Marathi wedding rituals

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Putija

@PutijaChalhov

Stunner

+ 9

Posted: 11 years ago

Lot of posts on poor editing because of change of clothes of bride and groom(Asha and Shlok) this is a must in most south Indian weddings and also Maharashtra and also some other regions a must that they wear what clothes given by In Laws during the actual wedding ceremony.

Collected from net Sacred Rituals of a Maharashtrian Wedding(many common rituals some different)

Out of all the different regional weddings in India, Maharashtrian weddings are filled with rituals that are quite simple yet vibrant. Most of the wedding ceremonies are conducted during the day. The process begins by matching the bride and the groom's horoscopes. If their horoscopes match perfectly, then an auspicious date is fixed for the wedding and other ceremonies. Though the specific rituals may vary according to the customs and beliefs of the people, here are some of the important rituals of a traditional Maharashtrian wedding.

Pre-Wedding Traditions and Rituals

The Sakhar Puda ritual: This is the first ritual of the wedding, also known as the engagement ceremony. The bride-to-be is gifted a sari and a packet of sugar or sweets, by the groom's family. After this the couple exchange rings.

The Kelvan ritual: A prayer is performed at both, the bride and the groom's, houses. In this, both the families offer their prayers to their kuldevta (family deity). The prayer ceremony is followed by a family lunch.

The Halad Chadavane: This ceremony is conducted in most of the regional weddings in India. Turmeric paste is applied on to the face, hands and feet of both the bride and the groom. This ceremony takes place a day before the wedding.

The Seemaan Puja: Seemaan puja is conducted when the groom reaches the wedding venue with a wedding procession. The bride's parents wash his feet and shower him with gifts and blessings.

Wedding Traditions and Rituals

The wedding day ceremonies begin with Ganapati puja, to seek blessings of Lord Ganesha before any other rituals take place. The bride's maternal uncles escort her to the lagna mandap, where the mangalashtakas (Sanskrit and Marathi holy verses) are being recited. The bride and the groom have to wear the mundavalya on their heads, which is basically a string of flowers or pearls.

The Antarpat ritual: As the marriage rituals begin, the bride and the groom are not supposed to see each other. So, a silk shawl separation is placed between the two.

The Sankalp ritual: After the holy verses are recited, the couple sees each other for the first time. Guests shower akshata (unbroken rice grains) on the couple. Then the couple exchange garlands.

The Kanyadan ritual: In kanyadan ceremony bride's father gives his daughter's hand in the hands of the groom. After this, the groom ties a mangalsutra around the girl's neck and applies sindoor (vermillion) in the centre of her hair parting. The bride then applies a sandalwood tikka on the groom's forehead.

The Satapadhi ritual: Here, the couple takes seven rounds around the sacred fire, reiterating seven holy vows of matrimony. The girl also has to touch seven small heaps of rice with her right foot.

The Karmasampati ritual: The bride's father, along with the newly married couple, prays to the lord for his blessings. To add a dash of humour to the ceremony, sometimes bride's father or brother playfully twist groom's ear, reminding him of his responsibility towards the bride. All this is followed by a grand lunch to mark the completion of wedding ceremonies.

The Varat ritual: After the wedding ceremonies are complete, the bride bids a tearful farewell to her family members.

The Grihapravesh: As bride enters the groom's house for the first time, her mother-in-law welcomes her by doing an aarti. She also washes the couple's feet with water and milk. The bride gently kicks a kalash of rice placed at the door of the house and the couple enters the house by placing their right foot first.

Edited by chalhov - 11 years ago

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Neelum.drashti

@Neelum.drashti

Trailblazer

+ 3

Posted: 11 years ago

thanks chalhov. I was wondering why weren't saat phere shown even though its part of tradition.

