A To Z Guide On Punjabi Wedding Rituals That You Need To Know!
In India, we often refer to “wedding season.” This is because Indian weddings are more than just the union of two individuals and their families; they are celebrated as grand festivals. The preparations can start months in advance, and the festivities typically last 3 to 4 days. Indian marriages are fun, with several rituals, ceremonies, and customs that blow life to weddings. But one wedding in India that is most about celebrating marriage with music, dance, and food is the Punjabi wedding.
Punjabi wedding is always pictured as a loud, lavish ceremony filled with food, fun, music, and dancing. However, more than its party vibes, the Punjabi shaadi is rooted in traditions and rituals that have been followed for thousands of years. And while you might know some of them like the Roka and Chooda ceremonies, a lot of rituals are still unpopular to people. Punjabi shaadi is a profound celebration of love, family, and cultural traditions that bring together friends and relatives in joyful unity.
In this article, we are covering an A-Z guide on Punjabi wedding rituals that you must know. Whether you are participating in your friend’s marriage or you are getting married to a Punjabi, this information about rituals and ceremonies will help you to save yourself from awkwardness.
Roka and Thaka (Parental Acceptance)
When it comes to choosing a life partner, parents’ blessings are most crucial, regardless that the marriage is arranged by parents or the bride and the groom choose each other by themselves. The first ceremony in Punjabi traditions is the Roka and Thaka ceremony, in which the parents of both bride and groom bless them showing their consent for the marriage.
The term “Roka” itself carries significance, as it quite literally means “to stop.” This ceremony officially confirms the alliance and after this ceremony, the bride and the groom are no longer open to meet new prospective matches. In this ritual, the bride’s father visits the groom’s house and offers his blessing by applying a tilak on his forehead. He also gives him gifts, sweets, clothing, and money. Traditionally, it is done in the absence of the bride.
Thaka, in the same way, is done by the groom’s family to accept the girl as their new family member. The groom’s parents offer their blessing to the girl with gifts, sweets, clothes, jewelry, and money. After the ceremony, the girl is no longer available for marriage offers.
Chunni Ceremony
The Chunni ceremony is quite similar to Thaka. In the Chunni ceremony, the groom’s mother and her relative visit the bride’s house and put ‘Shagun ki Chunni’ or a red scarf or dupatta on the bride’s head. The dupatta, or head scarf, is draped over the bride’s head, serving as a veil to cover her face. This ritual is known as chunni chadana. The groom’s mother also showers the bride with gifts, jewelry, and clothes as a token of acceptance as the fiancée of her son.
Kurmai or Mangni/Sagai
Often held on the same day of the ‘Chunni’ ceremony, the Sagai, also known as the Kurmai ritual marks the official engagement of the couple along with their families, relatives, and guests.
The bride and groom exchange rings, seek the blessing of the elders and receive gifts from everyone.
The Kurmai typically occurs at the Sikh temple, known as the gurdwara, where the priest, or Granthi, begins the ceremony with a prayer. The family of the bride presents the groom with two gifts: a Kara and a small knife. They then drape a red scarf over his shoulders and around his neck while the bride’s grandfather feeds him some dried dates, following the Granthi’s instructions. After this, the couple exchange rings, hence completing the Sagai ceremony.
Sangeet or Dholki
The Sangeet (or Dholki) is about fun, celebration, dance, and music. Previously, this ceremony used to be limited to women of the family only, however, now, it is a a full family affair. Nowadays, both the bride’s and groom’s families come together and dance, play games, enjoy themselves, and get to know each other’s families. And since it is a Punjabi shaadi, mouth-savoring food and drinks are a must.
Ardas (Offering of prayers)
In the weeks leading up to the wedding celebrations, the couple’s families, along with the bride and groom, typically visit the gurudwara to offer their prayers. As the big day approaches, these prayers usually become a daily tradition.
Karahi Chadana (Sharing of Food)
A large Karahi or Wok will be placed at the center of the kitchen by Sikh families just five days before the wedding. During the entire five-day event, all sweet and savory meals will be cooked in that Karahi for everyone to enjoy.
Mehndi (Application of Henna)
Mehendi is an essential part of most Indian weddings, which is hard to miss. Usually, the Mehendi ceremony is celebrated on the same day as Sangeet. In this ceremony, the bride’s hands and feet are adorned with a Mehendi design. Mehendi (Henna) is considered a symbol of good luck and is believed to bring prosperity to newlyweds. The groom also participates in the ceremony and applies henna on his hands to show love and commitment to the relationship.
Mayian or Haldi Ceremony
The ceremony can occur a day before the wedding or on the morning of the event itself. Punjabi wedding ceremonies are typically held separately at the homes of the bride and groom, though they are sometimes combined.
During the occasion, the women of the household apply a blend of rosewater, turmeric, sandalwood, and mustard oil to the visible areas of the bride and groom’s bodies. The modern haldi ceremonies are lively and full of joy, dancing, and celebration!
Ghara Ghardoli
The Ghara Gharoli ceremony takes place on the wedding day. The bride’s sister-in-law goes to a local temple to collect holy water in a clay pot. The bride then bathes in this water, which is thought to cleanse and prepare her for the Hindu Punjabi wedding rituals.
A similar ceremony occurs at the groom’s house, here his sister-in-law carries out the same ritual. These ceremonies represent that the couple is spiritually ready for their marital life.
