Wedding

Halad Chadawane And Halad Utarvane From The Pages Of A Maharashtrian Wedding

sushma · July 17, 2020

India is a beautiful country, the fact that it is home to so many different religions points out the fact that there are so many different types of festivals, celebrations, and rituals followed in different parts of our country. Even for weddings, there are innumerable types pf wedding rituals followed in our country which beautifully display the distinctness of each religion and its cultural values.

Marriage is one bond between tied between two people, a bond that signifies love and commitment, isn’t it? When two people tie knots with each other, it just does not tie the couple in an eternal bond but even their families who come together and accept each other’s customs and cultures. Today, I decided to pen down my thoughts on one of the most interesting wedding rituals – i.e. Haldi. I am sure you would be knowing about this in detail but this time I wanted to whiff on the Maharashtrian Special Haldi Ceremony!

Specifically, all Hindu’s follow this pre wedding ritual of Haldi Ceremony. The mixture of haldi, water and oil are applied to both the bride and groom on the morning of the wedding. Sometimes it is even applied a night before wedding, well that depends on culture they belong to. The haldi is believed to bless the couple before wedding and many Indian communities consider it as a shield that protects the newlyweds from any problems. There are different names of haldi ceremony like in Gujarati Culture it is called Pithi, Bengali – Gaye holud, Marwaries – Tel baan, Telegites – Pellikuthuru, Southern states – Arishinda kombu, Uttar kannada- Nandi and Maharashtrian – Halad Chadawane and utaravane

Halad Chadawane & Halad Utaravane – From my eyes

I was born and brought up in Mumbai the city of dream and grew up completely in Maharashtrian culture. Since childhood I have been surrounded with Marathi friends, hence I have a very close connection with the Maharashtrian culture. Born into a south-indian family, I share this very special soft corner for the Marathis and would proudly call myself a Maharashtrian from heart – Yes “Me Marathi”. I have attended many marriages of my Maharashtrian friends and I was always really amazed to watch very beautiful wedding rituals what they followed. Today I would like to share with you all one of my Marathi friend’s haldi function which I had attended long back. Among all other rituals I enjoyed the haldi function way too much.

Halad chadawane, that’s how the Maharashtrian’s call it. The memories of this ritual are precious and very emotional. Also, that day I came to know why this haldi ceremony is so important. The Maharashtrian haldi ceremony is held before the wedding day, haldi paste which is applied with mango leaves on the bride skin, helps the bride skin to glow on her wedding day and as I mentioned earlier it works as a protection shield that avoids any buri nazar. Same goes for the groom’s family, they hold a similar function at their home. Sometimes grooms leftover turmeric paste is taken for the bride and the same is applied to her.

Family, relatives, and special friends all are invited to join this fun-filled wedding function. Elders bless the bride and groom. In a Maharashtrian wedding once the halad chadhawane ritual is performed the bride and groom cannot step out from their home. It is one of the Shastra that they must follow strictly.

For the bride, this ritual is a very emotional capture when the mother applies haldi to her daughter and father watches her with teary eyes – this feeling cannot be expressed in words, all I can say is that this moment is very emotional, precious and unforgettable for every single daughter and her parents.

Surprisingly, while talking to my friends to dig more into this enthralling custom I came to know that Maharashtrians also follow the Halad Utaravane ritual. This was interesting, Halad Utaravane ritual is done on the next day of marriage. During this ritual, the bride and groom sit together and five married ladies (in Marathi called suvasinis) follow the same halad chadavane rituals in the reverse sequence.

Usually during halad chadawane the application of haldi to forehead, shoulders, and feet goes in reverse order. The same is again reversed in the hald utarvane. One suvasini holds a copper or silver water pot and pours little water while others are performing halad utaran. This ritual signifies that now the couple is free to go out and start their happy married life.

In The End…

I feel, in Indian marriages every single ritual has its distinct uniqueness and purity – In the end of which it brings in streams of endless happiness. I hope you all enjoyed reading about the Maharashtrian pre and post wedding ritual Halad Chadawane and Halad Utarvane.

