Marwari Wedding Rituals

The associated celebrations in this sect are really pomp and splendor. With all the ornaments and lavish clothes, they are an extravagant affair. The customs are an integral part of the ceremony and are done in a traditional way. They are also divided in several stages.

The engagement ceremony takes place at the groom's residence where a 'Tilak' is applied on his forehead by the father of the bride and offers him gifts. In 'Pithi Dastoor', a vermilion paste is applied to both the bride and the groom at their respective homes. In 'Mahira Dastoor', the maternal side of both the bride and groom bring gifts for them. 'Palla Dastoor' takes place at the bride's residence where she gets clothes and jewellery from the groom, to be worn on the auspicious day.

When the Rajput baraat, constituting only of men, arrives at the bride's residence, a special Aarti of the groom is performed by the mother-in-law. The ceremony at the mandap is usually attended by the female members. After the main day, further customs take place. The bride bids farewell to her family in the Bidai ceremony. She is welcomed with the Grihspravesh Ceremony to the groom's house. The Pagelagani ceremony takes place on the next day where the bride is introduced to the members of the family and receives gifts from them.

All the nuptial traditions in this faith are an expensive affair. Lots of money is spent to make special clothes and jewellery for the bride because it is a symbol of the wealth of the groom. The maternal side of both the bride and the groom also spend a lot of money while performing the various ceremonies.