Indian weddings do not symbolize mere marriage; The nuptial bond symbolizes loads of commitments, shared responsibilities, and lifetime promises. Weddings in India are full of vivid events and rituals that continue for several days. Around 300-1000 people attend the weddings and therefore the scale of the wedding is so large that it seems that not only the two people are getting married, but also the two families. Most wedding customs and traditions are similar in Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Jains.
The parents of the future groom approach the parents of the bride to ask for the hand of their daughter to marry her son. If the bride’s parents agree with the proposal, the parents invite the Hindu priest to match the horoscopes and if the horoscopes agree, they ask the expert to tell them a suitable date for the marriage.
The bride’s parents visit the groom’s home to formalize the wedding and perform the Tilak Ceremony. The next day the “Byaha Hatth” ceremony takes place and the single girls apply a paste of turmeric, sandalwood and rose water to the bride and groom in their homes. Until the wedding day, neither the bride nor the groom can leave their homes.
On the wedding day, the bride wears a red sari and the groom wears a sherwani accompanied by pajamas or salwar and wraps angrakha around his neck. The groom and the male members of the groom’s family wear pink turbans.
The groom rides a horse and is accompanied by his baraat (procession) to the wedding site. They receive a warm welcome from the bride. The bride is escorted to the wedding hall by her close friends or sisters. Then both the bride and groom perform the garland ceremony and head to the wedding banquet.
According to the timing suggested by the Hindu purohit, the Ring of Fire is performed to end the marriage and then the bride’s parents do the kanyadan. The bride leaves with the groom and is greeted by her mother-in-law with an Aarti thali. Several regular games are played during the afternoon hour. The next day in the evening, a reception party is held next to the Groom and a large number of guests are again invited to attend the party.
The wedding is said to officially end with the reception party, but after the wedding, the couple are invited to have lunch / dinner at relatives’ homes for the first time after their marriage. This is to open the way for them to visit the homes of relatives.