Pre-wedding Rituals In Marathi Matrimonial

By Author: Ankush Singhal
Total Articles: 173
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We all know that India is a land of cultural diversity, which incorporates a number of communities having different cultural values. Amongst all the regional communities in India, wedding rituals in Marathi matrimonial are simplest. However, the customs vary according to the caste of the residents.

Alike other communities, Maharashtrians are also specific about selecting the life partner for their children. Parents prefer to choose the bride and groom for the children themselves, as they believe that the choice made by the elders is always best. Maharastrians are specific about choosing the bride and groom from the same caste they belong to, and the match must be of equal standing. However, with changing trends and respecting the feelings of their children, parents in Maharashtra are also accepting inter-caste marriages in Marathi matrimonial

After finalizing the match, horoscopes are matched, as the Maharastrian community is very specific about this matter. Family pundits match the compatibility of the stars. This custom is known ...
... as Guna Milan, and it is important that 16 Gunas must match for the boy and girl to tie the knot. After the horoscopes are matched, the elders of both the families meet and discuss the issues such as date, time, venue, etc.

The pre-wedding ceremonies in a Marathi matrimonial are:

• Sakharpuda
• Kelvan
• Haldi
• Chuda
• Muhurta patra

1. Sakharpuda
Also known as engagement ceremony, Sakharpuda is held some days before the wedding. The bride-to-be is given sari as a token of love and acceptance from the family of groom-to-be. Green bangles and a sugar packet are given to the bride, symbolizing the engagement. Sakharpuda is the official announcement of the Marathi matrimonial and wedding invitation cards are printed after it.

2. Kelvan
It is a kind of feast, which is organized at homes of both bride and groom. Relatives and friends are formally invited to join the meal hosted by the families.

3. Haldi
Haldi is another special Maharashtrian custom, where celebrations are conducted at their homes. Mixture of turmeric, mixed with aromatic oils, cream is applied on the face, and other body parts of the bride and groom to make their skin glow. The bride and groom are then given a bath with sacred water. Both the bride and groom are barred to step out of the house after Haldi ceremony.

4. Chuda
During the Chuda ceremony, the bride and her relatives and friends wear green bangles, amidst a fun-filled environment, where women sing wedding songs, and enjoy the custom. The green bangles are mixed and matched with gold or pearl bangles. The bride is allowed to remove the Chuda only after 1 month of the wedding. Green is the sign of rejuvenation and freshness, so it is widely adopted in Maharastrian culture, which can be seen in the decoration of the wedding venue, and dressing of the bride and groom.

The marriage ceremony in Marathi matrimonial starts only after a Muhurta Patra is set up. The Muhurta Patra is set to measure the time for counting the auspicious moments of the marriage. The water filled in the Muhurta Patra measures the drops of water falling down from the Patra. Meanwhile, the bride dresses in a yellow or green sari. The specific sign of a Marathi bride is a half moon bindi on her forehead. The half moon signifies good luck and prosperity, and is a symbolic representation of worshipping of goddess Parvati.

The wedding rituals are very elaborate and need some special consideration. This article aims towards giving an idea about the pre-wedding rituals in Marathi matrimonial.

Rashmi 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 Maratha matrimony, Marathi matrimony Mumbai from their online matrimonial and matchmaking services.