Marriages in Rajasthan are usually traditional and elaborate affairs. Royal Marwari weddings tend to become larger than life and even more flamboyant.

In fact, even a simple Marwari wedding in Rajasthan is just as elaborate as tradition and customs take precedence over everything else.

 

Rajasthani/Marwari Matrimony:

Rajasthani families take utmost care for the perfect alliance.  First and foremost, the status of both the families has to be at par, also, the Marwari clan must be taken into consideration since the bride and the groom should hail from separate clans. Then, the families get the horoscopes approved and tallied by the family astrologer. Marwaris, as a custom, marry only within the community. However, some exceptions are there where royal families or love is involved.

 

Ceremonies:

The official engagement ceremony

It takes place at groom’s home. This is a strictly all male affair and it is attended by only the bride’s father, brother and other close relatives. No ladies, not even the bride, are allowed to accompany the menfolk for the tika. During the ceremony, bride’s brother applies a tilak to the groom’s forehead and makes the alliance or engagement official. A sword, other presents, clothes, fruits, sweets etc., are given to the groom by the bride’s family.

 

Ganapati Sthapna & Griha Shanti Ceremony:

Ganapati sthapana & griha shanti is the second most important ceremony, which is performed usually a few days before the wedding. A havan is performed by the groom or bride’s parents to propitiate the gods and an idol of Lord Ganapati is worshipped.

 

Pithi Dastoor:

The Pithi Dastoor is one of the first important ceremonies in Marwari Weddings, it involves the bride & groom and continues till the day of the wedding. The ceremony consists of application of turmeric and sandal wood paste to the bride/ groom. Also, they are not allowed to leave the house once the pithi starts. At the bride’s place, the pithi dastoor is an elaborate affair. The bride dresses in an orange poshak (Rajasthani dress) and is brought under a silken canopy by four ladies who must belong to the same clan as the bride. She is then brought to the gathering, where the sandal wood paste is applied on her.

 

Mahira Dastoor:

The Mahira Dastoor is yet another important ceremony, performed at both the bride and the groom’s families. This ceremony is usually performed by the maternal uncle of the groom/bride, who comes along with his wife and family and is received by the bride/groom’s mother with the traditional welcome. He then distributes clothes, jewellery, sweets etc., to the entire family. This ceremony depicts a brother’s love for his sister, who helps her to curb the expenditure.

 

The Marwari Baraat:

The procession to the bride’s house is regal as there is absolutely no dancing on the streets by the baraatis. The Baraat is mainly commenced by the male members of the groom’s family. All members, including the groom who rides an elephant or a horse, carry swords.

 

The Wedding ceremony:

The wedding ceremony is similar to a Hindu wedding. However, during the Rajasthani wedding, the bride must all through the ceremony cover her face with a veil.

 

While the wedding is in progress, the Baraat is entertained outside by the male members of the bride’s family. Therefore, it is mostly the female members of the bride’s family who attend the wedding ceremony.

Leaving certain unique rituals, all other ceremonies and other rituals, including the bidai, are similar to other Hindu marriages. For example, at the time of the bidai (when the bride leaves her parent’s house), a coconut is placed under the wheel of the car before the ride lifts her veil for the husband after the wedding. At this stage, the groom usually gives a piece of jewellery to the bride.

 

Post Wedding Ceremony:

 

Grihapravesh

 

After all the marriage rituals, the baraat returns with the newly weds and the grihapravesh takes place. The bride and the groom play a few gameswhich are also common to other Hindu weddings.

 

Pagelagni

 

The day following the grihapravesh, the pagelagni takes place. During this ceremony, the bride is formally introduced to all the main family members of the groom who bless her and give her various gifts. And finally, the veil is removed.

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By: anirban das

About the Author:

Marathi Matrimonials

Lisa Parker asked:

It is important to remember that the wedding invitation is essentially the key to your event as it is the first interaction your guests have with your wedding. In fact, the wedding invitation is a representation of the bride, groom, and should convey your personality. The modern wedding invitation is not only an extension of the happy couple, but also provides invaluable bit of information for the wedding guests.

 

Most of the basic elements of a modern wedding invitation are exactly the same as those of a classic wedding invitation. The invitation must include who is getting married, the date, the time of the wedding, the place, and who is hosting the event. In many cases, the modern wedding invitation, unlike the classic version, should state whether formal or casual attire is required.

 

Aside from the well-known informative elements of the wedding invitation, the modern elements all have to do with the format, materials, wording, and overall aesthetic of the invitation. First and foremost, the paper chosen is one of the most important elements of a modern wedding invitation. Beautiful papers, often hand-pressed, are ideal for modern wedding invitations. Such high quality papers add a touch of refined class to your invitation. While some papers are extremely expensive, they are well worth the extra cost.

