Know what the real meaning of these Indian wedding rituals are? Find out

Marriages are a celebration of love, togetherness and an unbreakable bond. Its that event that unites friends and family and brings them under one roof. The wedding season has already kick-started in India and according to Hindu holy charts, this is the best period to get married. Bollywood seems to be living up the wedding craze with Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh uniting in holy matrimony and Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas all set to take the plunge.

Globally, Indian weddings are called a week long festival and honestly we do agree with them. Our wedding festivities go on for a good 4-5 days, sometimes even more and we see a great display of food, decor, outfits and jewellery. Let’s not forget the madness it brings along. If we can say so then Indian weddings are actually fun holidays wherein one dresses up looking their stunning best, clicks pictures away to glory and bonds with one another making relationships for a lifetime.

It is the beauty in each pre-function during the wedding festivities that make it all the more special. India being super diverse, with different cultures, still manages to pull the same strings with emotions when it comes to the bride and groom. While we all enjoy our hearts away during these functions, listed below is the significance of each pre-wedding ritual and why it takes place.

Roka/Tilak Ceremony

A Roka/Tilak ceremony is the first step of bonding between the bride and the groom’s family. The ceremony is usually conducted at the groom’s place wherein the male members from the bride’s side apply kumkum on the groom’s forehead and give him a sagan (money, clothes etc).

Engagement Ceremony

An engagement ceremony is a formal announcement wherein the bride and the groom exchange rings. Both the sides of the family come together and music and dance is a part of the festivities.

Sangeet Ceremony

Touted as one of the most awaited functions, the sangeet ceremony is one which is full of celebration, involving dance and music. The sangeet ceremony is a like a fun tug of war between the bride and the groom’s side where the members of each side prepare dance acts and perform together. The bride and the groom too perform for each other. Traditionally, it used to be a bunch of women sitting together singing and dancing but now the event has gone up many scales.

Haldi Ceremony

The haldi ceremony is another fun ritual where members of the family apply turmeric paste on the bride and the groom. It is widely believed that haldi or turmeric adds the extra bit of glow to the bride and groom’s skin and it is also considered as auspicious.

Mehendi Ceremony

A special ceremony for the bride which takes place a day before the wedding. In this ceremony the bride applies beautiful henna designs on her hands and feet. She also writes the initials of her would-be husband which he has to find later on.

Wedding Ceremony

A Hindu wedding ceremony takes close to 3-4 hours. There are beautiful rituals involved like ‘kanyadaan’ wherein the father gives away his daughter to the groom. ‘Sindoor daan’ wherein the husband fills up the bride’s centre parted forehead with sindoor or vermillion, ‘pheras’ wherein the bride and groom have to circle around the fire 7 times and finally the ‘vidaai’ wherein the bride bids goodbye to her family.

Marriages are truly made in heaven but they are made all the more special and beautiful by these heart-warming rituals. Which ritual is your most favourite? Comment below and let us know.