Wedding
is a sacred and religious knot that joins not only a man and a woman, but also
their families. Indian weddings are famous all over the world for the colourful
and grand celebrations, which continue for a number of days. Celebrating
wedding is larger than life for the Indians, and Punjabis take the cake away
when it comes to celebrations. This jovial nature of Punjabis reflects in their
wedding style.
Alike
other Indian communities, Punjabi Sikh community also believes in finding match
from Sikh
community itself. Punjabi
Sikh
matrimonial
is famous for celebrating all occasions with grandeur,
where rituals and customs are fun and full of gaiety. These rituals are divided
into three distinct sets, which are: pre-matrimony rituals, wedding rituals and
post wedding rituals.
Pre-Matrimony
Rituals
1.
Roka
Ceremony, which involves fixing the wedding, and would-be bride and groom are
given gifts from their in-laws. Generally, roka is a small function in
Punjabi
Matrimonial
, which
includes family members and close relatives.
2.
Akhand Paath: The sacred book of
Sikh community, Guru Granth Sahib, is read without any pause. This is a three
day prayer before the marriage, conducted for happiness and prosperity of the
boy and girl to be married.
3.
Shagan: This is same as Tilak, when
the bride’s father applies tilak on the groom's forehead and gives gifts and
sweets to him. This ritual is conducted 2-3 days before the wedding day in the
presence of
a
bhaiji (preacher) of the Gurudwara.
4.
Chunni Chadana & Mangni: Groom’s
sisters present a red sari to their would be sister-in-law. The groom’s mother
places a red chunni over the head of the bride and gifts her
with
accessories like jewellery,
bangles, etc.
5.
Mehndi and Sangeet: Beautiful
designs of henna are applied on the bride’s hand and feet. The family members
and friends of both bride and groom dance on the tunes of dholis and some
songs.
Wedding Rituals
1.
Chuda Ceremony: One of the most
important part of the Punjabi matrimony, in which maternal uncle and aunt of
the bride gift her a set of red and cream ivory bangles, also known as Chuda.
Once Chuda ceremony is done, hanging gold ornaments, also known as Kalires are
tied over the Chuda.
2.
Vatna & Ghara Ghardoli: Female
relatives of the bride apply a paste of milk and saffron known as Vatna, on
her. Holy water from a nearby temple is fetched in a pitcher, and the bride is
bathed, this ceremony is also known as Ghara Ghardoli.
3.
Sehrabandhi & Ghud Chadi: This
ritual of
Punjabi matrimony
is performed at groom’s house when he leaves for the
wedding venue. Father or elderly relatives tie a Sehra on groom’s head and his
sister-in-laws apply surma in his eyes before departing.
4.
Milni: The barat is welcomed by
bride’s family at the wedding venue, and this custom is named as Milni, where
relatives of both sides meet and greet each other. Gifts and cash are also
given to the groom at this time.
5.
Jaimala & Wedding: The bride and
groom exchange thick flower garlands. Afterwards, during Kanyadaan, parents of
the bride give away their darling daughter to the groom, wishing for their
blissful and happy married life.
Post Wedding Rituals
With
Vidai, i.e., departure of the bride from her parent's home, the wedding
concludes. In the ritual of Paani Varna, the groom's mother performs an arti
with a pitcher of water, and then welcomes the newlyweds inside the house. The
very next day, newlyweds visit the bride's family for the custom of Phera Dalna.
The wedding and reception in
Punjabi
matrimonies
are
followed by big feast arranged for the community, family and friends.
Rashmi 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,
Kamma Matrimony
wherein
users can avail free registration and start initial contact with each other.