*Jash-ne-Ishqa* Lets celebrate the wedding! - Page 11

Haldi Ceremony (Preparing the bride and groom with sacred turmeric)

Recommended Dress code: Casuals

The Haldi ceremony is like an ancient Indian spa ritual. Except instead of a soothing, relaxing ambience, you have hundreds of friends and relatives singing and dancing around you!

In this ceremony the family members attempt to 'beautify' the bride and groom by applying a paste of turmeric (Haldi) on their face, hands and feet. The turmeric applied is known to improve one's complexion and is applied seven times on the body from bottom to top and then top to bottom. During the ceremony, kangana or sacred thread, is tied on the right wrists of the bride and groom. The kangana is a red thread strung through an iron chaaku (small iron knife for protection), turmeric sticks, supari (areca nut, but commonly known as betel nut) and kaudis (shells). These are all symbols of good luck, to protect the bride and the groom from the evil eye, so that the wedding happens without any obstacles.