Bengali wedding

Indian marriages involve loads of celebration is a fact widely known but what remains obscure are the unique ways of celebrations pertaining to different cultures and customs in different parts of the sub-continent.

Indians undoubtedly have the most interesting ideas of celebrating this ‘once-in-a-lifetime affair’ and they leave no stone unturned in doing so. Marriages are a mirror of the Indian society as they depict many Indian traditions and beliefs. As you get keen about the diverse Indian marriages, I’ll take you into a world which seems full of fantasies and creativity.

To make an interesting initiation I would take up a Bengali wedding straight from the state of ‘rasogullas.’ A number of interesting and colorful ceremonies mark a traditional Bengal Wedding.

The Bengali wedding is dependent upon numerous colors and symbols that signify good and evil, purity and sanctity, sexuality and fertility. For instance, the color black is not used as it indicates hopelessness while red being considered a sign of good luck, emotion and fortune is widely used for decorative purposes.

During the wedding ceremony the bride and the groom are made to sit on pirhis which are brought to the bride's house a day before the wedding or on the wedding day. Vridhi ceremony is performed a day before the marriage and is attended by all family members. Rituals for Vridhi involve offering of puja to the ancestors of the bride and the groom.

About ten married women accompany the bride/groom to a nearby pond to invite the Goddess Ganga to the wedding and bring back a pitcher of water to individually bathe the bride and the groom. This is called Dodhi Mangal. The snan takes place in the late afternoon or evening. A few married women apply turmeric and oil on the hair and body of the bride/groom. After bathing, the bride and groom must wear the new set of clothes that have been presented to them by their in-laws.

At the bride's house, the groom and his relatives are greeted with the ceremonial ringing of bells and blowing of conch shells. An interesting feature of the Bengali wedding is that the bride is carried to the mandap on the shoulders of her uncles amidst much revelry, conch-blowing and clapping. The purohit conducts the wedding ceremony.

The bride and groom exchange garlands while the purohit chants mantras. The wedding literally materializes after the completion of the seven circles of the bride and groom around the sacred fire. Spiritually, the fire is considered to be the witness to the bond that is made on this occasion. Following the custom called sampradhan paternal or maternal uncle gives the bride away.

Bidaai ceremony marks the departure of the bride and groom. From here they set off for the groom's home. The newly weds are blessed by the elders. The first meal served by the new bride is called bahubhat. This is a time of accepting her with respect in her new family and for her to know her new relatives. This ceremony is followed by a reception in the evening, hosted by the groom's father.