family. This turns a simple feast into a big-shot family moment.
Kanyadan and other ceremonies
Once the social gathering and ceremony are done, it’s time for the priest to come and take over the rituals that will declare the bride and groom to be husband and wife. Here comes the Lagna i.e. the fortunate time or Muhurat on the basis of stars position. The ceremony lasts for some hours until the next morning.
This is the time for the most emotional moment for the parents of the bride and bride herself, i.e. Kanyadan. Kanyadan in Hindu traditions is considered to be the biggest donation or charity one could ever make and not all get such a great opportunity. The bride’s parents keep a fast on the wedding day of the girl. After this ritual, the bride and groom as declared to be the couple or husband and wife and the girl is now a part of the new family.
Saptapadi
After the kanyadan, the bride and groom have to take seven circles standing in the queue around the sacred fire by taking the seven wedding vows. In the first four circles, the groom is before the bride and take the circles and then the last three circles have the bride in front of the groom and then they take the circles. Now once this ritual is over, the couple is pronounced as a happily wedded husband and wife.
Vidaai
This is the last ceremony in the family, which is an emotional moment for the bride and her family. With a heavy heart, the parents of the girl have to say goodbye and send her to a new place, new home, and in a new family. The place where she had spent all of her life, where she took birth, where she has grown, where she has played and all her relations, emotions she has a bond with, will be left now.
When a father is bidding Vidai to his daughter, he is actually sending her on a new journey. This also signifies the end of a girl’s journey as a daughter and the commencement of her journey as a wife, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, and various other new relations.
31st January 2022