Friends, If you like this article please do share and like… In Marathi : Article avadal asel tar nakki like kara ani share kara……. 🙂

Featured Photo of ‘The Haldi/Kumkum ceremony’ by athreya_krishna under CC BY 2.0

Chaklang Marriage: The Marriage Custom Of Ahom Community

Meghna · December 28, 2019

A beautiful marriage tradition, celebrated mainly by the Ahom community of all over Assam. Ahom, a well-known dynasty which was able to rule all over Brahmaputra valley for almost around 600 years. The dynasty passed over long years ago, but their traditions are still followed by the people of their community proudly. Chaklang marriage is one of them

In a Chaklang marriage, “siring phukan” i.e. the Ahom priest verbally hands over prayers over the bride and groom. He rewinds the pair about the proud history of their descendants in front of 101 sacred lamps made by clay, known as “saaki”.

In earlier days the duration of the marriage ceremony was performed for 9 days. Now it has been reduced to 3 days.

Rituals before wedding:

The family of groom asks the hand of the bride by sending a gift called “sodhanibhar”, which is comprises of all glorious food items of Ahom community like duck, betel nuts etc. If the family of the bride accepts that, wedding date can be fixed.

1rst day of chaklang marriage:

The day starts with “joron-diya”ritual,where family of groom comes to gift her all traditional dresses and ornaments in front of the society. The ritual is followed by some holy traditional marriage song named as “biyanaam”. After the ritual gets over, bride family welcomes them for a royal lunch.

2^nd day of chaklang marriage:

The second day of chaklang marriage is called as “murot tel diya”.In this particular ritual, the priest worship the God Khoakham and offers him food. The priest goes for fishing to nearby river and the fish caught by him is cooked for the couple.

3^rd day of chaklang marriage:

The 3^rd day is called as “chaklang day” which has plenty of rituals. The day starts with the ritual called “pani-tola”.All the married women of the community go to river with a colorful musical procession to bring water to bath bride and groom. They are seated under “kolgos”(banana tree)and bathed by their senior family members.

After that, Ahom wedding special attires are put on.The bridal attire is comprising of beautiful white and golden riha, sador and mekhela including Ahom traditional ornaments golpota,thuria etc.The attire of groom is a beautiful silk based white dress with a turban.

Once all the rituals are done in their own home,the groom has to go the bride’s home and he is accompanied by his family members and friends.Once they reach,they are welcomed by most beautiful way possible by the family of bride and the groom is requested to sit in front of maral-the main attraction of chaklang marriage,where a rangoli is surrounded by 101 sacred lamps.After the prayers are done, a part of cloth of bride is tied up with the groom called “lagna gathi” and all the people present over there bless them and pray for their long marital life.

After that, two royal rituals are done. The bride picks the “hangdang”(the royal sword) and asks the groom to take it. It means she allows him to protect her family from enemies. Once he accepts that, she gives him “kavas”- a protector weaved by her within a night. It means the kavas made by her with all love and pride will protect him in his bad times.

Then, panchamrita (a food mixture of curd, honey, milk, sugar and ghee) is given to the couple and the marriage rituals ended with playing the dice game-“pasha” by bride and groom.

Featured Photo of ‘Juroon’ by Priyambada Nath under CC BY 2.0

Bengali Aiburobhat – Bidding A Farewell To Your Bachelorhood Life

Madhurima · December 24, 2019

There’s a unique thing about traditional Bengali weddings. Besides being culturally diversifying and vibrant, it holds an aura of pride. A pride that every Bengali girl takes to her would-be’s house! A pride that any Bengali woman would simply love cherishing for her entire life! Celebrating a Bengali wedding with richness of traditions and rituals is indeed a pride, nothing unlike other Indian traditional weddings. Even before the day of wedding, Bengalis follow a set of rituals in their houses. One of the most significant is performing the custom of Bengali Aiburobhat! Just to make sure that their beloved son or daughter performs specific duties and enjoys the new life, the members of family welcomes them to offer the final sending-off feast with bells and whistles.

