Punjabi Matrimony - A Glamorous Affair

By Author: Ankush Singhal
Total Articles: 173
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India is a country known for its rich culture and traditions. People in India are attached a lot of value to the guidance and decisions taken by their elders in regard to marriage. Punjabi matrimonies are also arranged by the families and elders of the community. In earlier times, it was very common for the bride and the groom to meet for the first time at the time of their marriage ceremony itself. In recent times things have changed a lot but people still trust and respect the elders while making marriage decisions. The only difference is that the personal choices and liking of the young people are given importance and the families readily accept their decisions.

Like any other communities, Punjabi Matrimonial also follows certain customs and traditions that signify the beauty of the marriage. Wedding is just like a festival for them which is celebrated with a lot of zeal and zest. Close relatives, distant cousins, friends all gather together to bless the bride and groom for their married life ahead.

Punjabi matrimonies have a simple ceremony ...
... known as “roka” or “thaka”, a pre wedding ritual which is carried out on the onset of the marriage. The bride’s father and other close relatives visit the groom’s house with gifts and sweets as a token of love. They also take along a token amount or “shagun “to give to the groom. After this ceremony, the next step in a Punjabi matrimony is “mangani” or the engagement ceremony. In this ceremony the groom’s family visits the bride’s place and in the presence of elders, close relatives and friends the couple exchange rings and gifts. The atmosphere is highly charged and there is laughter and happiness everywhere.

Punjabi matrimonial is generally a flamboyant affair. The wedding is grand and is practiced for several days. Distant relatives from far flung areas make it a point to attend the multiple ceremonies that takes place during the wedding. Everyone enjoys completely as there is lot of dancing and music making the atmosphere fully charged with excitement. The “barat” or the entourage along with groom is a sight to watch out for. They come for the wedding with drum beats, music and dance along with the groom seated on a horse back like a king. His face is hidden behind a “sehra” or an ornamental veil generally made of flowers. The whole procession reaches the marriage place with music and fireworks.

After reaching the bride’s place, a welcome ceremony known as “milni takes place in which the elders from both the sides of bride and groom meet each other. Gifts are exchanged and every “barati” is given a token gift. A large spread of mouth watering delicacies is laid out for the guests to gorge on.

In Punjabi matrimonies, the bride and groom exchange garlands in a ceremony known as the “Jaimala”. The bride and groom in the presence of close family and relatives take seven rounds known as “saat phere” around the sacred fire taking vows to stay together. After the marriage, there are some post wedding ceremonies that take place and soon the time comes for “Vidai” or farewell where the bride is finally bid adieu by her family and relatives. She is given blessings to lead a happy married life. She either leaves in a “palanquin” or a beautifully decorated car from her parent’s house.

At the groom’s place she is welcomed by all the relatives and gifts are showered on her. The day culminates with another lavish wedding reception organized by the groom’s side.

Sonali writes on behalf of Jeevansathi.com, which is India’s fastest growing matrimonial website. Jeevansathi.com helps the users to search corresponding matches from their respective community like Kerala Matrimony, Tamil Matrimony, Vanniyar Matrimony wherein users can avail free registration and start initial contact with each other.