Wedding is the ceremony among two people, who is going to spend their whole life together. Wedding is a life time affair and memorable events in every one’s life. Wedding is the solemn pledge which is taken by bride and groom. Bengal wedding is considered as most auspicious occasion in India. India is a combination of diverse ethic group, different culture and languages.
Bengal wedding is not different from any other wedding but they have a different rituals and flavor of wedding. Bengal wedding presents the vibrant culture and happiness of wedding ceremony. Bengal wedding considered as an emotional and deeply rooted in their culture. Bengalis are passionate and an emotional race, proud of their cultural heritage. Their weddings are rich, affectionate and mixed like their culture. Yet their rituals have a certain somberness and intellectual dignity. Bengali weddings have the right balance of sound, gravity, dignity and affection.
A salient feature of Bengali wedding is the blowing of the conch and the Ooli. This is a typical sound made by the women with their tongues to draw everybody’s attention towards the wedding and it is also said that by creating these sounds they also keep away the negativity or bad aura from the ceremony. Shehnai plays a vital role in wedding. Shahnai play by the musician. The purpose of shahnai is draws the attention of all invitees.
This grand wedding covers four to five days from beginning of the rituals. There are many rituals which are followed by the people for their happy married life.
Pre wedding rituals Wedding day rituals Post wedding rituals
Pre wedding rituals of Bengal
Wedding Piris: Piris is low wooden stools. Bride and groom are seated on piris. Piris are brought to the bride’s home a day before the wedding. Relatives or friends decorates the piris, conch shells are blown and ululation taken up.
Vridhi: Vridhi ceremony is in the memory of ancestors of bride and groom by the way of offering puja. Vridhi performed a day before the marriage this ceremony attended by all the family members. All puja stuffs are pre-arranged in a baran dala (silver plate) with a 'Sri' sign made on it. The vridhi is generally performed by a paternal uncle.
Dodhi Manga Dodhi Mangal is the ritual in which married woman bath the bride and the groom on the wedding day. After they feed yummy meal to bride and groom.The meal consists of macher laija bhaja (fried fish) followed by jal dhala bhaja (rice cooked in water). Curd and chiruya complete the meal.
Gae Halud Tattva: halud tattva takes place before the ceremony of turmeric. A groom’s relative arrives at the bride's home with Gae halud tattva (gifts) for the bride. The gifts consist of at least six saris and cosmetics to go with them. Also among the gifts are fish, assorted sweets, curd, paan, dhaan and durba. Incense is lit to welcome them and conch shells are blown. The bearers are given sweets and gifts.
Adhibas Tattva: Adhibas Tattva is the ceremony in which gifts comes from the bride's home. Gifts includes with fish, sweets, curd, paan, dhaan, and durba.
Snan: The snan takes place in the late afternoon or evening, the bride and groom must individually follow on the day of the wedding. In this ritual few married women apply turmeric and oil on the hair and body of the bride and groom.
Sankha Porana: While Vedic chants are said by the purohit (priest), seven married women adorn the bride's hand with the traditional bangles made of shankha (shell) and paula (coral). The shell is supposed to mirror the qualities of the moon, thereby implying that the girl remains serene and calm. The coral is supposed to be beneficial for health.
Sringar of the Bride: wedding day is a special day for bride. She has many expectations for this day. The bride adorns herself in all her bridal ceremonial dress. Her hair is tied into a bun and covered with a veil. The mukut is placed on her head and protected in place by pinning it to the veil. After her bridal make up, a design of the mukut is traced on her face using the chandan paste. The bride must sit with the gaach kouto and kaajal laata for the ceremonies that follow.
Wedding rituals
Sampradan: Wedding day ritual starts with the welcoming of groom. When the bride and groom arrive at the wedding, they meet each other with a ritual exchange of garlands. Their hands are then joined with a holy thread and the couple is blessed in the Sampradan ceremony. In the Shubhodrishti that follows, the couple is allowed to sneak a peak at each other, from under a big sheet.
Saat pheras: The couple is first ritually seated on special piris (stools) in front of the Agni. (Sacred fire) This is followed by the Saat Pheras.(vow).ssat phere signifying the purity and gravity of wedding. The traditional grinding stone, on which masalas are ground, is placed upside down. Near this, seven circular alpanas(rangolis) are drawn, and one paan is placed on each one of them. The girl stands in front and as she takes her first step on the stone, the boy gently nudges her left foot with his right. She then places her foot on the first alpana.
Anjali : The groom holds the bride's palms in his hand and the girl's brother fills them with Khoi (popped rice) that is offered to the fire here.
Sindoor daan : Bengal wedding is completed with the Sindoor Daan. The bride covers her head with a new sari offered by the groom. He dips a ring into sindoor and traces a line of it from between the girl's eyebrows through the parting in her hair. Now the couple is considered officially married.
Post wedding rituals
Basar Ghar: In this ceremony bride and groom are welcomed inside the bride's home. This is a joyous moment where dinner served for wedding couple.
Bidaai Ceremony: This is the ceremony of bidaai. It’s the mixed moment of joy and sorrow. She is presented with the traditional red and a white ivory bangle, which is the symbol of married woman. After bidaai, bride and groom depart for the groom's home. The newly weds couples are blessed by the elders
kaal ratri - After the couple reaches the groom's house and the initial welcome ceremony is over they are separated for the night, probably to get a refreshing sleep and prepare for the next day's final wedding ceremony.
Bou Bhat: The new bride cooks the first food and serves all the family members is called Bou bhat. This ceremony is followed by a reception in the evening at the groom’s home.
Phool sajja and decoration: This is the last wedding ceremony in which bride wear a new sari and groom wears a new dhoti and kurta. Their wedding bedroom is decorated by the flowers that’s why known as phool sajja. The flowers, clothes and sweets for the occasion usually arrive as gifts from the bride's house.
