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Know about The Traditions and Glamour of Marwari Wedding

Marwaris hail from Rajasthan and are one of the biggest business communities in India today. Marwari weddings are a community affair and apart from being full of traditions and rituals it is an expensive celebration which continues for many days. The elaborate display of wealth and customs make a Marwari wedding spectacular. It can be divided basically into pre-wedding rituals, wedding day and post-wedding rituals. Let us now check out how Marwari wedding customs and celebration goes ahead.

The event of ‘Sagai’ that is engagement takes place at the groom’s house. Elders from the bride’s side bless the groom and the bride’s brother applies kumkum and rice tika on the groom’s forehead. This ceremony is called ‘Mudha Tikka’. The family of the groom also visits the bride’s household with gifts of sarees and jewellery and the ring ceremony takes place. The ritual ends with seeking the blessing of elders and lunch.

‘Ganapati Sthapana’ and ‘Griha Shanti’ are two religious rituals observed in both groom and bride’s household after the ‘Sagai’ and it is performed by a priest to seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha and for appeasement of the planetary lords. Puja, havan and various other ceremonies are observed for successful completion of the marriage. 

The ceremony of ‘Sangeet’ is like an ice-breaking occasion with the bride. The future in-laws of the bride assemble around her, dressed in their fineries and share light jokes along with song and dance to popular Bollywood and folk songs. A separate occasion for the groom is a bachelor’s party where the groom along with his friends and male cousins get together to share jokes with dance and maybe some drinks. This is a time when the groom enjoys his last day of bachelor life.

The ceremonies of ‘Haldi’ and ‘Mehandi’ are another pre-wedding ritual of much importance and are celebrated in both the groom and bride’s household. ‘Haldi’ is the ceremony where the groom and the bride are bathed ritually after applying turmeric paste. ‘Mehandi’ is also a very joyous ceremony for the ladies of the house, especially the friends and cousins of the bride. Mehendi or henna dye is applied to the hands and feet of the bride and also the other ladies.   

The wedding attire of a Marwari bride and groom is very regal, traditional and elaborate. The groom is dressed in sherwanis, jodhpuris and turban with a sarpech. He carries a sword on his kamarbandh and wears traditional Rajasthani jootis. The bride dresses up in red Lehenga Choli and a heavy Odhni. She is decked up in traditional jewellery of gold, meenakari and kundan. 

On the day of the wedding, the groom heads out to the wedding venue but before that the ‘Sehra’ is tied around his head to hide his face. The ‘Sehra’ is usually made of flowers, zari or string of pearls. The procession leading to the wedding venue is called ‘Baraat’. The groom rides a horse and holds a sword which is typical of the Rajasthani Marwari tradition. The ‘Baraat Dhukav’ is the ceremony when the groom’s procession reaches the venue of the wedding. He is welcomed by the bride’s mother with ‘aarti’, sweets and water.

With the welcome of the groom, the main rituals of the wedding ceremony start.  The bride is brought into the wedding Mandap. She puts seven suhalis on the head of the groom. Suhali is a type of snack. Following this the bride and the groom exchange garlands which are known as ‘Jaimala’ or ‘Varmala’. At this point, the bride and groom’s odhni are now tied which signifies their union and is known as ‘Granthi Bandhan’. Later, the father of the bride performs the ‘Kanyadaan’ where he asks the groom to take the full responsibility of the bride and the bride also accepts the in-laws family as her own. In Marwari weddings, the bride and the groom go around the holy wedding fire seven times. For the first three rounds or ‘pheras’, the bride leads and in the next four, the groom leads. The next important ritual of a Marwari wedding is ‘Sindoor daan’. The groom puts vermillion on the forehead of the central hair parting of the bride symbolizing the marital status of the woman. After the final offering in the holy fire, the bride and the groom seeks the blessing of the priest and elders of the house and thus ends the wedding rituals. 

