Engagement traditions in India
Indian culture is rich and diversified. It has its own unique ways with wide ranges of festivals, functions, customs, languages, religions and so on which are characterized by color, gaiety, enthusiasm, prayers and rituals.
Example:
1.Indian culture treats guests, elders as god and they take care as a part of family with love and affection.
2.Respect each others and have a helpful nature.
Even thought the times have changed but sum things never changes. They come along with you as hereditary, same is the culture.
Indian cultures have wide range of festivals which brings joy and happiness in life. In India wedding and other ceremonies are also celebrated the same ways as of festival. In other words we can consider wedding also as a festival or tradition which is continuing from olden days.
We will discuss about the wedding ceremonies in India but since India is a country with different states, people in all these states have different traditions or customs which will be discussed today.
Wedding has many ceremonies, first being the engagement. Engagement is the making of formal announcement of the wedding usually celebrated with close friends and relatives.
Customs based on states or directions of states: Let’s start with engagement ceremony in different parts of India in Hindu traditions.
1.Southern India (Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil-nadu): Engagement is depicted as nischitarta in South India. Firstly both the families with bride and groom to be sit on opposite sides and discuss various things such as preparation of invitation, wedding venue, date and they exchange clothes, sweets and fruits. There after the bride to be and groom to be is made to sit on the wooden plank with a sacred fire in the middle which is prepared by the priest and he chants the Sanskrit mantras which is basically done to seek the blessing from god, after which they seek the blessings from elders with a showering of turmeric coated rice. Then the priest writes the lagna-patrica or the invitation format and next would be having a delicious lunch. These days’ bride and groom do exchange rings as a sign of engagement or committed.
2.Northern India (Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu Kashmir): Engagement ceremony was absent in olden days in North India but as the culture spread vastly people in northern India also started performing it. They perform with a special style. North India engagement is called Sagaai or Magni. Once the match is fixed the maternal uncle gives a nose ring to the girl which depicts the end for search of suitable groom. Next the groom and his family arrives bride’s place with dried dates wrapped with silver foil, coconut wrapped in golden foil and tikka (rice coated by turmeric) which is showered on the groom by bride’s father and also gives some money as blessing and in return groom’s family gives seven types of dry fruits. Then the bride is draped by a gorgeous chunni and jewellary. Then rings are exchanged.
3.Eastern India (West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, and Jharkhand): Engagement is ceremony which takes place in bride house in front of a purohit wherein he brings an idol of bhagwan Narayana and then the bride’s family gives blessings to the groom and groom’s family to bride.
4.Western India (Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan): Engagement is basically taken place in bride’s place. Here Engagement or Sakharpuda literally means 'a packet of sugar' which is given to each other. It could be a simple affair wherein the bridegroom and his close relatives come to the bride's home. But it could also be organized by bride's side on a larger scale inviting more guests. The bride flanked by her parents and karvali i.e. bride's sister sit in a row on pat - wooden board. The bridegroom's mother applies haldi-kunku and gives a sari to the bride into which bride is supposed to change. Thereafter the bridegroom's mother does Oti Bharane and gives Sakharpuda - a cone shaped decorative parcel filled with pedhe. Giving gifts to the bride's parents and karvali is optional. This means first, bridegroom's side has to give their word to bride's side that they have fixed the alliance. Similarly, to give their consent in return, the bride's mother invites the bridegroom, his parents and karvali to sit on the pat. She applies kumkum tilak to the groom and his father and haldi-kunku to groom's mother and karvali and gives a pant and shirt piece or any clothing item as also Sakharpuda to the groom. Again gifts to all others are optional. After this ceremony, the bridegroom puts a ring on the bride's ring-finger - anamika -of the left hand. The similar process is repeated by the bride. The guests are given pedhe, some refreshments or a full meal.
The engaged couple meets the guests and pays respect to elders by touching their feet. This ceremony signifies the agreement of the alliance witnessed by many people.
