Mayon Magic: Pakistani Wedding Rituals Explored

The Mayoun, also known as the Mayian, Maiyun, Haldi or Ubtan, is a pre-wedding ceremony that kick-starts a Pakistani wedding. It is a celebration full of singing, dancing, drumming, and food. The ceremony takes place at the couple's respective parents' homes in the late afternoon or early evening, and is hosted by the female members of the family. The bride and groom are not allowed to see each other during this period and the bride is discouraged from leaving the house. The Mayoun is all about preparing the bride for her wedding day. The bride's friends and family adorn her with floral jewellery and apply ubtan (a paste made from turmeric, flour, and mustard oil) to her face, arms, and legs. The ubtan is believed to enhance the bride's beauty and is applied every day until the wedding. The bride usually wears yellow during the Mayoun, a colour chosen by her groom's family.

The bride and groom are secluded from each other and the outside world

The Mayoun ceremony is a major pre-wedding event in Pakistani weddings. During this ceremony, the bride and groom are not allowed to see or contact each other. The bride is also discouraged from leaving her house in the final week before the wedding. This period of seclusion is believed to enhance the charm of their meeting on the wedding day.

The Mayoun ceremony is an opportunity for the bride and groom to focus on skincare and beautification rituals. The bride adorns a yellow outfit, which is provided by the groom's family, and floral jewellery. The mother of the bride applies a paste of turmeric, essential oils, herbs, and sandalwood to the bride's face, hands, and feet. This ritual is then repeated by seven married women. The bride's cousins and friends also stay with her during this time to keep her happy. The ubtan paste is believed to enhance the bride's wedding glow and is applied daily until the wedding.

The groom also wears yellow during the Mayoun ceremony to honour the occasion. While the ceremony is not celebrated on a grand scale by the groom, he also partakes in skincare rituals, applying the ubtan paste until the wedding day.

The Mayoun ceremony is a fun and intimate event filled with singing, dancing, and feasting. It is a time for the bride and groom to relax and be secluded from the outside world, preparing themselves for the wedding day.

The bride's skin is treated with ubtan, a paste of turmeric, flour, mustard oil, essential oils, herbs and sandalwood

The mayon is the first event of a Pakistani wedding, filled with singing, dancing, food, and decor. During the mayon, the bride is treated with ubtan—a paste made from turmeric, flour, mustard oil, essential oils, herbs, and sandalwood—which is said to enhance her beauty.

Ubtan is an ancient Indian skincare remedy, usually applied to brides-to-be a few days before their wedding. The paste is made from a mixture of ground turmeric, sandalwood, gram flour, saffron, rose water, raw milk, and other organic ingredients. It is applied all over the body and is believed to provide a natural glow to the skin.

Ubtan is known to have several benefits for the skin. The raw milk in ubtan, for example, is rich in lactic acid, which helps exfoliate dead skin cells, softens the skin, and brightens the complexion. Turmeric, another key ingredient, has antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties that help prevent acne and improve fine lines and wrinkles. Ubtan also helps to remove tan, acne, and other skin problems.

In a Pakistani wedding, the bride is seated on a wooden plank called a patri during the mayon ceremony. Four female relatives hold a red cloth above her while married women of the household and biradari rub the ubtan paste on her face, arms, and legs. The women sing traditional songs as part of the ritual.

The ubtan paste is usually prepared at home by mixing the dry ingredients with rose water and milk to form a thick paste. It is then applied to the skin and left to dry before being gently scrubbed off.

The bride and groom wear yellow outfits

The mayon (or mayian) is the first event of a Pakistani wedding, kicking off the celebrations with singing, dancing, drumming, and food. The bride and groom are not allowed to see each other until the wedding day, and the mayon ceremony is held at the bride's house. The bride is not supposed to leave her house in the final week before the wedding.

During the mayon, the bride and groom wear yellow outfits. The groom's family provides the bride with a yellow dress, matching paranda, and Khusa to wear for the event. Salwar kameez in yellow shades are the preferred attire for most brides. Grooms also sometimes wear yellow kurta pajamas or churidar kurtas. The colour yellow is also reflected in the ubtan paste, which is made from turmeric, flour, and mustard oil, and applied to the bride's face, arms, and feet.

The bride is adorned with flower jewellery

The Mayon, or Mayun, ceremony is a pre-wedding ritual in Pakistani weddings where the bride is adorned with flower jewellery. The ceremony takes place at the bride's house, and the bride is not allowed to leave the house in the final week before the wedding. The bride is also not allowed to see the groom until the wedding day.

The Mayon ceremony is a time for the bride to focus on skincare and beautification. The bride's mother applies ubtan, a paste made of turmeric, essential oils, herbs, and sandalwood, to the bride's face, hands, and feet. This is believed to enhance the bride's wedding glow. Following the mother, seven married women also apply the paste to the bride. The bride's cousins and friends also stay with her during this time to keep her happy.

The bride is then adorned with flower jewellery. The bride's friends and family members apply oil to her hair and ubtan to her hands and face. This practice of using oil and ubtan dates back to the Mughal era. The ubtan paste is believed to be applied every day until the wedding.

The Mayon ceremony is a fun tradition where the bride is made to feel special and happy. It is a time for her to bond with her female family members and friends before the wedding.

The bride's maternal uncle gives her a gift of clothing, jewellery and money

The gift of clothing, jewellery and money from the bride's maternal uncle is known as the nankey-shak. This gift is presented to the bride during the choora or chura ritual, which takes place on the morning of the wedding. The bride's maternal uncle will place a set of ivory and red bangles on his niece while the women sing traditional songs about the role of maternal uncles.

The nankey-shak is an important gift as it includes the clothing that the bride will wear for her wedding. The bride will bathe ritually and then dress in the clothes provided by her maternal uncles before the wedding ceremony. This gift reinforces the bond formed at the mother's wedding and highlights the importance of the mother's birth family in the wedding rituals.

The maternal uncle's gift also includes jewellery, which will adorn the bride during the wedding ceremony. The jewellery is likely to be made of gold, as gold jewellery is traditionally worn by Pakistani brides during their wedding. The gift of money is also significant, as it symbolises prosperity and good fortune for the bride's married life.

The nankey-shak is a special gift that not only enhances the bride's beauty on her wedding day but also reinforces family bonds and brings good wishes for the future.

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