Gujarati Wedding Traditions: Rituals And Celebrations

A Gujarati wedding is a vibrant, colourful affair, full of rituals, music, dance, and delicious vegetarian food. The wedding festivities can last several days, with many outfit changes and events for guests to enjoy.

The first ceremony, Chandlo Maatli, is when the bride's father and four male relatives visit the groom's home with gifts, and the groom is anointed with a red circle on his forehead. The engagement ceremony, Gol Dhana, follows, where the couple exchanges rings.

The Mehndi ceremony is held two days before the wedding, with henna, music, and dance. The Sangeet Sandhya is another fun-filled evening of music and dance, with traditional Garba and Dandiya Raas dances.

The Pithi ceremony is similar to the Haldi ceremony, where a paste of turmeric, sandalwood, rosewater, and herbs is applied to the couple.

The wedding day begins with the groom's procession, Varghodo, where he arrives on a horse, followed by his family and friends dancing. The bride's family welcomes them with the Jaan ritual, offering sweets and blessings. The couple then exchanges floral garlands in the Jaimala ritual.

The wedding ceremony takes place under a Mandap, with the bride and groom circling a sacred fire and exchanging vows. The father of the bride gives her hand in marriage during the Kanyadaan ritual.

The newlyweds then receive blessings from their elders, and the bride bids farewell to her family in the emotional Vidaai ceremony.

The post-wedding rituals include the bride being welcomed into the groom's home as the Goddess Laxmi, bringing good fortune. A fun game, Aeki Beki, is played to welcome the bride into her new family.

Pre-wedding rituals: Mehndi, Sangeet Sandhya, and Pithi ceremonies

Gujarati weddings are a vibrant affair, with several rituals and traditions. Here is a detailed overview of the pre-wedding rituals: Mehndi, Sangeet Sandhya, and Pithi ceremonies.

Mehndi

The Mehndi ceremony is a joyous occasion, usually held two days before the wedding. Intricate henna designs are applied to the bride's hands and feet, with the groom's initials incorporated into the pattern. Other women in the family, including the bride's sisters, cousins, and friends, also join in the festivities, adorning their palms with henna. The ceremony is filled with music, dancing, and singing of wedding songs.

Sangeet Sandhya

Sangeet Sandhya, also known as Sanjhi or Sanji, is a fun-filled musical evening held a day before the wedding. Both the bride's and groom's families come together to perform traditional Garba dances, such as Raas, Dandiya, and Garba, on celebratory tunes. In modern times, families also prepare special dance performances to Bollywood songs and folk music, making it a memorable night for all. This ceremony serves as an informal setting for the two families to interact, get to know each other, and strengthen their bond.

Pithi

The Pithi ceremony, similar to the Haldi ceremony in other cultures, is usually held a day before the wedding. The bride and groom, seated on a low stool (bajat) at their respective homes, have a paste of turmeric, sandalwood, rosewater, herbs, and perfume applied to their faces, hands, and feet by their relatives. The paste is traditionally prepared by the paternal uncle's wife (Kaki). After the paste is applied, the bride and groom are given a holy bath.

Wedding-day rituals: Varghodo, Jaimala, Madhuparka, and Antarpat

Varghodo is the Gujarati equivalent of the 'baraat', the wedding procession. The groom arrives at the bride's house on a horse, and is followed by a dancing procession led by his family members and friends. The family members are also accompanied by a group of musicians.

The bride's family welcomes the groom's baraat with the ritual of Ponkvu. The bride's mother welcomes the groom with an aarti and tilak, and then playfully pulls his nose, reminding him to be humble as he is there to ask for her daughter's hand. The groom tries to evade her.

The Jaimala is the formal meeting of the couple on their wedding day, where they exchange floral garlands. The ritual is done twice, with the couple lifted higher by their relatives to make it more difficult.

The Madhuparka is the ritual where the bride's mother leads the groom to the mandap and washes his feet with milk and water. He is then offered a drink called 'panchamrut', made from ghee, honey, sugar, milk and yoghurt. While the groom is busy with this ritual, the bridesmaids steal his shoes in the Juta Churai ritual.

The Antarpat is a cloth curtain placed between the bride and groom once the bride arrives at the mandap, preventing them from seeing each other.

Wedding ceremony: Kanyadaan, Mangal Pheras, and Saptapadi

The Kanyadaan is an important ceremony where the bride's father officially gives his daughter's hand to the groom. The father first washes the groom's feet and asks him to take responsibility for his daughter's happiness and well-being. The groom's shawl is then knotted with the bride's saree by the priest, symbolising their union. The Kanyadaan is considered the greatest offering one can make to the Supreme Being, and it is believed that the bride's parents are absolved of all their sins and attain moksha.

Following the Kanyadaan, the bride and groom participate in the Mangal Pheras, or circling of the sacred fire. The groom leads the bride in the first three circles, and the bride leads the groom in the last circle. Each circle is connected to Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. The priest chants sacred verses and asks the couple to repeat them.

The Saptapadi is a crucial ritual in Hindu weddings, where the couple takes seven steps together, reciting seven vows of holy matrimony, binding them for eternity. The bride and groom touch a straight line of seven betel nuts with their toes and recite their vows. The groom then applies sindoor (vermillion) to the bride's hair parting and ties a Mangalsutra (sacred thread) around her neck.

The wedding ceremony concludes with the newlyweds touching the feet of their elders and seeking their blessings.

Post-wedding rituals: Vidaai, Ghar Ni Laxmi, and Aeki-Beki

Vidaai is the ceremony in which the bride bids farewell to her family, relatives and friends. This is an emotional event where the bride and her family share tears of separation. The bride's brother usually accompanies her to the exit of her home, from where she is handed over to her husband.

The next ritual is Ghar Ni Laxmi, which takes place when the bride arrives at the groom's home. The bride is considered to be Ghar Ni Laxmi, or a form of Goddess Laxmi, who brings wealth and good luck to a family. To symbolise this, the mother-in-law places a vessel filled with rice at the entrance of the house, which the bride knocks down with her right foot, spilling the rice.

The final post-wedding ritual is Aeki Beki, a fun game played by the newlywed couple. A vessel is filled with water, milk, sindoor (vermilion) and flowers, and several coins and a ring are placed inside. The couple then playfully search for the ring, and it is believed that whoever finds it four out of seven times will rule the household.

Gujarati wedding attire: Bandhani, mirror-work, and Patan Patola

Gujarati wedding attire is vibrant and colourful, with a variety of fabrics, styles, and embroidery work. Here is a guide to the different elements of Gujarati wedding attire:

Bandhani

Bandhani is a tie-and-dye technique that originated in Gujarat's Kutch region. It involves tying cloth at various points, dipping it into dyes of different colours, and then drying it. Bandhani outfits are a common choice for Gujarati weddings, with brides wearing Bandhani sarees or lehengas. The traditional colours for a Bandhani saree are red, maroon, and green with gold embroidery. Bandhani dupattas are also popular, often paired with a panetar lehenga.

Mirror-work

Mirror embellishments are an integral part of Gujarati culture and are commonly found on wedding outfits. Mirror work is often combined with other types of embroidery and can be seen on chaniya cholis, lehengas, and sarees.

Patan Patola

Patan Patola is one of the rarest and most precious traditional craft forms in India. It is made by just a handful of families who have passed on the craft through generations. Patan Patola creations are rich, beautiful, and often quite expensive. They are considered symbols of good luck and are offered to goddesses and revered ladies of the family during weddings. The silk craft involves the use of the double-ikat method, requiring a huge amount of visual skills and coordination.

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