Before being bride and groom, the ‘aiburo’ or unmarried sons and daughters have their fair share of meals as bidding-farewell treats from their families. So, how does this final feast get served to the young bride or groom? To know more, read on.

Celebrating Bengali Aiburobhat – The Final Meal as an ‘Aiburo’

‘Aiburobhat’ refers to Aiburo (the bachelor) and Bhat (Rice). Traditionally speaking, Bengali Aiburobhat gets hosted by families prior to one day of wedding. However, in the recent years families host feasts for their children two or three days before! And if you’re a Bengali, you might expect your mashi, pishi, kaki, jethi, or others (maternal aunts or paternal aunts) offering you the final sending-off feast prior to one month even! The main point is to offer best Bengali Aiburobhat wishes for post wedding times.

The Importance ‘Bhat’ in an Aiburobhat Menu

The last meal for the bachelor is significant in any Bengali wedding house. And for Bengalis, rice happens to be the staple food that comes with cultural significance too. Symbolized as prosperity, there are Bengali ceremonies associated with the significance of rice! You might have been invited to Annaprasan or Mukhebhat ceremony? And if you were introduced to the traditional rituals there, you know how important the role of rice plays!

Plus, during Bou Bhat, rice is served with ghee by the newly-wed bride. Additionally, during funeral ceremonies, rice is offered with teel to the ancestors. From toddler to bachelors, rice plays an importance cultural role in any Bengali ceremony! Thus, Aiburobhat menu ideas are incomplete sans an inclusion of rice as the main course! Alongside, would-be bride’s favorite foods are served with numerous items including vegetables, fishes, chickens, mutton, sweets, dahi, and more.

Bengali Aiburobhat – Pampering ‘Unmarried’ Sons and Daughters, One Last Time

Bengali people are possessive about their little kids (no offense, please!). And since it is justifiable to be possessive towards your children, celebrating the day with Aiburobhat wishes is a significant affair! The ritual gets celebrated in a grand manner by pampering the children of the houses who are getting hitched! Expect Aiburobhat menu ideas to be massive ones! And if you’re someone tying the knots soon, expect that your Aiburobhat will be huge that might include all your favorite items (all means all)!

It entirely depends of the number of uncles, aunties, and other relatives you have when it comes to how many Aiburobhat Rituals you’d have! You might get all the luckier to receive a beautiful Aiburobhat Saree as well!

Apart from Aiburobhat Saree, brides and grooms are gifted with other necessary items too, like perfumes, watches, gold ornaments (only if you’re very close to the one who is offering you the meal), and more!

After everything else,

Tying the knots isn’t as easy as it sounds. You require the elder family members’ blessings too! And since Bengalis are well aware of that, Aiburobhat becomes a significant ritual for both the brides and grooms!

Featured Photo of ‘The Wedding Day … The Lovely Bride’ by Subharnab Majumdar under CC BY 2.0

The Unconventional Rituals From ‘Biya’, The Typical Assamese Wedding

Maanasi · September 27, 2019

It is never too late to mix things up by jumbling the rituals and adding your flavor to them. Unconventional wedding ceremonies are the talk of the town now. Most brides and grooms prefer their wedding day to have a resemblance to the bond they share by adding a few personal touches to the ceremonies.

A few unconventional Assamese wedding ideas

Assamese weddings have deep-rooted beliefs, and you can add a bit of fun to them by still respecting the age-old customs and traditions. These ideas are just a few; you can come up with your new thoughts.

