Pre and Post Wedding Rituals For Gujrati Weddings

Weddings in Gujrat are a perfect display of the region's colorful culture, friendly hospitality, and delicious vegetarian food. You can experience regional cultures, spanning rituals, the best Gujrati wedding photography, decorations, fashion, and more.

Gujrati weddings contain a diverse range of rituals before and after the wedding. The next section of the article will discuss the pre and post-wedding rituals for Gujrati weddings.

Pre and Post Wedding Rituals For Gujrati Weddings

Pre-Wedding Events

Chandlo Maatli

After the groom and bride have finalized their marriage, this function begins, known as the pre-wedding function. Four male family members, including the bride's father, visit the groom's house. Then he applies chandlo (a red circle) to the groom's forehead, gives him some money and maatli and fixes the wedding date.

Engagement Ceremony (Gol Dhana)

With gifts and sweets, the bride and her family visit the groom's home, where they exchange rings and seek blessings from five married women from both families. A delicious traditional meal follows the ceremony.

Lagan Lakhvanu (Kankotri)

As part of the ceremony, the first official invitation to a wedding is written and offered to God as a token of blessing. The function took place one month before the ceremony. Following the procedure, guests received an official invitation.

Mehendi

The ceremony is generally held at the bride's home two days before the wedding.

At a mehndi ceremony, women gather for a joyful ritual of music, dance, and henna designs on the bride's hands and feet. For the sake of keeping the memories alive, they hire the best Indian wedding photographers. Also, the rest of the family women get their hands painted with henna (Mehendi).

Sangeet Sandhya

It is a night of music and dance that everyone looks forward to, held generally a night before the wedding. Together, the two families let loose, sing songs, play Dandiya and Garba, and have a great time!

Mandap Mahurat and Griha Shanti

A common practice among Indian/Hindu cultures is to invoke Lord Ganesha's blessings in advance of auspicious occasions. In their respective homes, the bride and groom hold a ceremony to pray to Lord Ganesha and ask for his blessings for a prosperous future. Also, 'Griha Shanti Puja' is performed to ensure a happy and peaceful marriage.

Pithi

The Haldi ceremony or pithi is held at the bride and groom's home separately. On their hands, feet, and face, they are applied a paste of turmeric, sandalwood, rosewater, and other herbs by their loving ones. The bride/groom's aunt or aunt's wife (kaki) prepares this paste.

Mameru

One or two days before the wedding ceremony, both her (bride's) maternal uncle and maternal aunt's husband, called the 'mousa,' visit her home to gift her a traditional saree, jewelry, ivory 'churas' (bangles), sweets, dry fruits, and so on. The gifts are wrapped beautifully and presented to the bride.

The Marriage Ceremony

The groom rides a beautifully decorated horse along with relatives as he travels to the bride's home. In the 'jaan' ritual, the bride's mother welcomes the groom and his family with sweets and aarti when they arrive. In every Gujrati wedding photography, you will find the versatility and uniqueness of the ceremony. During her marriage, her uncle led the bride to go to the mandap (the wedding venue). Both the bride and the groom performed many rituals following the priests and married.

Post-wedding Functions

Vidaai

After her nuptials, the bride leaves her home to go to her husband's house after the wedding. The ceremony culminates in emotional goodbyes, and she throws puffed rice above her family, which her mother catches with her pallu.

Ghar ni Laxmi

In this ritual, as an auspicious symbol, the bride kicks over a copper vase of rice as she enters her new home. Indian wedding photographers capture the symbols of the function, and the couple keeps the memories for a lifetime. This ceremony is held when the bride enters her husband's house for the first time after her marriage.

Aeki-Baki

The couple is asked to play fun games called Aeki Beki after Ghar Nu Laxmi. Everyone in the groom's family welcomes the new member of the family and tries to make her feel comfortable.

Takeaways

In addition to the shared cultural and ritual nuances, some aspects of Gujarati weddings stand out. An Indian wedding photographer encapsulates the rich culture and colorful traditions of Gujarati weddings.

Gujarati weddings aren't complete without Dandiya Raas and Garba dancing, full of energy and fun.

Visit https://www.weddingphotoz.co.uk for some stunning photography.