The Most Vibrant Indian Wedding Traditions That Will Impress You

Indian Wedding Traditions

India is a country of diverse languages, cultures, and traditions. It has a rich heritage dating back to thousands of years. Indians have beautifully embraced their age-old customs, and their weddings are a true reflection of this. The weddings are elaborate and extravagant, to say the least. There are colors and festivities galore. The celebrations last for days, with various ceremonies marking each day. While the traditions of Indian weddings vary across regions, the main rituals remain largely the same. We will take you through some of the wedding rituals that are common across Indian culture.

Wedding Tradition in India: The Dazzling Red Bridal Wear

Indian wedding attires are bright, colorful, and highly embellished. Red is considered a color that brings good luck to the newlyweds. The bride and groom, their relatives and other guests — almost everybody wears red.

 

Brides wear the traditional dress known as a saree. The bridal dress is usually made of silk and is heavily embroidered. The groom also wears the traditional Indian male dress called sherwani or kurta, which is ornately embellished. The groom wears a turban and veil as well.

 

Indians love their jewelry. Brides wear intricately designed gold jewelry. Apart from various accessories on her hands and head, the bride also wears a maang teeka on the forehead, a kamarbandh or a waistband, anklets, and baajubandh or armbands.

 

The guests also dress up in their best traditional Indian wear. All women look their dazzling best dressed in ornate sarees and heavy gold jewelry. In South India, women also wear a string of fresh jasmine flowers on their hair.

Indian Wedding Traditions: The Enchanting Decorations

Wedding traditions in India call for the use of auspicious flowers such as marigold and jasmine as an important part of the wedding décor. Strings of marigold, jasmine, and betel leaves are used to decorate the venue. The subtle and sweet scent of the marigold and jasmine fills the air.

 

The bright yellow and orange hues of marigold add warmth to the whole décor. Diyas or lamps are also an important part of the Hindu wedding traditions. Mandap is a temporary construction used for the ceremony. It is the focal point of the whole décor, and it is adorned with flowers and diyas.

 

The entrance is also decorated with a floral arch. Rangoli, a popular folk art is also an essential part of hindu wedding ceremony traditions. It involves making intricate drawings on the floor using colors, grains, and earthen lamps.

Indian Wedding Tradition: The Rituals

Some of the rituals are followed by the Indians days before the wedding itself. The rituals continue until a day after the actual wedding. The beauty of wedding traditions in India lies in socializing, celebrating the coming together of two families, and a lot of singing and dancing. Some of the common Indian wedding rituals are:

Mahurat: The Auspicious Time for the Wedding

Weddings are planned and scheduled according to the auspicious date and time suggested by the priest based on astrological calculations. This custom is known as the mahurat, and Indians respect it very much so they follow it carefully. Everything happens as per the mahurat, and it is considered inauspicious if you miss it.

Mehendi: Intricate Designs with Henna

Indian Wedding Traditions

If you ever get a chance to be a part of an Indian wedding, be sure to attend the Mehendi ceremony. It is the Indian version of a bachelorette party.

Mehendi or henna is a paste of leaves of a plant called Lawsonia Inermis. This paste is painted on to the bride’s skin and left there for a few hours. It leaves a picture in a  beautiful bright orange color. Bride’s hands and feet are intricately painted with henna

Henna artists are hired for the job. They create pretty paisley and floral designs with henna. Once henna is applied, a layer of special concoction containing lemon and herbs is applied on top to get a perfect orange color. Hands are then washed after a few hours, when the desired color is obtained.

Mehendi ceremony usually takes places a couple of days before the wedding. Among the guests there are closest girlfriends and female relatives of the bride. Henna painting is made on hands of all female guests. Like most other traditions in Indian weddings, this one involves a lot of singing and dancing too.

Haldi: Turmeric Paste for Glowing Skin

It is amazing how Indians have held on to their old wedding traditions. Back in the day when makeup products were not as common, Indians would rely on herbs for cosmetic purposes. Haldi (turmeric) is a spice and a herb that is considered a purification agent in Indian culture. It is also known for add a glow to the skin. Indians believe that turmeric wards off the evil eye.

 

The haldi ceremony entails applying a paste of turmeric, rose water, sandalwood, and other herbs to the bride and groom’s skin by female relatives. It is a way of blessing the couple, and a purification ritual. It makes the skin clear and glowing.

The bride wears a yellow traditional dress and jewelry made of fresh flowers. There is a lot of feasting, dancing, singing, and listening to music.

Sangeet Night: Dancing the Night Away

No Indian wedding ritual is complete without dancing. “Sangeet” means music. Sangeet night is a wedding tradition in India that involves music and dance. It is the most awaited pre-wedding ceremony held on both the bride and groom side.

This celebratory event is usually organized a day before the marriage ceremony. Women sing folk songs and play folk instruments such as dholak (a traditional Indian drum). In earlier times, only folk dances were performed. Today, guests dance away the night to the tunes of famous Bollywood musicians.

Guests are dressed in their best outfits. Everyone feasts on traditional Indian food, drinks, and sweets.

Welcoming the Baraat: Arrival of the Groom

The arrival of the groom at the wedding venue is a sight to behold. The baraat or the groom’s side of guests arrives with a band of musicians with the entire party dancing to the music. The groom usually arrives on a fully decorated white pony.

The groom is welcomed with a sacred ritual called arti. The groom’s relatives are also welcomed with garlands. In many Indian cultures, the groom’s relatives are also given gifts upon arrival.

Mandap, Saat Phere: The Seven Vows

This is the most important Indian wedding tradition. The mandap is a sacred canopy that is erected temporarily to perform the actual wedding ceremony. It is decked with flowers and a sacred fire is lit in the middle.

The actual wedding ceremony involves saat phere or seven steps. The ceremony is conducted by a priest, who recites the holy shlokas (holy verses) and performs pooja (prayer) around the sacred fire.

The bride, bridegroom, and the parents sit around it. The father of the bride puts her hand in the bridegroom’s hand. The bride and groom then hold hands and take seven rounds of the sacred fire while the priest recites the shlokas. Each round stands for a wedding vow that the couple makes to each other. It lays down the rules and responsibilities that come with this holy union.

Mangalsutra: The Holy Necklace

After the saat pheras, the groom puts a necklace made of golden and yellow beads on his bride. The groom also puts sindoor, the traditional red vermillion along the bride’s hair partition. The mangalsutra and sindoor are considered the holy symbols of marriage. Once the bride wears these, the wedding is considered complete. The couple then proceeds to seek blessings from the elders by touching their feet. The whole wedding ceremony lasts well over 3-4 hours or longer.

Bidaai or Doli: Bidding Adieu to the Bride

This one is the last of the traditions of an Indian wedding. “Bidaai” is the Sanskrit word for farewell, and “doli” is a vehicle in which the bride leaves for her husband’s home.

 

After the wedding and all the rituals are complete, the bride is ready to leave her parent’s home. For everybody this is a very emotional part of the celebration.

Before the bride gets in the “doli”, she throws three handfuls of grains and some coins over her head to her maternal home. This symbolizes her blessing her maternal home with prosperity.

Bride’s Arrival in Her New Home

Bride’s welcome into her new home is marked by some holy rituals including arti. When she reaches her new home, the couple has to play some fun games. This is done to break the ice and make the bride feel comfortable in her new home, with a new family.

 

Indian weddings are a grand affair with rituals lasting for days. They are as fascinating as the Indian culture itself. The old Indian wedding traditions are still alive in their full glory. This gives a particular charm and splendor to Indian weddings.