Mahashtrian Wedding Ceremony

Maharashtrian wedding ceremony is full of pomp and show, exhibiting magnificent grandeur. Usually, marriages among the Maharashtrians take place in the morning time. An auspicious time or muhurat is chosen, which generally falls in the morning time. Such a muhurat is known as the goraj muhurta. Read on to check out information on Marathi wedding tradition:

In this section, we will provide you information about traditional Maharashtrian marriage rituals:

Pre Wedding Rituals

* Sakhar Puda Ceremony
* Simant Puja
* Halad Chadavane

Wedding Rituals

* Marriage Ceremony
* Laxmi Narayan Puja
* Jhal Phirawne

Post Wedding Rituals

* Suun Mukh Baghne
* Changing the bride’s name
* Reception Party

Pre Wedding Bengali Rituals

Here is provided information about pre wedding Bengali rituals:
Vridhi Puja

Vridhi puja is conducted a day before the wedding in the remembrance of the ancestors of the bride and groom. Beautiful Rangoli is made and Lord Narayan is worshipped.
Dodhi Mangal Ceremony

Dodhi Mangal is a ceremony in which ten married women bath the bride/groom. Thereafter, they feed the bride/groom. The yummy meal consists of macher laija bhaja (fried fish), jal dhala bhaja (rice cooked in water), curd and chiruya.
Wedding Piris

Beautifully decorated piris are used to seat the bride and groom comfortably. Exchange of gifts takes place between the two families.
Gae Halud Tattva Ritual

This ritual takes place before the turmeric ceremony. The groom’s parents send some gifts for the bride. It usually includes six saris with matching blouses and petticoats, cosmetics, fish, assorted sweets, curd, paan, dhaan and durba.
Snan

In late afternoon on the wedding day, a couple of married women apply the paste of turmeric and oil on the bride/groom’s hair and body. Thereafter, the bride/groom is given a new set of clothes that is gifted by his/her in-laws. The old worn clothes of the bride/groom are given away to the napti (barber).
Sankha Porana

After bathing and dressing up in a new sari, the bride wears the sankha poranas.
Dressing up the bride

The bride is ornamented with jewelry and crown. When she is fully dressed and ready to go to the mandap, her face is adorned with a design of mukut using the chandan paste.
Mandap

In the preparation of mandap, two banana trees are planted and rice paste is used to make a large alpana. The mandap is beautified with fresh flowers and flashy lights.

Post Wedding Bengali Rituals

Post Wedding Bengali Rituals

Here is provided information on post-wedding Bengali rituals:
Basar Ghar Custom

It is a ceremony in which the newly weds are given a warm welcome in the bride’s house. Also, they are served delicious dinner.
Bashi Biye Ritual

On the next morning after wedding, the groom applies vermilion on his wife’s forehead. Thereafter, the newly wedded couple visits the mandap, where they worship the Sun God. The purohit is also present at this time.
Bidaai Ceremony

In this ceremony, the newly weds, after seeking the elder’s blessings, leave for their home.
Bou Baran & Bou Bhat Ceremony

Bou Baran ritual is performed to give a warm welcome to the newly weds in the groom’s house. The female members of the house pour water under the vehicle when the couple boards it. The groom's elder brother's wife takes a plate containing lac dye and milk and places it under the bride's feet. After the feet of the bride get imprinted on the floor of the house, her sister-in-law takes her into her new house. The elders of the house shower blessings on the newly wedded couple.

In the Bou Bhat ceremony, the bride eats her first meal in her husband’s house. Usually, the groom’s father hosts a reception party in the evening.

Bengali Wedding Rituals

Bengali Wedding Rituals

Here is provided information on Bengali wedding rituals:
Welcoming the groom

When the marriage procession of the groom arrives at the doorsteps of the bride’s residence, they are greeted with fresh flowers. An elderly female relative of the bride holds the baran dala. The plate is firstly touched to the groom's forehead, then to the ground. Thereafter, it is touched back again to his forehead. This gesture symbolizes part blessing. After that, the groom is given sweets and sherbet. As the groom enters the bride’s house, rosewater is sprinkled on him.
Shubho Drishti Ritual

In this ritual, the bride and groom see each other.
Mala Badal Ceremony

Mala badal ceremony involves the exchange of flower garlands between the bride and groom while the purohit chants mantras.
Saat Paak & Sampradhan

As a part of Saat Paak ritual, the bride is made to sit on a low wooden stool called pidi that is lifted by her brothers. Thereafter, the girl is taken around the groom in circles seven times. It signifies their union.

In the Sampradhan ritual, the bride is given away to the groom by her paternal or maternal uncle. Thereafter, saptapadi ritual takes place.

Solah Shringar Indian Bride

Solah Shringar for Indian Bride

For an Indian bride the wedding day is the most important day of her life. She has lots of expectations and hope for this day. Most of the girls in our country have lots of dreams for this day since it marks the beginning of their journey into womanhood. Everybody wants to look best on this day. Different kinds of beauty rituals are associated with this day as her female friends and relatives spend the whole day preparing her for the occasion. The full beautification consists of sixteen parts from head to toe. On this very special day of her life she wants to look the best. She epitomizes beauty on this special day. The bride's solah shringar starts from the top with her hair and ends with her toe.

First her hair is washed and oiled and adorned with flowers and other ornaments for the hair. It is decorated with borla. It is a conocal shaped ornaments for the head. Than a paste of turmeric, oil, and gram flower is used as a scrub and a cream for the bride's hands and arms. Then her forehead is decorated with a mang-tikka or bhor ornament, which is worn along the hairline. The face is also adorned. And the eyes are highlighted with kajal to give a beautiful effect. Even make up is applied on face with powdered and lipsticks. Nose rings are worn. It can be made of gold, pearl and diamond. In some regions and community nose rings are never removed and they become symbol of married woman like mangalsutra. Earrings are also worn on ears. They are of different shapes and sizes. Necklaces of different designs and sizes are worn around the neck. It can be of different lengths short, long or choker or collar type. The bride also wears floral garland. On hands bangles and bracelets are worn. It is the most visible part so bangles and bracelets are one of the most important adornments worn by the bride. Bangles can be of different kinds. It can be made of gold, silver, iron, ivory, glass, ceramic or other metals depending upon the custom and rituals of the particular region. Armlets are also worn on the upper arm, which can be made of different metals. Mehndi designs are made on the hands and feet. On the waist elaborate gold or silver belts are worn. The belts serve the purpose of keeping the bride's sari in place. And last but not least the toes are also adorned. Various kinds of toe rings are worn it can be simple or elaborate looking. The bridal wears, which is considered, as the most important part of solah shringar is always red in color because red is considered auspicious. The sari usually has rich and heavy embroidery with gold and silver threads some also has beads work on it.