Punjabi Wedding Rituals

Here is presented information about Punjabi wedding rituals:

Chuda & Ghara Ghardoli

To commemorate the Chuda ceremony, a havan or puja is conducted by the pandit. Thereafter, the pundit ties a mauli on the to be bride’s wrist. The oldest maternal uncle and aunt play an important role in the performance of the ceremony. They fast till the event is completed. Chuda is basically a set of red and cream ivory bangles that is touched by all present. People touch the chuda and give their heartiest wishes to the girl for her future married life. Also, they sprinkle flower petals on the to be bride. Prasad is distributed to all. After that, the girl’s uncle, aunt, friends and cousins tie kaliras (silver, gold or gold plated traditional ornaments) to a bangle worn by the girl.

Four lamps or diyas are lit and the to be bride is made to sit facing them. Oil is constantly poured into the lamps, so that the glow from diyas is reflected on her face. Vatna involves applying the paste made from turmeric powder and mustard oil all over the girl’s body by her female friends and relatives. This is done to make the girl look more beautiful on the special day of our life.

In the Ghara Ghardoli ceremony, the bride’s sibling or sibling’s spouse visits the nearby temple and fills a pitcher with holy water. The girl is then bathed with this holy water. The ghara ghardoli and the vatna ceremonies take place at the groom’s house too. But over there, the boy’s sister-in-law brings the pitcher of water.

Thereafter, the bride and groom wear their wedding attire. As per the tradition, their wedding dress is presented to them by their respective maternal uncles.

Sehrabandi & Ghodi Chadna

After the groom has dressed up in his wedding clothes, a puja is performed. Thereafter, the groom’s father or al elderly relative ties the "sehra" on the to be groom’s head. The boy also wears a pink color turban, which is touched by all present. After the completion of Sehrabandi ceremony, all those who witness the function give gifts and cash to the boy.

The groom’s sister-in-law lines the boy’s eyes with surma. Thereafter, the to be groom’s sisters and cousins feed and adorn his mare. After that the boy climbs the horse and leave for the marriage venue. To ward off the evil eye, people use cash and perform the Varna ritual.

Milni Ceremony

When the groom’s barat reaches the wedding venue, milni ceremony is performed. The bride’s close relatives give a warm welcome to the groom and his relatives with flower garlands. Rose water is sprinkled on them. In the milni ceremony, the girl's relatives give shagun to the groom's close relatives. It is done in the descending order, beginning from the elder most. Cash and clothes are gifted.

Varmala & Wedding Puja

Varmala involves the exchange of garlands between the bride and groom. Friends and relatives of the bride and groom indulge in teasing and fun, to celebrate this happy occasion. An auspicious time or muhurat is chosen for the performance of wedding ceremony. At the time of muhurat, the purohit conducts a puja for the groom, in which the groom is asked to chant the first few mantras. It is during this time, when the bride’s sisters indulge in stealing of shoes. It is a fun tradition, in which the girls charge a fee for agreeing to return the shoes.

The girl is then led to the wedding mandap. Thereafter, Kanyadaan is performed in which the girl’s father puts a ring on the to be groom’s finger before giving his daughter's hand to him. After that, the couple takes the mangalpheras in front of the sacred fire. At the end, the newly wedded couple touches the feet of elders and seeks their blessings.