‘Joota Chupai’ is one of the entertaining parts of a Marwari wedding. The groom’s shoes are hidden by the friends and cousins of the bride and the groom has to bargain and settle for an amount to get his shoes returned. ‘Bidai’ is the process of the newlyweds leaving the parental house of the bride to the house of the groom. It is an episode of a tearful goodbye. Upon arrival at her husband’s home, the bride receives an elaborate and warm welcome from her mother-in-law who performs an ‘arti’ before ushering the bride in. The bride is asked to put her right foot over the threshold into a tray containing milk and vermillion solution. This ceremony is called ‘Griha Pravesh’. The bride kicks over a pot filled with rice and coins and enters the household of her husband. This symbolizes incoming of wealth and fertility. ‘Pagelagni’ and ‘Mooh Dikhai’ are the next rituals. The bride is introduced to the family and to its extended members and she offers her respects to them. Elder female member of the groom’s family lifts the bride’s veil and one-by-one and bless her. She is also presented token gifts on the occasion. ‘Chooda Pehenana’ is a ritual where the bride’s mother-in-law presents a set of lac and ivory bangles to the bride as a symbol of marital life and good omen. The entire wedding cycle is completed with the ‘phool sajja’ in which the bride and the groom sleep together and the wedding is consummated.

Marwari wedding is all about traditions and rituals and it is an occasion where the community is at their best. Right from the very beginning of the ceremony till the end it is like a celebration. We at releaseMyAd for last one decade have served the Marwari community to find an ideal matrimonial match with our newspaper advertising platform. With top newspapers in our listing and local Rajasthan circulated newspapers, releaseMyAd is a one-stop solution for finding the perfect bride or groom by placing Marwari matrimonial ads. 

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Understand The Rituals and Traditions of a Malayalam Wedding!

Malayali weddings are filled with interesting traditions and rituals. The wedding ceremonies are very royal which involves uniting two individuals and their respective families in a sacred and lovable bond. In South India, people always try to provide the best education and all other facilities to their children. They even provide the best to their children even when it comes to finding the best match for marriage. Malayali parents take extra care to choose the life partners for their children. Even though Malayali families are quite broad-minded and accept love marriages, educational background and family background of the prospect is of prior importance.

Kerala is always believed to have the most amazing and breathtaking scenic beauty. This state also has some unique wedding customs too. Most North Indians wedding ceremonies are held after sundown. However, Malayali weddings often happen in the morning. Here are the pre-wedding rituals, wedding and post-wedding rituals that make the Kerala Hindu wedding a grand affair.

Pre-Wedding Rituals

  • Muhurtham – In this ritual, the astrologer matches the kundalis of the bride and groom. If the Kundlis matches, a Muhurath or a date for the wedding is fixed. 
  • Nischayam – Nischayam is the other name of engagement in Malayalam weddings. Both the families make an official announcement of the wedding in front of family, relatives and friends.
  • Traditional Party – The bride’s family organises a party for the guests just before the wedding ceremony and offers a delicious vegetarian meal for the guests.

Wedding Day Rituals

Malayali Wedding
  • Madhuparkam – When the groom reaches the wedding venue, he and his family members are welcomed in a grand way and the bride’s father washes the feet of the groom. The groom hands his in-laws a white saree which the bride is supposed to wear during the wedding ceremonies.
  • Kanyadaanam – All the wedding ceremonies are performed in front of a Veli (holy fire). The couple goes around the Veli three times and then the groom ties a Taali (yellow necklace) around the bride’s neck. After this, the actual Kanyadaanam ritual is done, where the bride’s father hands over his daughter’s hand in the hands of the groom. Kanyadaanam is the moment when the bride’s father gives his daughter’s hand in the groom’s hand.
  • Sparsham – During this ritual, the groom is made to sit on the floor where he faces the bride and their foreheads touch. The priest asks the bride to put rice in the Veli while chanting mantras. The groom helps the bride to put her foot on the Ammi (grinding stone) to signify that she is breaking ties with her family and stepping onto a new family.
  • Sadhya – After all the rituals have taken place, all the guests sit together and a feast is organized where traditional vegetarian dishes are served.

Post Wedding ceremonies

  • Kudivep – After the wedding is over, the couple starts for the groom’s house, where the newlyweds are heartily welcomed by the groom’s mother with lit oil lamps. This welcome ceremony is known as Kudivep.
  • Griha Pravesh – This is the ritual which takes place post wedding where the bride officially enters her new home for the first time.

