Rituals, traditions, customs, and specifics of a Maharastrian wedding in India

– A MARATHI WEDDING IN INDIA

In comparison to other weddings in the country, if you want to witness the perfect blend of simplicity and tradition. Take a peek at Marathi wedding practises. Maharashtrian weddings are simple yet graceful and vibrant yet elegant and have the least amount of grandeur. A Marathi wedding is filled with loads of fun and many pre/post-wedding rituals.

Maharashtrian wedding ceremonies represent the Marathi culture’s essential principles and are regarded one of India’s least luxurious. It believes in finding delight in the smallest of things, which will undoubtedly add flavour to the entire occasion.

– MARATHI WEDDING AND RITUALS

Many people consider marathi weddings to be one of the most adorable pre-wedding traditions in India.Marathi weddings are fun and filled with traditional and upbeat activities. The customs and traditions of Maharashtrian marriages are strikingly distinct from those of the modern world. Maharashtrian culture is defined by its traditions, values, customs, and rituals. In their minds, religious ideas are firmly rooted.

A Marathi wedding commemorates not only the union of two people, but also the strengthening of ties between extended families. A marathi wedding’s rituals and traditions are all meant to ensure that this occurs.All of the ceremonies during a Marathi wedding are intended to have an impact on your family’s connections.

– MAHARASTRIAN COUPLE

The way Maharashtrian bride and groom dress themselves reflects a great deal about Maharastrian value, culture and tradition.

Despite the fact that people’s lives have changed drastically, In a marathi wedding the bride and groom continue to dress in traditional Maharashtrian attire. Traditional colours blue and green are used to symbolise peace and calm. These traditional Maharashtrian outfits haven’t seen any substantial alterations in a long time.

Going through these lovely Maharashtra wedding couple clothing codes in further depth. The jewellery, clothing, and attention to detail will wow you.

The Maharashtrian bride is dressed in a lovely Paithani saree, Paithani saree is the Maharashtrian bride’s customary ensemble. her hair wrapped in a tidy bun and adorned with pearl jewellery and Gajra.

The groom is normally dressed in a light-colored Dhoti-Kurta, The groom wears a stole around his neck during the wedding ceremony, which is generally identical to the one on his bride’s saree. In the past, the groom would also wear a Nehru cap with his Maharashtra gown.A lavish turban clearly distinguishes Marathi grooms from other Indian grooms. Their wedding outfit is elevated by the unique design and groom jewellery. And we adore it when they use bold colour combinations to make plain ensembles stand out.

And the gorgeous white and red beaded Mundavalya complements the Maharashtrian couple’s appearance. A Maharashtrian bride isn’t complete without the accompanying jewellery and accessories that go into making a typical Maharashtrian bride seem elegant and beautiful, some of the significants are mundavalya(beaded string over the forehead) , kolhapuri saaz(gold-carved leaves, beads, and petals strung on a slender gold chain.), tanmani(pearl choker with a Resham string.) ,vaaki(gold armlet) , maharashtrian Nath, khopa(hair accessory) and chooda(green glass bangles).

Overall, these have been the standard outfits for Maharastrian couple , and they look really attractive.

PRE-WEDDING CEREMONIES

In a marathi wedding the ceremonies are taken extremely serious and are carried out with a great deal of religiosity, honouring deeply embedded cultures and history. There are a few slight differences in how comparable wedding rites are carried out in various cultures. Marathi wedding rites are immerse in the splendour of it’s regal culture.

The following are the most significant Maharashtrian pre-wedding ceremonies and rituals that take place at a Marathi wedding:

The Aaple Lagna, which takes place with the direction, role, and support of every member of your family, is the commencement of all Maharashtrian wedding traditions, since the familial link is a major thread in Marathi culture. Both families match the girl’s and boy’s horoscopes first in a Marathi wedding. The families will only consider the proposition if the horoscopes coincide. Wedding preparations begin after a certain amount of gunas in the horoscope match and both families agree that the proposal is appropriate.

The acceptance is carried through another rite referred to as the “Sakhar Puda.” The groom’s mother will present the bride with a saree, jewels, and a sugar packet(sakhar puda) at this ceremonial engagement ceremony. Similarly, the groom will be given clothing and a sugar packet by the bride’s mother. Sugar plays a significant function since it represents a pleasant start for the relationship. The exchanging of rings signals that the marriage will take place in the near future.

For the wedding shopping to begin a ritual called Suvasini is held, married ladies from both the families are invited and papad and pulse based dishes are cooked called sandge. Suvasini is what these married ladies are called.

Lagan patrikas(wedding invitations) are then printed, the first invitation is kept in the temple requesting lord Ganesha’s and the family deity’s blessings. And the other invites are issued to relatives and acquaintances.

The Kelvan ceremony is then organised and that occurs in both the families at a Marathi wedding, a most significant ceremony of all the pre-wedding traditions that take place during a Marathi wedding. For years, this ritual has been observed at Marathi weddings, and it is observed for every bride and husband.

In kelvan close family members of the bride and groom will invite the bride and groom to an extravagant lunch(a formal treat) and present the bride and groom with presents.

Kelvan meaning in english – means gifts, which in hindi can be called uphaar. Flowers, clothes, and money, to mention a few items, are exchanged between the bride and husband as gifts.

The Kelvan ceremony concludes on a lovely note, and both families return to their respective homes.

Then comes halad chadhavne that happens one day before the wedding. Suvasinis (married ladies) apply haldi paste to groom using mango leaves. The remaining haldi is then delivered to the bride’s residence and applied on her. Stepping out of the house after this ceremony is strictly prohibited till the wedding day.

On the wedding day Ganpati puja is performed for the wedding to go without any mishap and blessings of family deity’s are taken. The wedding is then followed by seeking blessings from silver idol of goddess parvati called Gaurihar pooja, then the Antarpat where bride and groom are made to see each other by removing the antarpat(a cloth that blocks the view of bride and groom from each other) and garlands are exchanged.

The brides father then asks the groom to look after her daughter and the groom takes ownership of the situation this process is called Kanyadan,then Saptpadi a process where vows are taken in front of fire and mangalsutra is tied followed by the application of sindoor. The wedding then ends with a cute ritual called Karmasampati where groom’s ear are twisted by the bride’s brother.

POST-WEDDING RITUALS

Out of all the games and enjoyable events after a marathi wedding, Varat and Grahapravesh are two of the most important post-wedding customs.

Varat is a Maharashtrian post-wedding tradition in which the bride bids her house farewell saying goodbyes to her family and friends.The bride’s family is now required to take a procession from the bride’s house to the groom’s house, which has changed the custom. However, the parade does not take place these days. The groom brings the Parvati statue home following the Gowrihar puja.

The grihapravesh is the married couple’s entrance into the groom’s home. At the front door of the home, the groom’s mother performs aarti. She uses milk and the bride and groom’s feet are washed. The bride then pushes down the kalash (bowl filled with rice) held at the entryway to complete the rite.With their right foot first, the pair enters the house.

In a Maharashtrian wedding, these are the customs that are usually observed. The ceremonies are very basic but profound.