These are the basic tradition during engagement in different parts of India but these days exchange of ring by bride-groom is common due to flow of western culture.
Example:
1.Indian culture treats guests, elders as god and they take care as a part of family with love and affection.
2.Respect each others and have a helpful nature.
Even thought the times have changed but sum things never changes. They come along with you as hereditary, same is the culture.
Indian cultures have wide range of festivals which brings joy and happiness in life. In India wedding and other ceremonies are also celebrated the same ways as of festival. In other words we can consider wedding also as a festival or tradition which is continuing from olden days.
We will discuss about the wedding ceremonies in India but since India is a country with different states, people in all these states have different traditions or customs which will be discussed today.
Wedding has many ceremonies, first being the engagement. Engagement is the making of formal announcement of the wedding usually celebrated with close friends and relatives.
Customs based on states or directions of states: Let’s start with engagement ceremony in different parts of India in Hindu traditions.
1.Southern India (Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil-nadu): Engagement is depicted as nischitarta in South India. Firstly both the families with bride and groom to be sit on opposite sides and discuss various things such as preparation of invitation, wedding venue, date and they exchange clothes, sweets and fruits. There after the bride to be and groom to be is made to sit on the wooden plank with a sacred fire in the middle which is prepared by the priest and he chants the Sanskrit mantras which is basically done to seek the blessing from god, after which they seek the blessings from elders with a showering of turmeric coated rice. Then the priest writes the lagna-patrica or the invitation format and next would be having a delicious lunch. These days’ bride and groom do exchange rings as a sign of engagement or committed.
2.Northern India (Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu Kashmir): Engagement ceremony was absent in olden days in North India but as the culture spread vastly people in northern India also started performing it. They perform with a special style. North India engagement is called Sagaai or Magni. Once the match is fixed the maternal uncle gives a nose ring to the girl which depicts the end for search of suitable groom. Next the groom and his family arrives bride’s place with dried dates wrapped with silver foil, coconut wrapped in golden foil and tikka (rice coated by turmeric) which is showered on the groom by bride’s father and also gives some money as blessing and in return groom’s family gives seven types of dry fruits. Then the bride is draped by a gorgeous chunni and jewellary. Then rings are exchanged.
3.Eastern India (West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, and Jharkhand): Engagement is ceremony which takes place in bride house in front of a purohit wherein he brings an idol of bhagwan Narayana and then the bride’s family gives blessings to the groom and groom’s family to bride.
4.Western India (Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan): Engagement is basically taken place in bride’s place. Here Engagement or Sakharpuda literally means 'a packet of sugar' which is given to each other. It could be a simple affair wherein the bridegroom and his close relatives come to the bride's home. But it could also be organized by bride's side on a larger scale inviting more guests. The bride flanked by her parents and karvali i.e. bride's sister sit in a row on pat - wooden board. The bridegroom's mother applies haldi-kunku and gives a sari to the bride into which bride is supposed to change. Thereafter the bridegroom's mother does Oti Bharane and gives Sakharpuda - a cone shaped decorative parcel filled with pedhe. Giving gifts to the bride's parents and karvali is optional. This means first, bridegroom's side has to give their word to bride's side that they have fixed the alliance. Similarly, to give their consent in return, the bride's mother invites the bridegroom, his parents and karvali to sit on the pat. She applies kumkum tilak to the groom and his father and haldi-kunku to groom's mother and karvali and gives a pant and shirt piece or any clothing item as also Sakharpuda to the groom. Again gifts to all others are optional. After this ceremony, the bridegroom puts a ring on the bride's ring-finger - anamika -of the left hand. The similar process is repeated by the bride. The guests are given pedhe, some refreshments or a full meal.
The engaged couple meets the guests and pays respect to elders by touching their feet. This ceremony signifies the agreement of the alliance witnessed by many people.
These are the basic tradition during engagement in different parts of India but these days exchange of ring by bride-groom is common due to flow of western culture.
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