The Gujarat state is renowned for its incredible culture and scrumptious vegetarian cuisine. Gujarati weddings are very popular for their royal styles. At the typical Gujarati wedding one can enjoy their great culture as well as different food items, as according to Gujarati wedding is not just a series of traditional ceremonies but also a huge celebration. Their weddings are full of rituals, as there are various pre and post-wedding rites.
Let’s have a glimpse on the pre and post-wedding rites of Gujarati weddings:
Chandlo Matli: The Chandlo Matli function is performed when the wedding date is fixed between the bride and groom’s families. During this ceremony bride’s father visit the groom’s home along with four other family male members and applies a red Chandlo (a red circle of vermillion) at the center of the groom’s forehead also they offer Shagun to him as a token of love.
Gol Dhana: It is an engagement ceremony sometime called Roka. It is also called dhana which means Coriander seeds and Jaggery. In this rite both the bride and groom exchange their rings in front of their families and relatives. The couple seeks blessings from five married ladies on each side of the family.
Mandap Mahurat: After the Gol Dhana, the mandap mahurat ceremony takes place which means all the preparations are going to start for the main wedding day. This is also called Mangal Mahurat. In this rite, a priest perform a puja at both homes (bride and groom’s home) for seeking blessings from Lord Ganesha and prays to God for the protection of the bride and groom along with their families from the negativity and other obstacles.
Griha Shanti: This is one of the most important rituals where the couple is seeking the blessings of all nine planets in order to overcome the hinderances posed by bad planetary positions in their horoscopes.
Mehandi: This function is held two days before the wedding in which a paste of henna is applied to the bride and groom’s hands following beautiful designs. And all the attendees also apply henna paste with different designs.
Sangeet Sandhya or Sanji: This ceremony takes place in the evening which is also known as sangeet sandhya and sangeet night. All the family members, relatives, and friends get together to perform the traditional dance (Garba dance) play dandiya as well as sing the folk wedding songs.
Pithi: This function is performed just a day prior to the wedding which is also known as the Haldi ceremony. This event is performed separately at the homes of the bride and groom.
They are considered to sit on a low stool and their family members, relatives, and friends smear a paste of turmeric, sandalwood, rosewater, and other herbs on their face, hands, and feet. Basically, the Pithi is prepared by the bride and groom’s paternal uncle’s wife who is called Kaki. After applying Pithi, they bathed in holy water.
Mameru or Mosalu: During this ceremony, a bride’s maternal uncle visits her home along with ample gifts such as jewelry, clothes, fruits and many more things.
Varghodo: The groom visits the bride’s home on a horse along with his friends, relatives, and family. All the people that come with the groom visit the bride’s place by walking and dancing. When the Groom and his family reach the bride’s house then they are welcomed by the bride’s mother with sweets and aarti which is known as the Jaan ritual, and the bride’s mother lightly pinches the groom’s nose as a reminder that he will always be humble with her daughter. It is really a fun custom.
Jaimala: It is a wedding ritual in which the bride and groom exchange fresh flower garlands on each other’s necks. This function is not solely intended for the meeting of two hearts, but also for two families to merge along with their tradition, values and customs that make the whole wedding complete
Madhuparka: The bride’s mother takes the groom to the mandap and washes his feet with five sacred drinks (milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, and sugar) which is also known as Panchamrut. During this ceremony, the bride’s sister steals the groom’s shoes, called Juta Churai.
Antarpaat: The bride’s maternal uncle takes to her wedding mandap and an unclear cloth is placed between the bride and the groom to stop them from seeing each other which is known as antarpaat.
Kanyadaan: Kanyadaan tradition is followed by Hindu weddings where a father his daugter’s hand in the groom’s hands which means he gives away his daughter to the groom. Then, the bride’s saree is knoteed to the groom’s shawl this ritual is known as the hasta milap. After that, the couple walk around the holy fire and the priest chants the Holy Scriptures. After each circle, the bride’s brother delivers the couple puffed rice to throw into the fire.
Saptapadi: In this ritual, the bride has to touch the seven betel nuts which are placed at regular intervals along a straight line with her toe and the groom helps her in this task. This process concludes with the bride and groom reciting the seven sacred vows.
Sindoor Daan: The groom puts vermillion on the bride’s hair parting, and the mangalsutra is tied around her neck.
Kansar : At the end of the ceremony, the bride and groom feed each other sweets.
Vidaai: In the end, the bride must bid a farewell to her family home and depart for her husband’s home. The bride and groom say goodbyes to their paternal homes in an emotional Vidaai ritual.
All these rituals are performed in a Gujarati wedding.
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