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Joy, Excitement, Food and Rituals of a Gujarati Wedding Ceremony

When we think about Gujarati weddings, the songs “Nagada Sang Dhol” and “Dholi Taro” comes to our mind. The sounds of Dhol, Nagada, Murli, Turi, Taturi are the first that you would hear when you attend any Gujarati wedding. Gujarat is the land of culture, colors and delicious food. People of Gujarat financially well-off and also have a rich culture. Their weddings are very traditional, ritualistic, and grand which includes their food, decorations and their attires. All the rituals are followed very carefully and with complete dedication. Gujarati weddings are packed with fun-filled events including the Garba nights and the delicious vegetarian food that they serve in the wedding. 

The Gujarati Wedding ceremonies have three parts including the pre wedding rituals, wedding day ceremonies and post wedding ceremonies. Let’s have a look about the rituals and ceremonies that take place during the marriage in any Gujarati family.

Pre Wedding rituals and ceremonies :

  • Chandlo Matli – When the marriage gets fixed between the two families, this ritual is performed. During this ritual, the father of the bride along with four other male members of his family visits the groom’s house and applies Chandlo – a red circle made of vermillion at the center of the forehead. They bless the groom and offer him Shagun.
  • Gol Dhana / Sagaai – Gol Dhana means coriander seeds and jaggery. This ritual is performed a few days before the wedding  which also means the engagement ceremony in other cultures. The bride’s family visits the groom’s family and presents them with gifts of sweets and savories. The bride and the groom exchange rings. Five married women, each from the bride’s and groom’s family blesses the couple-to-be for a happy married life. A small feast is arranged for members of the two families. 
  • Ganesha Sthapan – Also known as Ganesha Maatli is said to be the beginning of any wedding ceremony or ritual. During this ceremony, both the families of the bride and the groom perform a Ganesh puja at their home a few days before the wedding. Everyone prays for their happy and successful married life.
  • Mandap Mahurat – This ritual is performed to start the arrangements of the wedding. Both the bride’s and the groom’s family performs this ritual. The priest performs a puja at the house especially praying to Lord Ganesha and seeking his blessings to remove all obstacles from the couple’s paths before their union.
  • Mehendi – Mehendi ceremony takes place two days prior to the wedding day. Henna paste is applied on the bride’s hands and feet. The initials of the groom are incorporated in the design. Other women in the family also apply mehendi. Wedding songs are sung by women at the venue during the mehendi ceremony.
  • Pithi – Pithi is almost similar to haldi ceremony in which a paste of sandalwood, turmeric, saffron, rosewater is applied to the bride and the groom by friends and family at their respective homes. The turmeric included in the paste is considered auspicious.
  • Sangeet Sandhya / Sanji – This is the most fun filled ceremony in the Gujarati wedding and is observed during the evening a day prior to the wedding. Both the bride’s and the groom’s family get together at a common venue and perform songs and dance especially traditional Dandiya and Garba dances. 
  • Mameru – Also known as Mosalu, this ceremony takes place one or two days prior to the wedding day. The groom’s maternal uncles, Mama and Mosa, visit the bride’s house with presents for her, ahead of her wedding day. Traditionally, the gifts include her bridal dress – a Paanetar saree, jewellery sets and chura, along with sweets and dry fruits.

Wedding Day Ceremonies :

  • Varghodo – This ceremony is the Gujarati wedding version of a Baraat. The groom arrives at the bride’s house on a horse and is followed by a dancing procession led by his family members and friends. 
  • Ponkvu – The family of the bride welcomes the groom’s Baraat with the ritual of Ponkvu in a grand way. The bride’s mother welcomes the groom with Aarti and Tilak after which she playfully pulls his nose while he tries to escape.
  • Jaimala – Both the bride and the groom exchange garlands as they formally meet each other for the first time on their wedding day. During Jaimala, they exchange the garland twice while playing a game where their relatives lift them higher so that they don’t get snared first.
  • Madhuparka – The mother of the bride leads the groom to the Mandap. She washes his feet with milk and water and then offers him Panchamrut, a drink made of ghee, honey, sugar, milk and yogurt. While the groom is busy in the wedding ritual, the bride’s sisters take advantage of this opportunity and hide the shoes of the groom. 
  • Antarpaat – In this ceremony, a curtain is raised between the bride and groom. The bride is escorted to the mandap by her maternal uncle. During the course of this ritual, the curtain is lowered.
  • Kanya Daan – The bride’s father washes the groom’s feet with milk and water, after which he gives his daughter’s hand to him and blesses the couple. Kanyadaan is the moment when the bride’s father gives his daughter’s hand in the groom’s hand.
  • Hasta Milap and Varmala – The priest ties the bride’s saree to the groom’s shawl in this ritual known as the hasta milap. After that, a cord is tied around the couple’s necks by the elders in the family to ward off evil, which is known as varmala.
  • Mangal Pheras – The bride and the groom circle around the fire four times, each with its own special meaning and commitment – Dharma, Kama, Artham, Moksha. The priest chants sacred verses from the scriptures asking the couple to repeat them. The married couple then seeks the blessings of the elders. 
  • Saptapadi – The bride touches seven betel nuts placed at regular intervals along a straight line with her right toe. The groom helps her to perform the task. The bride and the groom then repeats the seven sacred vows during this ritual.
  • Sindoon Daan – The groom puts vermillion or the sindoor on the bride’s hair parting and ties the mangalsutra around her neck. 
  • Kansar – The bride and groom feed each other with sweets at the end of the wedding ceremony. 

