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Discover India - The Wedding
Concept in India |
India is
known for her myriad festivities celebrated with utmost
exuberance.
Colourful rangolis and painted walls,
fireworks, musicians, decorated elephants, camels, and horses,
flower garlands, elaborately embroidered outfits, exquisite
culinary delights – you name it – make such events remarkably
interesting tourist attractions.
Indian marriage
ceremonies differ according to religion, region, and lately,
the introduction of wedding styles and themes by event
management organisers, offering the couples the opportunity of
choosing a ceremony and venue of their choice so as to make
the event more than memorable. |
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| Here are some typical elements
of an Indian wedding ceremony. |
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| Wedding Attire in India |
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A traditional Indian wedding is
always a nice exposition of the culture, traditions and
customs of the families involved. It is always
considered imperative for the bride and groom to don the
typical traditional wedding dresses of their
region. |
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| The Groom |
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The South Indian grooms’ traditional
wedding dress includes a traditional ‘veshti’ or ‘vetti’
(dhoti) and ‘kurta’. A dhoti is the traditional men's
wear garment in India. South Indian grooms also wear
their traditional caps with veils of flowers.
The
North Indian groom traditionally wears a ‘sherwani’ with
a ‘churidar pyjama’, or a ‘bandh gala’ suit. The
sherwani is a long coat-like garment worn in South Asia.
It is very similar to an Achkan or doublet. The sherwani
is worn by both Hindu and Muslim grooms. It is worn over
the ‘kurta’, a loose fitting long shirt; the leg wear is
a tight fitting Churidar Pyjama, a looser Khara Pyjama,
or a baggy Salwar. Elaborate and impressive looking
turbans are de rigeur for the groom and his male
friends.
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The Bride |
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The north Indian bride’s wedding
attire ranges from shararas, lehengas and the ghagra
choli to the ubiquitous saris. Lehengas are like
elaborate maxi skirts worn with embroidered tops.
Shararas are like full length divided maxi skirts, again
worn with longish embroidered shirts.
The
Ghagra-choli consists of a slightly less elaborate skirt
and a short blouse. All the above are accompanied by a
decorated veil known variously as a Dupatta, Chunni or
Chunari that serves the combined purpose of both
headscarf and stole.
The Sari is the most popular
bridal dress and is worn by most Indian Hindu brides.
The Sari or Saree consists of several yards of a light
textile that is draped around the body in a variety of
styles. Bridal sarees made of heavy silk and embroidered
with gold and silver thread can often be pretty
expensive!
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Wedding Jewellery in
India |
No bridal outfit would be complete
without ornate jewellery, and when it comes to Indian
bridal jewellery, the obvious choice is gold. Jewellery
has many connotations, both aesthetic and ritual. The
wearing of jewellery is supposed to endow the women with
qualities of power and authority, as well as great
beauty.
Gold has traditionally symbolised wealth and
prosperity in Indian culture, holding special
significance in celebrations such as weddings and
births. Often presented as a gift or tangible form of
investment, this precious metal features heavily in most
Indian weddings. Ornaments such as the mangal sutra,
bindi, necklaces, earrings, bangles, nose rings and
finger rings are worn by brides almost all over the
country.
Rings are the most traditional form of wedding
jewellery for both men and women, and universally
symbolise a marriage between two individuals. In Indian
Hindu marriages, the additional adornment of a 'mangal
sutra' or 'thaali' (a small gold pendant worn on a black
thread or necklace) is the main symbol of matrimony.
Tying of a thaali around the neck of the bride by the
groom is the most important ceremony in Indian Hindu
weddings.
Other than the mangal sutra, in North India, many
women deck their arms with bangles in vivid green and
red. And the chooda that is presented to the bride by
her maternal uncle as a symbol of her newly married
status, is one which she has to wear for at least 40
days after her marriage. The chooda is traditionally a
set of ivory bangles with inlay work – although nowadays
faux ivory is used.
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Fireworks |
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Unlike in Western
nations, the retailing of fireworks is largely
unrestricted in India. During wedding processions,
people have access to a variety of fireworks and most of
them in urban areas set these off on the public roads
running in front of their houses. Some popular fireworks
include the famous 'phooljhari’ or ‘sparkler’, which is
commonly used in lighting most other fireworks. The
'anaar' or 'flowerpetal' emerges as a big sparkling
fountain of fire when lit. The 'zameen chakra' is a
spinning circle of fire with sparks coming out of it.
The 'rocket’ that bursts into myriad coloured fragments
upon reaching its apogee is also popular. Bombs and
crackers are also becoming popular.
To know more
about Indian Weddings, you can explore our sections on
the various Wedding Styles (Themes) and the Wedding
Venues available in
India. | | |