Diayon Diya is one where the groom and bride eat their last meal that is curd. Mix it up by changing the food item or by letting the bride send the meal to the groom first.
Weddings are all about family being in one place to wish the new couple. The mother of the groom is essential. The bride coming in to pick her future mother-in-law for the wedding will be sure fun to watch.
Add your story to your wedding attire. Stitch details of your stories that led up to your big day. This little juggle will be remembered for long, and it will inspire a lot more.
Have a themed wedding. The craziest ideas would be a star trek, or a game of thrones themed Assamese wedding, but you can also introduce the jazz of Bollywood.
The Assamese reception is before the wedding and both the bride and groom won’t be present at the same time. Twist this a bit by hiring a DJ and having them to be married couple dance to a few songs together.

The benefits out of these unconventional ideas

Wedding day is one to remember for both the families, making it a gala time by juggling a few ideas. The benefits are usually a lot considering the changes are for spicing it up.

You don’t need to think, hire a wedding planner, and express your views. A team will make the day extra special for you.
Skipping a few rituals, you don’t have faith in will sure save up a few bucks. You can pitch in for a DJ, dance floor and gigs in your reception.
It sums up to making your wedding day something beyond a few rituals and must follow ceremonies.

Assamese weddings are beautiful to the core with different rituals and ceremonies that have got deep meanings. It is never disrespecting if you honor the rituals and in turn, pitch a few out of the ordinary ideas to make your wedding day the happiest day of your life. Celebrate a day of the fun unconventional wedding with family and friends.

Featured Photo of ‘newly wed at vashista ashram’ by Giridhar Appaji Nag Y under CC BY 2.0

Wedding Rituals Series: Kumaoni Wedding Style Of Jharkhand

Maanasi · September 26, 2019

Kumaoni style of wedding is practiced in Jharkhand. These Pahadi weddings are a delight to watch. Himalayan weddings are very much straightforward, and they have a unique culture which is a worth to see. If you want to enjoy the Pahadi style of marriage, you should arrange it for your friend, or any family member. All the rituals and customs are different from other weddings in India. The matrimonial ceremony of Kumaoni wedding tradition is very different and lavishing. Kumaoni weddings are done in three different ways:

Aanchal vivah: In this commonly practiced marriage style, the groom’s family and relatives visit the bride’s home with a procession and aanchals of the couple are tied together. Then the bride’s father performs Kanyadan and hands over his daughter to the groom.
Sarol vivah: Also, known as dola or bada in Kumaoni language. Nowadays, it is not much performed. In this, the bride goes to the groom’s house with a lot of pomp, and the other wedding rituals are performed at the groom’s home itself.
Mandir vivah: The rituals are performed in the presence of the family members in Golu Devta and Ghorakhal temple. All the ceremonies are conducted during day time.

Pre-wedding rituals:-

Like other Indian weddings, this Kumaoni wedding also gets started with an engagement, but with a twist. In Pahadi wedding, not the bride and groom, but rather their father’s exchange rings with each other. After this, Mehandi ceremony takes place, in which both the bride and the groom applies henna paste on their hands. The bride applies heavily designed henna on her hands and feet, but the groom uses a simple pattern on his hand. It is a belief that the darker the henna stain is, more profound will be the love.

Wedding rituals:-

Beforehand an important pooja is held, to remove all obstacles in the way of the wedding and for this Ganesh, Pooja is performed to offer prayers to Lord Ganesha. Next comes the Suwal Pathai. This is a unique ceremony in which wheat flour is kneaded in a dough with water, and after dusting it with regular flour, it is sun-dried. Then it deep fried in oil and offered as Prasad to the Gods.

When the groom reaches the bride’s house along with his family, friends, and relatives. In Kumaoni tradition, the groom is treated like a Lord Vishnu, and the bride’s father washes his feet and worshiped by him and the priest. Then pithya is offered to him. Then in the presence of all, Jai mala is exchanged between the bride and the groom.

After this, the bride’s father performs Kanyadaan and other holy rituals. The bride’s parents are on fasting that day. All the wedding ceremonies performed as per the horoscope of the couple. The next comes Saptapadi, in this the couple takes a round of the holy fire. The oribital movement around the fire, the first four rounds the bride leads the groom, and in the next three circles, the groom leads the bride. Hence the marriage is completed, and the couple seeks blessings of their elders.