The Rituals and Customs of Himachali Marriage

The Indian land is filled with customs and rituals for life. From childhood to adulthood, a person goes through uncountable rituals. The most beautiful rituals and customs are observed in marriages. Especially, the Himachali marriage is filled with fun and cultural rituals which will make you curious!The marriage ceremony in Himachal is followed with some interesting and unique rites. There are different ceremonies to complete the marriage which makes it even more interesting and joyous. If you are very curious to know about the beautiful Himachali wedding rituals and customs, here are some interesting ones!Here are the interesting and auspicious rituals and customs of a traditional Himachali marriage:

The Matchmaking :

The first step or ritual for a Himachali wedding is matchmaking. A matchmaker, also known as ‘Dhamu’ or Roovary analyses the financial condition, social status, horoscopes and find the bride and groom pairs. ‘Gotra’ and horoscopes are matched and of these conditions match, the marriage is fixed. When the match is found, the ‘Tika’ is sent which is a traditional gift. With this, the marriage is fixed.

The Haldi Ceremon :

‘Haldi’ also known as turmeric plays a very important role in Indian weddings. This is considered as a multipurpose and holy herb which is used to make the bride more beautiful. This ceremony happens at both the bride and the groom’s home. The family members apply ‘haldi’ to the groom and the bride. Also, milk, Chandan and other beauty ingredients are added to improve the skin tone and get a beautiful wedding glow on the skin! This is such an exciting and thrilling ceremony!

Mama Swagat :

The word ‘mama’ means maternal uncle and ‘swagat’ means welcome. In this ritual, the mama and his family is welcomed with cheerful music, gifts and sweets in the wedding. This ceremony shows the support of the uncle and other relatives towards the wedding and the involvement of the families. The mama gives gifts and blessings to the bride and groom. Also, the mama of the bride gives her a ‘chunri’ which she always keeps with her.

Sehra Bandi :

People in the weddings wear ‘Sehra’. ‘Sehra’ is a wedding turban which is carried by the mama and other relatives of the groom and bride’s family. When the groom is dressed and ready for the wedding, the wives of the uncles tie Sehra to the uncles. This is a colourful and common wedding dress for the relatives and family members.

Saptapadi :

When the groom’s family is welcomed to the wedding venue with gifts and sweets, the actual wedding ceremony starts. In this ritual, a red cloth or dupatta is tied to both, the bride and groom’s dresses. This knot is considered as a lifetime knot which ties both the bride and groom forever in a marital bond. After this, the couple stands and takes 7 pheras around the fire. The priests enchant the mantras and the wedding rituals are performed.

Kanyadaan :

Kanyadaan is a ceremony in which, the father of the bride, gives away his daughter to the groom. The daughter is now a wife and has to follow all the duties. This ceremony has a very high importance in the marriage.

Vidaai :

This is the ceremony in which, the bride after getting married, departs to the groom’s house. In this ceremony, the bride and groom take the blessings of the family members. Full of emotions and tears, the bride’s family allows the bride to go away with the groom at his house. The girl throws rice and some coins while moving out of the wedding venue.