Weddings In Diversity – Cultures In Various States Of India – Wedamor
Weddings and marriages are celebrated as a one fine grand festival in India. They are enjoyed with high enthusiasm and energy. It is the most special occasion for all the relatives and family members to come together and enjoy. Indian weddings are full of customs and rituals.
There are different rituals in different parts of India. Each state has their own way of celebrating the big day and blessing the couple through their different cultures. Here, I will be taking you all through a joyous ride of the states in all the four directions and their different cultures and background.
1. East
Eastern part of India is the most serene and peaceful part of India. The people here are so quiet and humble. The weddings also have their own customs and rituals and is celebrated with equal enjoyment. Eastern state of Assam has a ceremony where ladies sing songs with ethical and moral values and tales of mythology. This ceremony is known as Biya Sangeet. In Nagaland, there is a ceremony where the groom provides a fish to the family of the girl whom he chooses to marry. This is a symbol that the girl has been chosen and the family must begin with further customs.
In Meghalaya, there is a custom in which the groom leaves his house for his bride and goes to live with her. And in Manipur, the bride wears a basket or we can call it a Raas Leela dress which depicts Radha.The most famous wedding is the Bengali wedding, where the brides enters by sitting on a Chaarpaii and two people lifting her. There are many other beautiful ritual from all the tribes of the Eastern part of the country. The rituals are as pure as the places itself.
2. West
In western parts of India like Maharashtra, the wedding takes place in the morning. The whole marriage ceremony is done from the morning by the muhurat and is continued till evening until Bidaai. There is custom of changing the girl’s name after the marriage. In places like Gujarat, there is a custom of organizing the Jaimala twice where at the first the groom is on a higher level and in the next turn both bride and groom are on equal level. In Rajasthani weddings, they have only male members accompanying the baraat. They also have proper dresses and attires with colourful bangles and jewellery.
3. North
North Indian weddings are my personal favourite. They are held at night and usually the bride’s side decides the venue. The first ritual in a North Indian wedding is the Sagai followed by the actual marriage ceremony with all the rituals like Jailmala, Gathbandhan, Kanyadaan etc. These weddings are a fun way of celebrating the big day. In places like Punjab, the marriage is held in Gurudwara. In Jammu and Kahmir, there are majority of Muslims who have their own rituals of a Nikaah. All these rituals make this day as memorable as it can.
4. South
South Indian weddings are all about mango leaves, shehnai, plantain trees and last but not the least Gold!!! In these weddings, there is a ritual of tying a thread on the bride’s wrist to drive away all the bad and evil spirits. There is another custom where the bride is supposed to sit on her father’s lap before departing to her husband’s home. This fills everyone with a feeling of emotional ache and happiness, both at the same time.
So, these were some incredible cultures and rituals of all the states combined in India. They may vary but only enhances the beauty of the country and the wedding ceremonies. After all, we truly believe in the motto of UNITY IN DIVERSITY.