 

Modern wedding invitations allow couples to plan their wedding in an up-to-date fashion. There are many styles to the modern wedding invitation, and one of the fastest growing trends is the handmade appearance that so many these days seem to have. Gone are the days of finely printed, embossed, and engraved wedding invitations and here are the days of one-of-a-kind hand-stitched, sewn, and hand-tied ribbons. The embellishments of the modern wedding invitation are exactly what make it so modern.

 

Handmade wedding invitations can end up costing you a lot more than traditional or classical invites, but to many couples, the touch of whimsy and uniqueness are well worth the extra money. However, it is possible to make handmade wedding invitations for a completely modern look but at a fraction of the cost with a little time, effort, and creativity. Today, many couples have access to good quality printers which makes it easier to design wedding invitations that speak truly to the nature of the couple.

 

In addition to certain embellishments added to modern wedding invitations, today many couples are using unusual shaped invitations rather than the traditional rectangular or square invitations we have seen of generations past. Oversized, tri-fold, and circular invitations are part of a growing trend of unusual shapes. Such shapes catch the eye of the invited guest and make a unique and interesting statement.

 

The shape is not the only way wedding invitations are becoming more modern. Classic wedding invitations are white or ivory, usually with black print. There may be hints of gold or silver for a touch of color. Today, many modern invitations are colorful and bright, which could not be more fashion forward. Many brides choose colored card stock, hand-pressed paper (with flowers), and vellum to add an extra layer of fun and excitement to their wedding (in many cases, the color scheme of the wedding invitations correlate to the color scheme of the wedding itself).

 

Modern wedding invitations provide an interesting design style. The modern style usually has two colors; one as a solid background color and a secondary color for the design. The writing may consist of a standard black or the same as the secondary color. While traditional wedding invitations provide all the basic information as we mentioned above, modern invitations include a little something extra. Most modern wedding invitations have an inner envelope that holds a selection of information cards outlining different topics. For example, there would be one card for each of the following topics – the wedding registry, hotel information, directions, things to do in the area, wedding website information, and the list can go on and on.

 

As society and culture changes, so does the wedding invitation, as weddings are integral parts of both facets of the world. For example, today many people find themselves “going green”which is another way of saying that they are becoming more and more environmentally conscious. Modern wedding invitations may reflect this aspect of the couple’s life by implementing recycled papers or even sending out electronic invitations through email.

 

More and more weddings today are destination weddings; this means not only the couple, but also the guests travel to a specific destination for the ceremony and reception. Usually, these weddings take place somewhere tropical, but there are destination weddings all over the world. Many modern invitations take on the destination theme, where the invitations themselves reflect the location. For example, a beach wedding may have sea foam green paper with shell embellishments.

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Ali C asked:

Wedding bands are the most prestigious endowment, which closely inspires the attention of both bride and bride groom. Wedding bands always attains the best and closest attention, as they are considered to be the precious wedding gift that solemnizes the marriage custom. Wedding bands are almost a ring, which are designed out of precious stones and they will usually be worn during the time of marriage.

When it comes to wedding bands, you must be keen to choose the best variety matching your choice and desires. Prior shopping the wedding bands, it is really good if you decide which variety you want! The major classifications of wedding bands will include stylish or traditional wedding bands. If you are ultimately chic and voguish, then you can prefer choosing stylish wedding bands. In case, if you love to be traditional, you can right away purchase traditional wedding bands. Either you are to purchase traditional or stylish wedding bands just ensure the taste and choice of your fiancé.

With all flavors, wedding bands are designed out of gold, platinum and silver. As we all know diamonds are the best friends of girls, most of them prefer choosing wedding bands that are made out of diamonds. You can make a grand shopping with extensive range of designs and patterns! All you have to do is to find your choice and bill them safe… If you feel hard to pick the design or you desire to buy something new and refreshing, you can also place your orders outlining the design you expect. The jeweler will design the most exclusive wedding band, which was ordered as per your choice.

The tradition and culture of wearing the wedding band on the ring finger of left hand, has its primary root themes from Greece of the third century B.C. It describes that the vena of the 4th ring finger is directly connected to the heart, which portrays as the sign of “Vein of Love”! This stands as a sign of endless, eternal love between the two hearts. Though most religions practice wearing the wedding bands in the left hands, quite some religions instruct the bride and the groom to wear them on the ring finger of their right hand.

Wedding bands are easy accessible and they will be available readymade in most of the jewelry shop. The Wedding bands could be elegantly fashioned, which suits as per personal taste. Simple, plain and neatly designed wedding bands have always been the favorite choice of everyone and of course the diamond studded bands also looks impressive. In early days, it was only women who practiced wearing the wedding bands. Now in the modern world, both men and women have started wearing these lovable wedding bands.

The style of wedding bands differs from men and women. Men wear broad wedding bands, whereas the women wear thin and delicate bands. Western system of marriage is someway refreshing, where the wedding band will be kept in a pouch or over a plate before solemnizing. Most people across the world, practice this culture and tradition as they symbolize the veined love amidst two hearts.

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