India is a country known for its rich
culture and traditions. People in India are attached a lot of value to the
guidance and decisions taken by their elders in regard to marriage. Punjabi
matrimonies are also arranged by the families and elders of the community. In
earlier times, it was very common for the bride and the groom to meet for the
first time at the time of their marriage ceremony itself. In recent times
things have changed a lot but people still trust and respect the elders while
making marriage decisions. The only difference is that the personal choices and
liking of the young people are given importance and the families readily accept
their decisions.
Like any other communities, Punjabi
Matrimonial also follows certain customs and traditions that signify the
beauty of the marriage. Wedding is just like a festival for them which is
celebrated with a lot of zeal and zest. Close relatives, distant cousins,
friends all gather together to bless the bride and groom for their married life
ahead.
Punjabi matrimonies have a simple ceremony
known as “roka” or “thaka”, a pre wedding ritual which is carried out on the
onset of the marriage. The bride’s father and other close relatives visit the
groom’s house with gifts and sweets as a token of love. They also take along a
token amount or “shagun “to give to the groom. After this ceremony, the next step in a
Punjabi matrimony is “mangani” or the engagement ceremony. In this ceremony the
groom’s family visits the bride’s place and in the presence of elders, close
relatives and friends the couple exchange rings and gifts. The atmosphere is
highly charged and there is laughter and happiness everywhere.
Punjabi matrimonial is generally a
flamboyant affair. The wedding is grand and is practiced for several days.
Distant relatives from far flung areas make it a point to attend the multiple
ceremonies that takes place during the wedding. Everyone enjoys completely as
there is lot of dancing and music making the atmosphere fully charged with
excitement. The “barat” or the entourage along with groom is a sight to watch
out for. They come for the wedding with drum beats, music and dance along with
the groom seated on a horse back like a king. His face is hidden behind a
“sehra” or an ornamental veil generally made of flowers. The whole procession
reaches the marriage place with music and fireworks.
After reaching the bride’s place, a welcome
ceremony known as “milni takes place in which the elders from both the sides of
bride and groom meet each other. Gifts are exchanged and every “barati” is
given a token gift. A large spread of mouth watering delicacies is laid out for
the guests to gorge on.
In Punjabi matrimonies, the bride and groom exchange garlands in a ceremony known
as the “Jaimala”. The bride and groom in the presence of close family and
relatives take seven rounds known as “saat phere” around the sacred fire taking
vows to stay together. After the marriage, there are some post wedding
ceremonies that take place and soon the time comes for “Vidai” or farewell
where the bride is finally bid adieu by her family and relatives. She is given
blessings to lead a happy married life. She either leaves in a “palanquin” or a
beautifully decorated car from her parent’s house.
At the groom’s place she is welcomed by all
the relatives and gifts are showered on her. The day culminates with another
lavish wedding reception organized by the groom’s side.
Sonali writes on behalf of Jeevansathi.com,
which is India’s fastest growing matrimonial website. Jeevansathi.com helps the
users to search corresponding matches from their respective community like Kerala Matrimony,
Tamil Matrimony
wherein
users can avail free registration and start initial contact with each other.