Rituals and customs are an integral part of Hindu Wedding Ceremony. Wedding in India is much more than mere fineries and clothes, invitation and decoration, wedding planner and dining experience. It is first of all the bondage of two hearts and mental compatibility of two persons. Interestingly enough the families of the groom and Bride plays a major part in Hindu Wedding Ceremony.
Each of the rituals of the East Indian Wedding Traditions connotes symbolic representation of some noble sentiments and thoughts. In today's time many people try to finish their wedding ceremonies in a jiffy as they are time consuming and can go up to 3 days at a stretch. However an integral part of East Indian Wedding Traditions are the very rituals and customs which add a new charm to these ceremonies. The East Indian Wedding Traditions mainly include the marriage traditions of West Bengal, Assam and Orissa.
Bengali Wedding Ceremony consists of elaborate but meaningful rituals. Moreover these ceremonies are an ideal time for get together. Family and friends come together and wish the best for the married couple.
In Bengali wedding tradition the groom is welcomed with much pomp and gaiety. Relatives of the bride sprinkle holy water before he makes his entry into the bride's home. The social customs and rituals are mainly undertaken by the women folk of the household during this time. It is called Stri Achars. The baran dala is firstly touched to the groom's forehead by an elderly female relative of the bride, and then to the ground. This is a gesture of blessing and goodwill. This is followed by offering sweets and sherbet to the groom. As the groom gets into the bride's house, rosewater is sprinkled on him.
Shubho Drishti ritual refers to the first time when the bride looks into the eyes of the groom.
This is followed by Mala Badal in which both the bride and groom exchanges garlands while the priest chant mantras. Another important facet of the whole ceremony is the Saat Paak ritual. the bride has to sit on a low wooden stool called pidi which is lifted by her brothers. Then, the girl is taken around the groom seven times in circles which stands for their union.
Sampradhan refers to that part of the ritual when the bride's responsibility is given to the groom by her paternal or maternal uncle.
A touch of romance is added in the Basar Ghar Ceremony in which the newly weds are given a warm welcome in the bride's house and a host of entertaining medleys are acted out or sung.
During the Bashi Biye Ritual, the next morning after wedding, the groom applies vermilion on his wife's forehead and henceforth she is taken as the formal life partner of the groom. It is a touching ceremony with a lot of sentiments attached.
Bou Baran and Bou Bhatt are ways to welcome the bride in the groom's house. The wife is taken as the embodiment Ma Lakshmi and treated likewise. All these rituals signifying purity and sanctity, good omens and traditions, romance and gaiety are part and parcel of Bengali marriage ceremony.
Assamese Wedding Ceremony is simple but chic at the same time. The melody of the gentle wedding song 'biya naam" reverberates even after the wedding ceremony is over.
The ceremony begins with the performance of bathing custom. Wherein the bride and groom's mother visit the nearby river with a vessel and collect holy water. This water is afterwards used for the ceremonial bath of the bride and groom, which takes place in their respective houses.
The Wedding Reception party is held prior to the marriage ceremony. An elaborate feast is arranged for the guests. After the Arrival of the Groom, the bride's family indulges in fun time activities. As an act of jest the bridegroom's marriage procession is not allowed to enter the bride's home, unless he pays a sum of money.
During the Wedding Ceremony the bride's mother welcomes his future son-in-law and the bride's younger sister washes the groom's feet. Then, the bride's brother lifts him up and takes him to the marriage hall. In a traditional Assamese wedding, the bridegroom dresses up in dhoti and kurta, with a silk shawl wrapped crosswise on his shoulder. The bride is given panch-amrit which is a mixture of ghee, curd, sugar, honey and raw milk to eat. Then the bride makes a remarkable entry on the shoulders of her maternal uncle.
The wedding ceremony takes place in front of the holy fire. The couple exchanges their flower garlands and takes vows amid the chanting of mantras. Conch shells are blown which is very important to mark the celebration. The bridegroom applies Sindoor on his wife's forehead. Afterwards the friends and relatives bless the newly weds. The newly married couple then goes to their house, where they are received with a warm welcome and the bridegroom's mother performs the traditional Aarti.
Oriya Wedding Ceremonies are relatively the same as other Hindu weddings, with some minor difference in the customs and traditions. An exceptional feature about the Oriya wedding ceremony is that the mother of the bridegroom does not take part in it.
During the Kanya Daan ceremony, the bride's father gives his daughter's hand to the bridegroom making him promise that he will take care of her.
In the Haatha Ghanti Custom the bride and the groom take seven rounds around the sacred fire, along with the chant of mantras and shlokas.
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