The Vibrant Colors Of A Bengali Bride

By Author: Ankush Singhal
Total Articles: 173
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The people from the state of Bengali have unique culture and traditions. The language, the eating habits and the customs are very different from other communities of India, which easily differentiates a Bengali community member from rest of the communities in India. The Bengali community also resides in the neighboring states of Assam, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand and Tripura. Matrimonial customs and rituals for the Bengalis start days before the actual wedding day. The Bengali Bride is the center of attraction in most of these rituals.

A Bengali Bride can be easily distinguished by her traditional attire and face makeup on the wedding night. Traditionally, in Bengal the bride wear Banarasi saris usually in red or shades of red. Red color is considered auspicious for the girl who is soon going enter into wedlock. Saris from Banaras or Varanasi are all time preferred choice by the Bengali Matrimony for bridal wear. There are many shops in Calcutta and in the other cities and towns of Bengal sourcing saris from Varanasi. Though shades of red are mostly ...
... stocked in these shops, other shades are also available. With the changing times, the modern Bengali bride also selects saris in pink, magenta, blue and purple.

The bridal Banarasi saris are woven in silk and usually have golden pallu and borders. In the past, the golden borders are usually done using gold threads, but with the rising cost of gold metal, silk threads in gold and zari are used. The ‘pallu’ of the sari have rich intricate designs. There are ‘butis’ or small dots all over the sari. Sometimes the middle section of the saris also has brocade work making it heavier and more attractive. All the saris have attached fabric for the blouse. The cost of the saris depends on the amount of work on the saris, generally starts from 5,000, and increases with the thread work.

The Bengali bride complements the bridal look with gold jewelry. The state of Bengal is known for its unique patterned gold jewelry made by its master craftsmen. Every part of the bride’s body is adorned with gold jewelry. Lots of gold bangles and finger rings adorn her hands. She also wears gold necklace and earrings to go with it. There are also jewelry worn on the hair, waist and toes.

The main attraction of the Bengali Bride on the wedding night is the sandalwood pattern done on her forehead. The sophisticated designs on the forehead and cheeks are done using sandalwood paste complete her bridal look. Her hair is tied into a bun and covered with a red veil made of net. Her hands and feet are painted with alta, a red liquid used for the same purpose. Some brides also apply henna or mehendi on hands and feet. Applying mehendi was not a traditional way of dressing for the Bengal bride, but showcase influence of other Indian state’s tradition.

For the other Bengali matrimonial rituals, the bride of Bengal generally wears cotton saris called ‘tangail’ or ‘tant’. The colors mostly wore are red, yellow, green and pink. For the Haldi ritual, the bride wears yellow cotton sari with red borders. Another important ritual, the ‘aye burro bhaat’, most of the bride wears silk saris.

The Bengali bride also wears saris for her reception party, which is usually held in groom’s place. However, traditionally, the brides wore banarasi saris. With the changing times, other varieties of saris are also preferred. The brides also wear bridal lehengas and Zardosi work saris. In the reception, the Bengali bride also wears flower jewelry, which is a custom of Bengal.

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