Post-wedding Rituals and ceremonies :

Gujarati Matrimonial
  • Saubhagyavati Bhava – To bless the couple, seven married women are invited to the bride’s place. While blessing the bride, these seven women recite the three words, Akhanda Sauvagyavati Bhava which means may your married glory remain forever.
  • Chero Pakaryo – This is a fun-filled ritual where the groom tugs at the saree of his mother-in-law where he asks for gifts from the bride’s family.
  • Ashirwad – The couple seeks blessings from all the elders of both the families.
  • Vidaai – The bride bid a tearful goodbye to her family and headed towards her husband’s house.
  • Ghar Nu Laxmi – After the bride reaches the groom’s house, she is warmly welcomed by her mother-in-law with an arti and tilak. She then enters her new home after knocking down a pot full of rice with her right foot.
  • Aeki beki– This ceremony is a very joyous ceremony after the hectic wedding schedule. A bowl filled with milk is put in front of the newly wed couple and a ring is dropped in it. Both the bride and the groom then have to find the ring, and whoever wins, gets a gift. It is also believed that whoever finds the ring first will be in control of the family and rules the marriage. 
  • Reception – After the rituals are over at the groom’s end, the groom’s family organizes the wedding reception. The guests at the reception party include mostly the near and dear ones of the groom’s family.

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Traditions of a Tamil Wedding

Tamilians are always known for their elegance and simplicity even if it is something as big and extravagant as marriage. With all kinds of rituals and cultural norms that are much different from other Indian weddings, the Tamil wedding is one that gives importance to peaceful and spiritual union over pomp and grandeur. Tamilians give immense priority to their tradition and rituals which should be performed in the right manner. Weddings in the south are very different from those up in north India. Tamil people represent the major identity of South Indian communities and are known for their simple living and great education. Typical Tamil weddings are more about sticking to the age old customs and traditions than having lavish arrangements. 

Tamil weddings are always filled up with joy and happy moments. They have big events with distant relatives, friends and family members but they would make sure there will be no compromise on the actual traditional ceremony. Tamil weddings, also known as Kalyanam, take place during the day of all months of the Tamilian calendar except Aashad, Bhadrapad and Shunya. The Tamil wedding ceremonies are broken up in Pre Wedding, Wedding and Post Wedding rituals. Pre Wedding rituals consist of NakshatraPorutham, Marriage Agreement, Panda Kaal Muhurtham, Sumangali Prarthanai, Pallikal Thellichal, Vrutham, Naandi Shraddham, Nishchaya Tram and Lagna Pathirikai. On the day of the wedding, they have MangalaSnanam, Gauri Puja, Kashi Yathra, Pada Puja, Pada Puja, Oonjal, Kanyadanam, Muhurtham, Saptapadi and lastly the post wedding rituals are Reception, Sammandhi Maryathai, Paaladaanam, Grihapravesham, Valeyadal, Maruveedu Varudal.

