An Amazing Marathi hybrid wedding

Thanks for the Wedding Invite, which helped relive some good old memories , had a first hand experience of beach sided mixed, Mumbai wedding inspite of the threats from Corona and Omicron. The question I kept hearing from my nephew is - is this wedding western style or Indian?

Though not a mehndi person, and had applied it only may be three times, it was amazing, to be part of this function, meet all after years, and be by the sea side with music, dance, food and fun. 

Loved meeting Visu Uncle, Sraddha and Sruthi after years, though did not feel so. Deedhi was and is always the same - like her nick name - Bubli. 

It was night to meet all Vishu Uncle's cousins. 

Halad Chadavane:

In Maharashtrian culture, this is performed the day before the wedding by the women who performed the ‘muhurat karane.’ Turmeric paste is applied by mango leaves on the groom’s shoulders, forehead, hands and feet. The paste is then sent to the bride’s home and is used to perform the same ritual for the bride. But because this was not done before, the event for the day started with this. 

Chura:

In the ‘chura’ ceremony, the bride is given a set of green glass bangles, along with gold or pearl ones. In Maharashtrian culture, green is seen as a symbol of life, creation and fertility. The color is considered lucky and represents hopes for a newly married couple’s happy life. The bangles are meant to be worn till at least a month after the wedding.

Ganpati Puja:

A Ganpati puja marks the beginning of all auspicious occasions in Maharashtrian culture to ensure the success of every endeavour without any obstacles. The wedding days begin by first invoking the blessings of Lord Ganesha for the couple’s future happiness.Punyavacha:

At the venue of the wedding, the bride’s parents ask the relatives and guests to bless their daughter during the ‘punyavacha’ ritual.Devdek:

The “kul devta” or family deity is once again invoked at the site of the wedding.

Seemanpujan:

The groom arrives at the venue with his family, and is received by the bride’s mother who washes his feet, applies tilak on his forehead, does aarti and welcomes him inside.

Gaurihar puja’ where she worships a silver idol of Goddess Parvati placed on a mound of rice. She offers the idol some rice and asks her to bless her with a prosperous future.Antarpat:

The groom arrives at the mandap, wears the ‘mundavalya’ (holy ornamental thread tied around the heads of the bride and groom) and sits on his seat. He is hidden by a cloth curtain called the ‘antarpat,’ to prevent him from seeing the bride.

The ‘antarpat’ is removed and the couple lay eyes on each other for the first time, which makes for quite an emotional moment. They exchange garlands and are showered with ‘akshatas’ (unbroken yellow colored rice and flowers).

Kanyadaan:

In a ritual common to all weddings in India, the father of the bride gives his daughter to her groom with blessings for their new life. The grooms accepts her and pledges to love and respect her for a lifetime.

Lajahoma:

The bride offers grains to the holy fire or havan as she chants three mantras, which the groom repeats. She then chants the fourth mantra alone, silently. The bride’s parents then worship the couple as reincarnations of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi, after which the bride and groom tie holy threads on each other’s hands. Finally, the groom puts sindoor on his bride’s head and ties the mangalsutra around her neck.

Saptapadi:

The couple then perform the ‘saptapadi’ which involves walking around the holy fire seven times while reciting their seven wedding vows aloud.

Kama Samapti:

The wedding rituals come to an end with the ‘kama samapti’ ritual, where the couple perform Laxmi Puja till the fire goes out, after which the groom gives his bride a new name.

Kaan Pili:

In a cheeky tradition, the bride’s brother twists the groom’s ear to remind him to take care of his sister. After that, the couple seeks everyone’s blessings.

Varat:

After the wedding, the bride bids her family farewell as she leaves for her new husband’s home. As she says her emotional goodbyes, the groom carries the Parvati idol she had worshipped in the ‘Gaurihar Puja.’ A large procession accompanies the couple to the groom’s residence.Griha Pravesh:

The newlyweds are greeted by the groom’s mother at the entrance, where she performs aarti and then washes the couple’s feet with milk and water. The bride then knocks over a kalash (a traditional water bowl) filled with rice before entering the home with her right foot and typically accompanied by her husband.

Reception:

The celebrations conclude with a reception party, where the bride is formally introduced to all their relatives and friends. The bride dons a saree gifted by the groom’s family, while the groom wears an outfit gifted by the bride’s family.

 Highlight was the groom saying, I will do all that the bride as to, as we are now partners - so if one has to suffer, the other too has too. It was so kind of  them coming to meet us the next day after the wedding.