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Tanmaya1

@Tanmaya1

Dazzler

Posted: 11 years ago

Thanks for Posting about Marathi Wedding Rituals

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Anitha

@Saddy3

Navigator

Posted: 11 years ago

I guess a Marathi wedding is pretty much like a south Indian wedding...It resembles Telugu wedding too😃 and very nice explanation😃

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Prads

@Prads

Rocker

Posted: 11 years ago

Thnx for the post...

I m a Maharashtrian Brahmin so was knowing all d rituals shown in the show..bt really informative post...👏👏

Only thing which i would like to mention here is in case of Gauri Poojan which is known as Gaurihar pooja, when brides pray Mata Gauri for Akhand Saubhagya and happy married life, we dont normally use Gauri Idol as shown in the serial..V have Idol of Annapurna which the bride is supposed to bring with her to her in-law's place. ( this idol is later placed in mandir of that house and worshipped daily in order to have a prosperity ) the arrangement for this Gaurihar pooja is somewhat like this:

Also after this pooja, bride is not supposed to talk to anyone..Also once this is done, bride's maternal uncle brings the bride to the place where the Antarpat ritual is going to take place...

Also as shown in the serial, Bride's mom is not supposed to watch the wedding..

Edited by Prads - 11 years ago

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aviation-ca

@aviation-ca

Voyager

+ 4

Posted: 11 years ago

Great post.. given so much confusion.. being southy of maharastrian origin (same brahmin ancestry) we have very similar rituals..

One item I would like to add is if anyone has noticed the mangalsutra of Kalindi?? there are 2 circular disks...

Well the reason for this is during Gowri pooja (as correctly stated by Prads, not a big idol, but small one in a Kalash).. the mother will tie the first of the circular disk around the bride's neck.. the other one is tied by the groom, usually on a haldi coated thread, later on we transfer both to a chain & wear it with both... kind of signifying both sides of the family...

Just as an aside, I noticed Anjali was wearing only one???

Post this the female members (typically 5 married ladies) of grooms family will be given grains, rice, etc in a container.. this is followed by bride taking blessings from them..

Then the Mama comes to escort the bride to mandap.. and yes the Antarapath separates the groom & bride... as far as I know.. we don't exchange garland then..

the first act is the bride & groom have fistful of rice.. as soon as the barrier comes down.. they throw on the others head.. of course the belief is whoever throws the rice first will have the upper hand in the marriage..

Then there is a whole sequence of putting handful of rice on each other's head.. then the garland ceremony happens...

The other point is yes, it is during:
The Satapadhi ritual: Here, the couple takes seven rounds around the sacred fire, reiterating seven holy vows of matrimony. The girl also has to touch seven small heaps of rice with her right foot.

The only point I will add is during the seven small heaps of rice with right foot.. the groom is holding the middle finger.. yes at the feet of the bride😉... and this is the even where the toe ring is put on.. which of course is so sacred to married woman apart from mangalsutra..

& yes we do the change sarees during the wedding.. the initial is yellow or off white one, then the one mom gave & finally one the in-laws give.. and I can verify it is a jiffy change.. I think that is why the hair is in jooda.. so it is easy to change..
The rituals are very different, so enjoy..

Edited by aviation-ca - 11 years ago

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mariyam rifna

@Asherkibiwi

Sparkler

+ 4

Posted: 11 years ago

thanku very much for the info .and its very intresting that hindu weddings have lots of rituals. ...its very beautiful to watch...
and d dress changing was not a editing mistake, its that after varmaala aastha wore d saree frm her inlaws according to d rituals. I wear 4 sarees in my wedding day 😃

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rani-lucki

@rani-lucki

Sparkler

+ 4

Posted: 11 years ago

thanks for the info dear

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Ladygirl

@Ladygirl

Explorer

Posted: 11 years ago

Marathi wedding seems to have a lot of meaning and symbolism. Even though it looks simple without any song or dance (no offence to anyone) I really like their culture very deep meaning. The bride can't talk after Gauri Pooja, this is very scared and difficult to adhere (especially if the girl is someone who can't keep quite)😆. Thanks for sharing the info, as we seldom gets to see wedding from different culture over here.