Tamil Wedding

Pre-wedding Rituals:

  • Nakshatra Porutham – Matching of horoscopes are given utmost importance in a Tamil wedding. Horoscopes are matched which determines a lot of factors for the impending wedding like the wedding date, precise moment for the wedding or muhurtha and other rituals as well.
  • Marriage Agreement– The marriage agreement is created by the priests on both sides once the marriage date is fixed. A meeting is arranged at the groom’s place where both the families exchange the marriage agreements by putting it on a platter containing a bunch of bananas, betel leaves, betel nuts and a coconut. Gifts are then exchanged between the families.
  • Panda Kaal Muhurtham – During this ritual, both the families visit a temple or may organize a special puja at one of the homes, and pray to God so that the wedding may happen without any obstacles. This is generally done on the day before the wedding.
  • Sumangali Prarthanai – This is a puja directed towards the Sumangalis or married women who take part during the rituals of the wedding. These women are basically close relatives, family members and friends. The women, generally grouped in odd numbers like three or five or seven, get decked up in traditional sarees. Once the puja is completed, the bride seeks blessings from each Sumangali and gives her some special gift like a saree or jewellery. Lunch is also arranged for them.
  • Pallikal Thellichal – Clay pots are decorated with vermillion and sandalwood paste by five or seven married women of the family or both the bride and the groom’s families. Every pot contains nine different types of grains or navadhaanyam and are placed along with a bit of curd. A traditional south Indian sand art design that is believed to be bringing good luck, is prepared at a particular spot within the house.
  • Vrutham – This ritual takes place at the groom’s house in the early morning before the wedding day. The day signifies transition of the groom from the Bachelorhood phase to Domestic phase. He seeks permission from his father to proceed to this phase. A sacred thread which is yellow in color along with turmeric is tied around the groom’s wrists. In a similar ceremony or puja, a yellow thread is also tied around the bride’s wrists. This thread is said to protect the bride and the groom from evil energy.
  • Naandi Shraddham – During this ritual, the groom’s family arrives at the wedding venue on the morning of the day before. The bride’s family welcomes them with tray full of favors like sweets, betel leaves, betel nuts and fruits. The groom is especially welcome with a shower of rose water. A garland is put around the groom’s neck and a spot of sandalwood and vermillion paste is applied on his forehead. After the welcome, ten Brahmins are invited over who take part in a ritual that offers appeasement to the families’ departed ancestors. The Brahmins are treated to traditional Tamil vegetarian lunch and are given traditional two piece garments along with betel leaves, betel nuts, coconut, fruits and sweets. The Brahmins bless the couple and wish them a prosperous life ahead.
  • Nishchayathram – This is the engagement ceremony that is done formally. The ritual begins with a puja to lord Ganesh at the bride’s home. The groom’s family arrives at the bride’s house. They give a beautiful saree and jewelleries to the bride. They then apply a spot of sandalwood paste and vermillion on the bride’s forehead. The sumangalis from both sides come and fill up the free end of the bride’s saree with rice, fruits, coconut, flower, turmeric, betel nut and betel leaves. An arti of the bride is performed while a garland is tied around her waist. The bride’s family also performs a similar ritual and gives new clothes to the groom. The bride and the groom then change into these new clothes. In some families, the couple also exchanges rings after they have changed.
  • Lagna Pathirikai – This ritual involves announcement of the wedding and offering verbal invitation to the wedding. The family priests after consulting the couple’s horoscopes come up with the most auspicious moment of carrying out the wedding which they formally draft in the lagna patrikai which outlines the names of the family members, the bride and the groom’s, the marriage date and the marriage time. The time of the wedding or the Lagna is announced in front of all the family members of both the bride’s and the groom’s side. The lagna patrikai is seen and signed by the heads of the two families. Following this, gifts are exchanged between the two families.

Wedding Day Rituals:

