Gujarati Wedding Day Customs
| When we talk about most vibrant and cultural Indian wedding traditions then we can not forget marriages in Gujarat. Gujarati Wedding is the liveliest example of celebrations and rituals performed at the auspicious occasion. The nuptial couple starts new chapter in their life through the lessons of Gujarati culture and tradition. Furthermore, there are so many rituals practiced before, during and after the Gujarati wedding event. In this article, we will focus on the wedding day customs belong to Gujarati tradition. Ponkvu
The first Gujarati wedding day ritual is Ponkvu which means the arrival of the groom and his family. At the entrance, the groom is welcomed by the bride's mother with performing aarti. She also tries to grab his nose to enter into the house. Jaimala
Both the groom and the bride reach at the stage where they exchange garlands to each other. According to the tradition, at first time the groom is on a higher platform than the bride but bring equal at the second time. Madhuparka
During the Madhuparka ceremony, the feet of the groom are washed and given honey and milk to drink as indication of love and well being. Meanwhile, the bride sisters steal the groom's shoes as per the custom of Juta Churai. Kanya Daan
After the madhuparka ceremony, both the bride and the groom arrive at mandap where the father of the bride performs the most sacred ritual of Kanya Daan. During this ceremony, the bride's father washes the feet of the groom and gives her daughter's hand onto the hand of the groom. Hasta Milap
The next wedding day custom is Hasta Milap in which the scarf of the groom is tied with the chunni or sari of the bride. Meanwhile, the priest chant religious hymns and seek blessings of the Almighty. After the ceremony, the elder members of both families offer blessings to the couple by sprinkle rose petals and rice grains on them. Mangal Pheras
On the occasion of Mangal Pheras, the wedding couple takes rounds of holy fire under the guidance of the priest. Unlike other Indian weddings, Gujarati wedding consists of four mangal pheras that illustrate Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. Saptapadi
After performing mangal pheras, the ceremony of Saptapadi is performed. In this ritual, the groom helps the bride in touching the seven betel nuts with her right toe. Besides that, they chant seven vows to take each other's responsibility. Saubhagyavati Bhava
In the Saubhagyavati Bhava ritual, seven married women from the bride's family tell good wishes and blessings in her right ear and bless her to remain Saubhagyavati or lucky in every step of life. |
 
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