Indian weddings are the height of opulence. They are a feast for all of the senses, with vivid colors, long-standing traditions, and a dash of good-natured fun tossed in for good measure.
Weddings in India are generally three days long and include three primary ceremonies: the Misri, Sangeet Party, and Mehendi. There are a slew of additional fascinating Indian wedding customs to discover:
The Misri rite takes place a few days before the wedding and involves the soon-to-be newlyweds exchanging prayers, flower garlands, and gold rings.
The groom’s parents also give the bride a basket of gifts, with the Misri, or rock sugar, serving as a sign of their marriage’s sweetness.
Sangeet celebrations
This celebration can be held independently or in conjunction with the Mehendi ritual. The Sangeet is a celebration in which both families participate in singing and dancing. This can be confined to women only, or it can be available to everyone.
Mehendi
Only the women in the family attend the Mehendi, which is possibly the most well-known Indian wedding ceremony. It’s where the bride has beautiful henna designs applied to her hands and feet to symbolize her and her future husband’s bond. To remain pure, they do not eat again until the wedding, when the ceremony is completed and the parents have given the bride away.
Haldi is a Hindu ritual
The couple engages in the Haldi ceremony, in which their family gathers to apply oil, water, and turmeric to the couple before the wedding. The concoction is said to bless the pair because it gets all over their skin and clothes. It also hydrates their skin in preparation for their wedding the following day.
Outfits
When it comes to Indian brides, there is no such thing as white. They prefer strong reds, vibrant yellows, and rich oranges instead. The sari should be boldly colourful and embellished with gold decorations to indicate commitment, spirituality, and fertility, according to Hindu custom.
A traditional Indian bride will dress in a 16-piece ensemble that includes cosmetics, jewellery, and clothing. The Mangtikka, a jewel worn on the forehead, is the most well-known.
The colors of her sari and the groom’s outfit are mostly determined by their respective regions. To ward off evil spirits, the groom wears a turban decked with flowers and a unique type of shoe called a Sherwani or Mojari.
Mandap
When the big day arrives, the couple exchanges vows beneath a Mandap, a four-pillared canopy painted in brilliant colors that often complement the couple’s spectacular attire. On the day of the wedding ceremony, this is built.
On the morning of the wedding, the groom pays a visit to his future in-laws’ house, where his future mother-in-law washes his feet and serves him milk and honey. While this is going on, his future sister-in-law will try to steal his shoes! If she wins this game of Jutti Chupai, the groom will be required to pay her in order for her to return the items in time for the ceremony.
Homa laja
During the ritual, the bride’s brother pours rice into her hands, which is known as the Laja homa. Because the groom’s palms are clasped underneath, some of the rice will spill onto his hands before slipping into the sacred fire.
Mangalsultra
Instead of exchanging rings, Hindu couples tie three knots around their bride’s neck with a mangalsultra (necklace with two gold pendants). This is to symbolize a strong, century-long connection, and it is the emblem of an Indian woman’s marital status, similar to rings in the Western world.
One of the more entertaining rites is mangal pheras. After circling the sacred fire four times to symbolize dharma, artha, kama, and moksha, the bride and groom rush to their seats. Whoever gets there first will lead the family.
The beginning of a new life
The bride and her new husband are taken to her new husband’s house, but first they are sprayed with salt water to fend off evil, and then the bride takes her first steps inside after immersing her feet in a milk and vermillion combination. This suggests that she walks around with red footprints on the floor in order to invoke Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of love, beauty, and wealth. Finally, to attract prosperity and express her ready to take on new duties, the bride pours a bowl of rice with her right foot.