  • MangalaSnanam – The Mangalasnanam ritual is observed separately by the bride and the groom’s sides. A paste of turmeric, sandalwood and kumkum is prepared by the married women. They take turns in applying oil to the bride/groom’s hair and applying the paste on their face, hands and feet. After the ritual, the bride/groom takes a bath in holy water to cleanse their body. They then proceed to get ready for the wedding ceremony.
  • Gauri Puja – This ritual is performed only by the bride. An idol of the Goddess Gauri, is placed on a plate containing rice and kumkum. After the bride has been dressed up, she offers her prayers and performs a short puja to the Gauri idol wishing for a happily married life ahead.
  • Kashi Yatra – The groom’s party arrives at the wedding venue and the groom grabs an umbrella, walking sticks and some food items to go off to Varanasi or Kashi, renouncing all worldly attachments to pursue religious studies. The father of the bride then intercepts him outside the wedding hall and makes him see the virtues of domestic life. The father of the bride then promises the groom to give his daughter to him in marriage. The groom accepts this proposal and returns to the wedding venue to get married. The umbrella is to be kept with the groom throughout the wedding to remind him of the decision and his duties thereby.
  • Pada Puja – After the groom arrives at the wedding mandap, the parents of the bride washes his feet with holy water, sandalwood, kumkum and milk. His feet are then wiped dry with flower petals.
  • Maalai Maatral – In this ritual, the bride is brought into the wedding mandap and the couple exchange flower garlands as a first step of the wedding. The ritual is repeated three times and the bride/groom tries to evade garlanding by the other.
  • Oonjal – Oonjal generally means a swing. During ritual, the couple is made to sit on the swing. The women of the family surround the swing and sing Oonjal Pattu songs. The elders of the family come one by one and feed the couple milk and banana and bless them. Women from both the families carry colored rice balls around the couple seated in the swing in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions three times before throwing the balls in four cardinal directions to remove evil energy. Older women also go around the couple holding an earthen lamp and pot filled with water three times in clockwise direction. The gentle rocking motion of the swing represents the turbulent situation that life may present to them.
  • Kanyadanam – The bride and groom is then asked to step off the swing. The end of the bride’s saree is tied to the end of the groom’s angavastram. The bride’s mother then applies kajal on the groom’s eyes and the bride’s father washes his feet. Through this ritual the groom is viewed as representative of Lord Vishnu. The groom is then made to sit on the floor at his designated spot. The bride’s father sits facing the groom. The bride is seated on her father’s lap and a coconut is placed on her hands. The bride’s father then supports his daughter’s hands and offers the coconut to the groom together. The mother of the bride pours holy water over the coconut. Through this ceremony, the bride’s parents give her to the groom and request him to take care of their daughter for the rest of their life. The bride and the groom’s hands are tied with a sacred thread to seal their union.
  • Muhurtham – After completion of the Kanyadanam, the groom’s parents present the bride with a nine yard silk saree symbolizing their acceptance of the bride into their family. The saree is draped around the bride’s shoulders while the groom applies vermillion to her hair parting. The bride then goes to change into the saree gifted to her by her in-laws. When she returns to the mandapam, a grass ring is placed on her head, over which the yoke of a plough is placed and a belt made of reed grass is placed around her waist. Water is poured over the yoke. This ritual is a symbolic reminder of the fact that the bride and the groom together have to overcome the challenges of life. The Thaali is blessed by the priest and the groom ties the Thaali, or south Indian equivalent of a mangalsutra, around the bride’s neck. The first two knots of the Thaali are put in by the groom while the third and the final one is put in by the groom’s sister.
  • Saptapadi – In this ritual, the bride and the groom hold each other’s hands and go around the sacred fire seven times. Mantras are chanted by the priest which depicts the seven sacred vows of a marriage. This ritual marks the symbolic beginning of the couple’s journey as husband and wife. The groom then holds the bride’s left toe as she steps over a grindstone. This symbolically represents the solidity of their union.

Post-wedding Rituals:

  • Reception –Once the wedding is over, it is followed by a formal reception in the evening where the guests are treated with a lavish vegetarian dinner. The newly weds are seated on a throne like chairs on top of a stage where they can meet the guests.
  • Sammandhi Maryathai – During this ceremony, The two families exchange gifts and the bride prepares to leave her paternal home. She is bid an emotional goodbye by her parents and relatives after they have prayed to God.
  • Paaladaanam – Before their departure, the bride and the groom lie face down and seek the blessings of the elders. The groom then escorts the bride to his home.
  • Grihapravesham– Once the bride reaches the groom’s home, she is given a warm welcome. The mother-in-law performs arti and escorts her inside the house where she is led to seek the blessings of the family deity first.
  • Valeyadal – This ritual refers to the formal introduction of the bride to the members of the groom’s family who offers her gifts. Several games are played to break the ice between the bride and the groom.
  • Maruvidu Varudal – Three days after the wedding, the couple visits the bride’s paternal home. They are welcomed and are fed a delicious lunch. The bride’s parents give the couple gifts. This ritual marks the end of all the wedding celebrations.

