Full of various beautiful rituals and celebrations, Punjabi weddings are just like a grand festival. And, most of the traditions followed in Punjabi and Sikh weddings are common. Be it their fun-filled attitude or unrelenting zeal, Punjabis ensure that their wedding ceremonies are no less than the term ‘king-size’. And, the beauty of these ‘larger than life’ weddings is further enhanced by the unparalleled charm of gorgeous Punjabi brides.
A beautiful blend of rich wedding traditions and flawless beauty of Punjabi brides can leave anyone spellbound. So, we decided to take you through the beautiful experience of a Punjabi wedding through the eyes of our various stunning Punjabi brides. So, let us begin.
The first and foremost ceremony that takes place in a Punjabi wedding is the roka. It simply indicates a confirmation from both the families that the alliance is fixed. As a part of this ceremony, both the families exchange gifts, sweets and dry fruits with each other. The soon-to-be couple is also given gifts and money as a part of shagun, by their parents.
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After the roka, and just a few days before the wedding day, the sagan ceremony takes place. In this, the rituals of tikka and chunni are followed. Herein, the bride’s family visits the groom’s house and gives gifts to him and his family. Afterwards, the bride’s parents apply tikka to their future son-in-law. And then, the bride-to-be is presented with a red or pink chunni (veil) and ornaments from her future in-laws.
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The ceremony that takes place after the sagan is the sagai (engagement), where the couple simply exchange rings.
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No Punjabi bride can ever be considered complete without her chooda. It is a dazzling set of 21 red and ivory bangles, which is gifted to the bride by her maternal uncle. An important part of a Punjabi bride’s solah shringar, chooda is believed to bring good luck for the newlywed couple.
And, there is a separate ritual followed to make her wear the chooda. It starts with a puja after which, the bangles are washed with milk and water. And, everyone present in the ceremony touches the bride’s chooda and bestows their heartfelt wishes for her happy married life. Once the blessings are taken from all the family members, the bride’s maternal uncle and aunt make her wear this beautiful set of bangles. The bride’s chooda is covered with a piece of cloth after completion of this ritual, and it is opened just before the wedding ceremonies. And, it is worn for a minimum period of 40-45 days after the wedding day.
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Another important part of the solah shringar of a Punjabi bride, kalire are the beautiful umbrella-shaped hangings tied on the bride’s chooda by her sisters and cousins. Kalire signify their good wishes for the bride, and there is another very interesting ritual attached to them. The bride shakes her hands over the heads of all the unmarried girls in the family, and it is believed that the girl on whom a part of this kalire falls, would be the next to get married.
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Just like any other big or small function of a Punjabi wedding, the mehendi ceremony is also celebrated with a lot of energy and excitement. In fact, the celebrations are doubled as the mehendi ceremony is usually combined with sangeet. While the mehendi is applied on the bride’s hands and feet, women in the family sing Punjabi folk songs. And, the family members dance to convey their joy. Other female members of the family also get the mehendi applied on their hands.
Next is the vatna or batna ceremony, which is similar to the haldi ceremony that takes place in any Indian wedding. In this ceremony, a paste of haldi and mustard oil is applied on the bride’s body by her female relatives and friends. After this ceremony, the bride is supposed to remain in the house only.
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After the vatna ceremoney, the bride bathes with the water brought by her sisters-in-law in a ghada (earthen pot) from a nearby temple. This ritual is known as ghada gharoli.
While we just showed you one beautiful aspect of the Punjabi weddings, also see these 10 Funny Scenarios You Will Find In Every Big Fat Punjabi Wedding
A Punjabi bride prefers wearing a red, maroon or pink lehenga on her wedding day. However, there is no restriction as such and she can wear any colour she wants. And, the Sikh brides usually wear anarkalis in place of lehenga on their wedding day. The colours that are usually avoided are black and white. Apart from her royal dress and other pieces of jewellery, a nose ring or nath, forms an integral part of her solah shringar.
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The touching moment in the Punjabi wedding comes when the bride’s father gives his daughter’s hand to the groom during the kanyadaan. It signifies that now it is the responsibility of the groom to take care of the bride for lifetime. After that, the groom and the bride take pheras around the sacred fire and the priest chants the wedding vows. The marriage is accomplished as the groom applies sindoor on the bride’s forehead and ties the mangalsutra around her neck.
In case of a Sikh wedding, also known as the Anand Karaj, the ceremony takes place in a gurudwara. And, the pheras are taken around the Guru Granth Sahib, instead of a fire.
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A Punjabi wedding truly symbolises the merriment of the blissful union. And, just one look at these beautiful brides and their special moments, can truly compel anyone to have a Punjabi wedding.