Panjabi Wedding

A Panjabi wedding is the most glamorous of all Indian weddings. Smeared with colors and fireworks, here you can enjoy a gala time while witnessing some of the most important rituals pertinent to their culture. Unlike a formal engagement followed by a ring exchanging ceremony, Panjabis go for a Roka Ceremony. With Roka the bride and the groom are unofficially accepted as couples to be married in the near future. On this pious occasion, the maternal uncle of the girl offers her a nose ring, which she should wear on the day of her marriage.

Just ten days before the marriage takes place the Tilak ceremony. On this occasion the bride’s family pays a visit to the groom’s place to offer him some special gifts along with basket full of dried fruits and sweetmeats. The father in law of the groom blesses him with after offering him a red tilak on his forehead. In turn the groom’s family too sends the bride jewelry, dried fruits, coconut and a traditional veil. This veil also known as the chunni is usually of high importance to the groom’s family, as it gets passed down from generation to generation.

Sangeet and Mehendi
With days to go for the marriage begin the function of Sangeet. On this occasion, both the boy and the girl hold up a joint function, where music and live band perform for the entertainment of both the families. Every member of the groom’s family and the bride’s family must participate in the Sangeet and shake a leg with the bride and the groom.

With three days to go for the marriage begins the Mehendi ceremony. After the mehendi ceremony the bride is not supposed to step outdoors! With henna paste applied on her feet and hands she is expected to begin her countdown!

Wedding Day
The bride is expected to take a holy bath early in the morning of her wedding day. Soon after her relatives and friends smear her face and body with an antiseptic paste made of turmeric and other herbs. After taking another bath, she finally offers her last prayers as a maiden to the lord. Soon after the bride is given her bridal chura by her maternal uncle. The chura is a combination of red and ivory bangles. The chura is soaked in milk the previous night, so that the bride can wear it without much hassle. The bride is expected to wear her chura for at least one year, as a mark of her new status!

At evening, arrives the groom riding on his horse. His face is generally covered with a floral veil called sehra. On stepping down he is welcomed by the bride’s party with garlands and blessings. Soon after the bride and the groom exchange garlands between themselves. With the holy fire being lit, it is then time to take the auspicious rounds. On completing four rounds the bride and the groom take seven steps in the direction of North. With it the whole ceremony comes to an end and the bride is then escorted by her husband to a whole new world!

Linus Orakles
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