For a note, the most important aspect of any wedding is the wedding ensemble of both the bride and the groom but more stress is laid on the bride’s attire. It is selected much in advance and the accessories to go with it are also decided way before the wedding. A Tamilian bride looks every bit of a Goddess on earth in a beautiful kanjeevaram silk sari, wearing traditional gold jewellery from head to toe and showing off her long braid accessorized with hair jewellery and flowers. The groom, on the other hand, wears a dhoti and kurta or a sherwani if he wants. Ensure that the wedding outfits for both are decided and kept ready with all the accessories much in advance.

Traditionally, the whole of this wedding arrangements starting from choosing a bride or a groom were arranged by the family members. But in recent times, most of the families rely on advertising marriage ads in newspapers and online wedding portals to get the best match for the prospective bride or the groom. releaseMyAd, being an authentic online newspaper ad booking agency assists people to place their advertisements in any renowned newspaper of their choice. releaseMyAd has served more than 3 lakhs of customers and have more than 10 years of experience in the advertisement industry. You can advertise in more than 270 newspapers across the nation. 

To book Tamil matrimonial advertisement in the newspaper, you just need to click on the link https://www.releasemyad.com/newspaper/cat/matrimonial/tamil. You can also email us at book@releasemyad.com if you have any query related to your matrimonial ad. You can connect with us at 9830629298 via call or WhatsApp or take the help of the Live Chat support which is available for 24 x 7. 

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Bengali Weddings are not just lavish, but also culturally rich and diverse. Know more about it

Bengali wedding or what it is called in Bengali as ‘Biye’ is not just a day-long occurrence but a festival rich in tradition spanning multiple days. It is not just a union between two people but a ceremony where two families come together and become one. A ‘Biya’ is divided into basically three parts: Pre-wedding rituals, wedding rituals and post-wedding rituals. The entire episode is defined with the gathering of friends and family, good food, glamorous clothes and jewellery and religious rituals. Let’s explore how the entire event goes ahead.

 A traditional Bengali arranged marriage is facilitated by a matchmaker called ‘Ghotok’. They are usually friends or relatives and can be from any side. They introduce the families and on certain day parents of the bride or groom along with other relatives go to the other party’s house to formalize the marriage known as ‘Paka Kotha’. On an auspicious day after that elders from the groom and the bride’s side visit each other’s place and bless the boy and the girl with clothes and gold ornaments. This formal occasion is known as ‘Ashirwad’. Food being an integral part of Bengali culture, all aspects of a Bengali Biye is accompanied by elaborate lunch or dinner. ‘Aai Budo Bhaat’ is such a ceremony where the bride-to-be has her last meal in her parent’s household. Women of the household on both the sides play an integral part in a few sacred rituals prior to the main wedding ceremony. Some of these rituals are ‘Ananda Nadu’ which is associated with coconut, sweets and puffed rice, ‘Dhodhi Mangal’ early morning ritual on both the groom and bride’s family, ‘Holud kota’ grinding of turmeric for anointing the bride and groom. ‘Vriddhi’ is a solemn occasion where the ancestors are invoked and are usually performed by a paternal uncle.

Early morning of the day of the wedding is accompanied by quite a few traditional rituals on both the bride and groom’s side. One such important ceremony is ‘Gaye Holud’. Prior to that, ‘Adhibas Tattwa’ is received by the groom’s family from the bride’s side which includes fish, sweets, curd, paan, clothes, etc. During ‘Gaye Holud’ the groom is bathed after applying turmeric paste and the same turmeric is sent to the bride’s house along with ‘Gaye Holud Tattwa’ for the bride to take bath. This is followed by ‘Sankha porano’ ritual in the bride’s household where the bride wears the sankha and pola bangles symbolic of a married Bengali woman.

The main wedding rituals commence with ‘Bor Boron’ that is welcoming the ‘Bor’, the groom to the bride’s place. The groom is accompanied by a trail of ‘Bor Jatri’, members of the groom’s house as well as his friends headed by a guardian known as ‘Bor Korta’ and the groom’s best man ‘Nid Bor’ who is the youngest member of the groom’s family.  The groom is then seated in the ‘Chadnatola’ which is the wedding altar and is offered new clothes by the person from the bride’s side that performs ‘sampradan’.

