Bengali wedding rituals are more or less similar to all Hindu wedding rituals. If your wedding is oriented to Bengali style, you should take a look at these major ceremonies of a Bengali wedding. In fact, there are more than 9 important wedding rituals along with other 10 or more pre and post wedding rituals.
Gaye Holudali
Firstly, five or seven married women in the house grind turmeric with mortar and pestle and apply it on the groom’s body. Likewise, the same ceremony will take place at the bride’s home as well. She will receive the turmeric and other elements from the groom’s house. The bride has to wear a new saree and Gamchha ( a cotton red and white coloured cloth) and she will have to apply the turmeric paste on her.
Bor Jatri
Indeed, it is a very jovial wedding ceremony where the groom and his family members come to the bride’s house for the wedding wearing their best outfit. It looks similar to a Baraat.
Bor Boron
After the groom and his family reaches the bride’s house, the mother and relatives of the bride come out and welcome the groom’s side with an earthen lamp, sprinkling trefoil, and rice kept in a bamboo winnow, etc. Alongside, the bride’s family will serve sweets and drinks to the groom’s family.
Potto Bastra
The groom will sit in the altar and the elder male member of the family will offer him new clothes. He is the one who does the sampradaan. This ceremony symbolizes that the groom has to take the responsibility of the bride from the moment.
Saat Paak
This is the ceremony where the brothers of the bride will take her in their hands and complete seven circles. Following this, the bride will sit in the altar next to the groom.
Subho Dristi
Saat Paak is followed by another ritual called Subho Dristi where the bride and groom will look at each other. Here, the bride will remove the betel leaves that she covers her face with. It symbolizes the beginning of togetherness.
Mala Badal
Afterwards, the couple will exchange floral garlands at the altar and that ceremony is Mala Badal.
Sampradan
Post Mala Badal, an elder male member of the bride’s family will hand her over to the groom during Sampradan. They will tie both the bride’s and groom’s hands using a sacred thread while the priest recites Vedic chants. Then the couple will have to place their hands on the Mangal Ghot. It is a brass pitcher with water and it will be covered with mango leaves attached to a twig and a green coconut will be kept on top of it.
Yagna
The couple will sit in front of the sacred fire and recite special chants after the priest.
Saptapadi
Similarly, there is Saptapadi where the couple makes seven circular rounds around the fire to solemnize the occasion.
Anjali
It is an offering made by the couple. The bride’s brother puts puffed rice that is ‘khoi’ in the hands of the bride and the groom will stand close to her. Following which he will hold her hands from the back and they together pour the puffed rice into the fire.
Sindoor Daan and Ghomta
Lastly, the couple will sit on their respective places in Chadnatolla and the groom will apply sindoor on the bride’s head where the hair parts. Then, the bride will cover her head with a new Saree offered by the groom as a veil.
And of course, apart from the above mentioned major rituals, there are more pre and post wedding rituals like Bidaai, Bodhu Boron, Bou Bhaat, etc
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