Rituals You need to Know About in a Punjabi Wedding

Punjabi Weddings are not just limited to music, dance, and Patiala pegs. But there are a lot many rituals involved in a Punjabi Wedding. Here, we have provided a detailed list of the Punjabi Wedding Rituals so that next time you’ll have an idea about what’s going on whenever you attend a Punjabi Wedding.

What Happens in a Punjabi Wedding?

• Roka and Thaka: Roka is the first ritual in this long list of Punjabi Shaadi. It’s a pre-engagement commitment ceremony in which the bride’s family visits the groom’s home with a lot of gifts. The meaning of the word Roka is very literal, it means to stop the bride and groom from looking for other potential matches as their wedding is now finalized.
• Kurmai: Kurmai is often referred to as the Engagement ceremony. In this ceremony, the groom’s family gifts an ornate dupatta to the bride. Moreover, the bride is showered with gifts, especially jewelry which her mother-in-law and sister-in-law help put on. Also, the bride’s father puts a tika on the groom’s forehead, blessing him. At the end of this ceremony, the bride and groom exchange rings.
• Dholki: Dholki is the sangeet ceremony in Punjabi Marriage Rituals that happens separately at the bride’s and the groom’s houses respectively. This ceremony is usually celebrated with the closest family members, where a family member plays dhol while others sing folk songs. However, the dhols are nowadays replaced by perfectly choreographed dance performances and that often includes a DJ too.
• Mehendi: This is one of the major ceremonies of a Punjabi Shaadi where Mehendi artists are invited to the bride’s house to put Mehendi on the bride’s hands and feet. And, they even put Mehendi to female family member’s palms too. The groom also puts on Mehendi as part of this Punjabi Wedding Ritual.
• Vatna: Vatna is often referred to as Haldi Ceremony. For this ceremony, a paste of turmeric and mustard oil is applied to both brides as well as the groom. This is done to enhance their glow and make them ready for the wedding.
• Ghara Gharoli: For this ceremony, the bride’s sister-in-law visits the nearest temple to fill an astoundingly decorated clay pot (Gharoli) with holy water and bring that back to the bride. Later, the bride takes a bath from this water right after her Vatna and starts getting ready for the wedding.
• Ghodi Chadhna: The groom rides on a ghodi (mare) to the wedding. The ghodi is first fed by the groom’s sister and is also decorated with astonishing Gota Patti fabrics.
• Jaimala: The bride and the groom exchange flower garlands, known as jaimala or varmala. Both the families enjoy this ceremony, some members of family lift the bride and the groom so that it becomes difficult for them to put on the garland on each other.
• Kanyadan: Kanyadan is one of the most essential and sentimental Hindu Punjabi Wedding Rituals. The bride’s father puts a ring on the groom’s finger and then he gives his daughter to the groom.
• Phere: In this ceremony, both the bride and the groom seven rounds (phere) around the sacred fire. Each phera includes a promise that the bride and groom take in presence of a priest. And, there’s a common question revolving in people’s minds; Do Punjabis Wear Mangalsutra? Well, the answer is yes. Punjabi Married Women do wear mangalsutra. Phere is followed by the groom putting sindoor on the bride’s head and then putting the mangalsutra around her neck to seal the deal.
• Vidaai: Vidaai is the last ceremony of Punjabi Marriage Rituals. It’s an emotional tradition that indicates the official time for the bride to say goodbye to her maternal home. Later, the bride throws rice over her head to shower the house and her maternal family with gratefulness.

How Long is a Punjabi Wedding Ceremony?

Punjabis are probably the most enthusiastic and fun-loving people you can ever meet. So, there’s no doubt that Punjabi Hindu Weddings are one of the most extravagant weddings in India. They are full of colors, love, tempting food, and of course, Patiala pegs. A typical Punjabi Wedding Ceremony lasts for 5 days. These are the days when the entire family spends a great time together and celebrates joy. No matter whether it’s the first marriage or the 2nd marriage, they celebrate a Divorced Marriage also with the same enthusiasm.

What is a Bangle Ceremony in Punjab?

Bangle Ceremony is one of the crucial pre-wedding rituals of a Punjabi Shaadi. But How do you do a Bangle Ceremony? So, for this ceremony, the bride’s maternal uncle adorns the bride’s wrist with white and red bangles along with a special ornament; kaleerein. Now, what is a Kaleerein Ritual? Kaleerein is made of gold or silver and according to this ritual, kaleerein is supposed to pass from generation to generation