Thereafter, is the ceremony of ‘Saat Paak’ where the bride is carried on a wooden seat called ‘piri’ by her brothers and circled around the groom seven times. The bride all this time hides her face behind beetle leaves which she holds in her hand. After ‘Saat Paak’ is ‘Subho Dristi’ when the bride removes the beetle leaves and the bride and groom glances at each other for the first time. The bride continues to sit on the ‘piri’ carried by her brothers and the ceremony of ‘Mala Bodol’ is carried out which is the exchange of flower garlands. This entire process is full of enjoyment and fun accompanied by the sound of conches and ‘ullu’.

The solemn Vedic ceremony of ‘Sampradan’ takes place after that where an elderly male member of the bride’s family hands her over to the groom. Followed by that is yagna and the ritual of ‘Saptapadi’ which is a bit different from ‘phere’ which happens in North Indian weddings. In the ‘Saptapadi’ ritual of Bengali marriage, the bride steps on seven laid out betel leaves and the groom follow her moving with his foot the stone called ‘nora’ which is used for grinding spices. Later, ‘anjali’ is offered to the fire using puffed rice by the bride and groom and the brother of the bride helps in the process. The last ritual of the wedding is ‘Sindor daan’ where the groom offers vermillion to the bride’s hair parting which is symbolic of Hindu married women. The entire evening is celebrated with guests, friends and relatives and a huge table and menu are spread out with delicious traditional and contemporary dishes to relish upon which quintessentially includes fish preparations and sweets like rosogolla. The bride and groom stay that night in ‘basor ghor’ kept awake by friends and relatives with jokes and merrymaking. Next morning happens the ritual of ‘bashi biye’ where in the priest’s presence, Sun god is worshipped.    

Bengali wedding is incomplete without the post-wedding ceremonies which happen in the groom’s household. Day after the wedding ceremony is the farewell ceremony called ‘biday’ which is a moment of sorrow and joy in the bride’s household. The new bride is welcomed to the groom’s house with the rituals of ‘bodhu boron’. The bride enters the house after being welcomed by the mother-in-law stepping on milk and alta. This night is known as ‘kalratri’ and the bride and groom are separated. On the third day after the wedding is the ceremony of ‘bou bhaat’. The bride cooks for the first time in the groom’s household and the groom formally takes the responsibilities of the bride’s basic needs known as ‘bhaat kapor’. This is followed by a reception of family, relatives and friends who are introduced to the bride and again a huge menu is laid out to the guests. The last tradition of the entire ceremony is ‘phool sajja’ where friends of the groom decorate the bed of the newly wedded couple and flower, clothes and sweets come from the bride’s house.

The ritual of ‘dira gaman’ is observed after a few days from the wedding. This marks the newly wedded couple visiting the bride’s house for the first time after the wedding ceremony. With this auspicious occasion, a Bengali wedding ceremony comes to an end and the bride and groom and their families are unified in a forever bond.

Bengali Matrimonial

 Earlier, these elaborate affairs were managed by friends and relatives but these days when everyone’s lifestyle have changed and joint family structures have broken up into nuclear families, quite a few of these ceremonies are managed by event managers and catering agencies. We, at releaseMyAd have helped simplify Bengali marriage by providing the service of finding the future bride or groom. Apart from the traditional method of employing ‘ghotoks’ people trust newspaper advertisements to find their match. releaseMyAd has made matrimonial ad booking for Bengali community easy and hasslefree in the newspaper of their choice. The portal has been trusted for over a decade and has served more than 3 lakhs, happy customers. Through releaseMyAd you can book ads in popular Bengali newspapers like Anandabazar Patrika, Bartaman, Aajkal and also English dailies like Times of India and The Telegraph. We cover more than 100 newspapers all over India.

To place a Bengali matrimonial advertisement in any newspaper throughout India click on https://www.releasemyad.com/newspaper/cat/matrimonial/bengali and proceed on our self-serve platform. If you have any query and you are facing any difficulty in the booking process feel free to get in touch with our customer support team on Phone/ WhatsApp number 9830629298. You can also reach us via 24*7 Live Chat support or drop an email to book@releasemyad.com with all details.