Wedding in India symbolizes the holy union of two different persons while performing the significant rituals and traditions carried out in a wedding ceremony. The people of any religion have full faith and believe in their cultural rituals and customs. They want to mark the beginning of life’s memorable phase under the holy blessings of God and elders. Bengali wedding is a treat to watch as the rituals performed here is of deep significance making the entire wedding lively and conjugal. There are many customs and traditions followed in a Hindu Bengali wedding ceremony which is as follows. Have a look and if get a chance, never miss a traditional Bengali wedding ceremony.

Borjatri

On the wedding day, The handsome groom is fully dressed up and ready to leave the wedding venue in the car sent by bride’s family along with his family, relatives and close friends (known as Bor jatri) after taking blessings from his mother.

Borboron

On arrival at the wedding venue, The groom along with bor jatri is welcomed by elders females from bride’s side in the holy sounds of conch shells. The bride’s mother performs aarti of the groom and sprinkles puffed rice and trefoil and offers sweets and water.

Potto bastra

The groom is offered new clothes, i.e., dhoti, a silk shawl and a Topor (headgear of male in Bengali weddings) by the male member of the bride’s family who will do Sampradaan after he is escorted to the mandap or known as Chadnatolla in Bengali. The groom has to wear these clothes to perform all the wedding rituals.

Saat Paak

Saat paak is the traditional ritual of Hindu Bengali wedding where the beautiful brides enter the chadnatolla (mandap or canopy) seated on the Piri (wooden seat)  which is lifted by bride’s brothers. The seated bride then takes the seven rounds of the groom while the face covering with betel leaves called saat paak.

Shubho Drishti

Shubho Drishti ritual is followed right after the saat paak in which the bride is seated in front of the handsome groom. The beautiful bride wearing red silk saree removes betel leaves from her face and the two gazes lovingly at each other amidst ululations produced by females and sound of conch shells.

Mala Badal ceremony

In the Bengali wedding ceremony, the bride and the groom exchanged floral garlands three times in the presence of relatives, family and dear friends.

Kanya Sampradan

The bride is then seated opposite to the groom in chadnatolla (sanctum sanctorum). In this ritual, the hand of the bride is given in the hand of the groom by bride’s elder family member and then their hands are bounded by the sacred red thread where the pandit ji recites mantras. It symbolizes that the bride belongs to groom now and now she is his responsibility.

Yajna

After the Kanya Sampradan custom, the bride and the bridegroom are seated beside each other in front of the holy fire. They both chant mantra pronounced by the priest. The holy fire is considered as the prime witness of the wedding.

Saptapadi

The holy Gathbandhan is done by groom’s sister where the loose ends of groom’s silk shawl are tied with bride’s loose end of dupatta.The groom and the bride take seven sacred circles around holy Agni Kund promising each other lifetime commitment and devotion.

Lajanjali

The offering of puffed rice is made to sacred Agni or fire where the bride’s brother put puffed rice in bride’s palm and groom joins her hand from behind and together they offer it into sacred Agni.

Sindoor Daan

The groom applies vermillion or red sindoor in the partition of hair of bride. After the bride’s head is covered by a saree gifted by the groom which is called as ‘lajjo bastro’. This ritual marks the completion of all the significant wedding rituals.