Rituals, customs, fashion, and so much more! Everything you need to know about Punjabi weddings is right here. As more couples from many cultures and even nations marry, they want a beautiful blend of celebrations that will last a lifetime for them and their guests. Welcome to the exciting and colourful world of Punjabi weddings!
Wedding Ceremonies
Roka/Thaka: The first in a long line of rites, Roka (derived from the term ‘rokna’ or’stop’) signifies the decision of two families to commit to a partnership. It is usually observed without the bride, with the bride’s relatives visiting the groom’s home to bless their union with presents such as fruits, sweets, clothing, money, and other assets.
ChunniCeremony: The Chunni ceremony is a symbolic gesture of welcoming the bride into the family by the groom’s mother and other female relatives. They arrive at the bride’s parents’ house with sweets, gifts, jewellery, engagement apparel, and more, as well as a red ‘chunni’ or drape for her head as a veil and token to bless her for the future while greeting her as their daughter-in-law.
Sagai
The Sagai ceremony, also known as the engagement ceremony, is held on the same day as the Chunni ceremony, and often even simultaneously. It involves the bride and groom exchanging rings.
Sangeet: The most anticipated wedding celebration, the Sangeet is a night of music, dance, and non-stop merriment! It was the Indian counterpart of a hen party, where the ladies of the family got together and sang folk songs, danced, and ridiculed the bride. It was traditionally organised by the bride’s relatives.
Mehndi: An important component of all Indian weddings, the Mehndi is a ceremony in which the bride has her hands, arms, and feet painted with henna. It is usually held during the day or afternoon. The couple’s names, favourite objects, or love storey are frequently used as inspiration for the designs.
Jaggo:
This family event, which takes place the night before the wedding, is a boisterous celebration in front of the magnificently decorated house with music, firecrackers, dancing, and sweets that lasts late into the night. Copper vessels are ornamented with lit candles and carried by the maternal aunt, who is accompanied by another lady shaking a stick with bells.
KangnaBandhana: This is the first ritual of the wedding day, and it consists of a pooja followed by the priest tying a frightened thread called’mouli’ around the couple’s right wrists with a betel nut and a shell. It is not to be removed as a symbol of good luck, and it will finally unravel on its own.
The chura is a set of ivory and crimson bangles worn by the bride for 40-45 days after her marriage, and it symbolises a newly married woman. During the ritual, the bride’s maternal uncle performs a havan, in which the bride’s chura (bangles) are cleansed in milk and rose petals and put on her wrists, after which she is presented with her bridal outfit.
The bride’s sisters and friends tie the kaleerein on her wrists after the ceremony. Betel nuts, dry fruits, and coconuts are customarily encrusted on these umbrella-shaped ornaments. The bride shakes her kaleerein over the heads of unmarried ladies at the wedding in a ceremony akin to a bouquet toss in catholic weddings, and whoever it lands on is thought to be next in line to get married.
Haldi: Another important aspect of Indian weddings, the Haldi involves happy festivities in which the bride and groom are smeared with a paste of turmeric, sandalwood, rose water, and other ingredients to give them a golden glow for their wedding day! Traditionally held separately, it is now frequently integrated with other pleasurable activities for the pair.
Ghara Gharoli: After the Haldi ceremony, the dried paste is wiped off and the bride and groom, along with their respective families, visit a local temple. In a ceremony called as Ghara Gharoli, they are bathed with pitchers of holy water. They then return to their hotel to get ready for the wedding.
Sehra Bandi: Once the groom is dressed in his wedding garb, he is honoured with a modest puja. The priest blesses the turban and the Sehra, which conceals his face, and an elder guy ties it around his head.
Ghodi Chadna (Ghodi Chadna):
One of the most prominent and anticipated rituals of an Indian wedding is the groom’s entry on horseback in lavish manner. The Punjabi groom traditionally rides a decorated mare that has been smeared with a tikka and given chana dal (lentils) and water by the groom’s female relatives. The groom then mounts the mare, which is known as the (ghodi chadna), and rides to the site with his dancing entourage, or ‘baraat.’
Milni:
The bride’s family greets the groom and the baraat with a warm welcome at the wedding venue, with the mother performing a traditional aarti and tikka for the groom. The bride’s corresponding relatives then embrace and welcome the groom’s relatives. For Milni, his maternal uncle, for example, is met and greeted by the bride’s maternal uncle, and so on.
Varmala: The Varmala is the traditional garland exchange that the couple conducts upon seeing one other, and it is a joyful rite appreciated by the couple, their family, and their guests alike. When the groom arrives, he is taken to the stage, where the bride enters with her family and mounts the stage for the rite. The exchange is frequently made more enjoyable by the couple’s friends picking them up, which makes it more difficult to complete.
Madhuperk: Following the varmala, the couple is led to the mandap, where the groom is given a bowl of water to drink before being served a special drink made of curd, honey, milk, ghee, and other sacred essences. Madhuperk is the name given to this rite.
Kanyadaan: The Kanyadaan is a ritual in which a father gives his daughter’s hand in marriage. It can be found in every country and religion around the world in some form or another. He asks the groom to look after his daughter with Vedic mantras, following which the groom accepts her hand and promises to love and protect her till death separates them.
The pair rises for the phere, Mangal Phere. Their drapes are knotted together at the ends to symbolise their marital bond, and then they encircle the sacred fire four times as chants are read aloud to commemorate their vows. For three of them, the bride walks ahead of the groom, and for the fourth, she walks behind him. In the eyes of the fire goddess, the couple is legally wedded.
Lajahom: The bride’s brother distributes puffed rice into her cupped palms during this rite.
Sindoor Daan: The husband finishes the wedding ceremonies by applying sindoor (vermilion) to the bride’s hair parting and tying the mangalsutra around her neck, binding them for life.
Joota Chupai: Another famous wedding ritual, Joota Chupai is a delightful trick played on the groom by the bride’s sisters, who take his shoes during the ceremony. They demand a ransom in exchange for his shoes after the wedding. The groom gets his shoes back only after a lot of banter and silly negotiating, and only after he gives his sisters-in-law what they want.
VidaaiandDoli: As the bride prepares to leave her home and family, the final goodbye in the Vidaai is a bittersweet rite. Following the tearful embraces, the bride tosses a handful of rice over her shoulder towards her home as a thank you for taking care of her. In a wedding procession known as Doli, she then hops into a decorated automobile with her husband and departs for her new home.