Kangana Bandhna Ritual
On marriage day, a sacred thread or mouli is tied on the bride’s and groom’s hands in their own house respectively. The thread is tied with a betel nut, a coin, and some rice and this ritual is compulsory among Punjabis as it is considered a lucky charm to ward off evil.
Chooda Chadana
Chooda Chadhana is one of the crucial Punjabi wedding rituals for the bride. The ceremony involves a havan, with all family members participating in this ritual. The bride’s maternal uncle, known as ‘Mama,’ along with his wife, presents the bride with a set of 21 bangles, typically in red and ivory.
Initially, these bangles are purified using milk and rose petals, after which the uncle places them on his niece’s wrist. However, they are immediately covered with a white cloth, as it is considered unlucky for the bride to see the bangles before the wedding begins. Traditionally, a bride wears these bangles for a month following her wedding.
Kalire ceremony is celebrated along with chooda chadhana ceremony. In this ceremony, Kalire (golden ornaments) are tied to the bride’s Chooda by her sisters and friends. It is believed that if a Kalire falls on someone’s head, she is the next one to get married.
Sehrabandi
The next on the Punjabi wedding rituals list is Sehrabandi where a headdress with garlands in front is worn by the groom. The groom’s sister ties the Sehra to the turban after he gets dressed for the wedding ceremony. After Sehra, the groom’s sister also applies Surma (Kohl) on the groom’s forehead to ward off the evil eye.
Ghodi Charna
In this ritual, the groom mounts on a beautifully decorated horse to reach the wedding venue. Nowadays, the horse is replaced by a car. The groom’s family and friends dance around him to the beat of the dhol (a traditional Punjabi drum) and music during the ‘baaraat’ procession.
Punjabi Wedding Main Rituals
1) Agwaani
Agwaani or welcoming the Baaraat is done by the the bride’s family. The grooms and the guests are received by the bride’s side with a lot of pomp and the bride’s mother performs aarti of the groom.
2) Jaimala
After the groom and his family are welcomed, they are taken to the wedding hall, where the bride and the groom exchange flower garlands at the muhurat, symbolizing acceptance of each other.
3) Madhuparka
After Varmala, the bride and groom are taken to the pavilion, also known as mandap. The groom is given a bowl to drink water from. Some of the water is sprinkled on his feet before he finishes the rest. Then he is served with Madhuparka, a sharbat of ghee, curd, milk, honey, and a few other holy essences to drink.
4) Kanyadaan (Giving of the Bride)
During this Punjabi wedding ritual, the bride’s father accepts the groom through traditional Vedic mantras, gives the bride’s hand to the groom, and asks him to take care of her always.
5) Phere
Like most Indian weddings, Punjabis too have saat phere. The couple takes seven circles around the havan (sacred fire) while the priest recites mantras. All seven pheres have a wedding vow towards their married life.
6) Lajahom
In this ceremony, the bride‘s brother will place puffed rice into her hands. The bride and groom will then toss the rice into the fire, seeking the blessings of the Fire God for their marriage. This ritual will be repeated three times.
7) Sindoor Daan
Once the Lajahom is over, the groom applies sindoor (vermillion) to the bride’s hair parting and ties a mangalsutra around her neck. The priest announces them as a couple and blesses them for a happy married life of the next seven lifetimes. This ceremony marks the end of the wedding ceremonies.
8) Joota Chhupai
While the wedding procession is going on, the sisters and friends of the bride steal the groom’s shoes and hide them. In returning the shoes to the groom, they ask for payment. This fun and playful tradition ends when the two parties come to a settlement, the bride’s sisters and friends return the shoes to the groom and the couple moves ahead for vidaai.
9) Vidaai
In this ceremony, the bride bids farewell to her parents, family, and relatives. As a part of the ritual, she throws rice over her shoulder to symbolically bestow blessings upon her maternal family.
10) Paani Bharna (Arrival of the Doli)
When the newlywed reaches the groom’s home, his mother performs an aarti of the couple with a pitcher of water. After each circle, the groom’s mother tries to take a sip of water, while, the bride prevents her from doing so, until the seventh turn. The bride enters the house by overturning a pot or kalash of rice with her right foot.
11) Mooh Dikhai (Family Blessings)
To bring the Punjabi wedding ceremonies to a close, the bride and the groom visit the family deities for the blessing. Then Mooh Dikhai ritual is performed with the bride where her veil is lifted and everyone in the new family, relatives, and guests see her face. They shower the new bride with blessings, jewelry, and cash gifts and welcome her to the family.
FAQs
- Do Sikhs wear sindoor?
Like a bride in a Hindu wedding wears a mangalsutra and sindoor as a sign of marriage, a Sikh or Punjabi bride wears a chooda.
- What is the meaning of 4 Lavan in Sikh wedding?
The 4 Lavan represent the fusion of the bride’s and the groom’s souls into one conscious being who is later wedded to God in a spiritual union. The verses of the Lavan are from the Guru Granth Sahib.
- What are the major rituals in a Punjabi wedding?
A Punjabi wedding includes several significant rituals such as Roka and Thaka, Chunni Ceremony, Kurmai, Sangeet, Mehendi, Mayian, and the sacred Phere.
- What happens during the Chooda Chadhana ceremony in a Punjabi wedding?
In the Chooda chadhana ceremony, the bride’s maternal uncle gifts her a set of 21 red and ivory bangles, and the bangles are placed on her wrists after being purified with milk and rose petals. After this, her chooda is wrapped with a white cloth so the bride doesn’t see her chooda before marriage. This ritual symbolizes blessings for the bride’s marital journey.
About The Author
