Gujarati Wedding

The Land and the People

Gujarati weddings are held in Gujarat, in western India. They are also held by Gujarati families in Mumbai, and in countries such as the USA, the UK and East Africa. Gujarat is known for its business skills, its rich food and its colourful festivals. The Gujarati people love music and dance, and they know how to enjoy a celebration.

The weddings are colourful, joyful and full of music. Family and friends play a big part in every function. There is a ritual for almost every hour, and each ritual has its own song. A Gujarati wedding is a big family festival, and everyone is invited to take part.

How Long the Wedding Lasts

A Gujarati wedding usually takes three to five days. Some families hold small functions over a whole week. The house is decorated with flowers and lights. The women prepare sweets and snacks, and the relatives come to stay. Every day has its own function.

Before the Wedding

The wedding begins with Gol Dhana, where the families share jaggery and coriander seeds to fix the match. Jaggery is a sweet, and it is a sign of a sweet life. Coriander seeds are a sign of prosperity. The families exchange gifts, and the elders bless the couple.

Mandap Muhurat is a puja to invite blessings for the wedding. The family holds a puja, and a wooden pole for the mandap is placed in the ground. It is done a few days before the wedding. The puja asks the gods to remove problems and to bring joy.

Pithi is a ceremony in which turmeric paste is applied to the bride and groom. The women of the family apply the paste with songs. The bride and groom are not allowed to see each other until the wedding. The ceremony is bright and cheerful, and friends and family throw yellow petals on the couple.

Garba and Raas are lively dance nights before the wedding. In Garba, men and women dance in circles around a lamp or an idol. The dance is done in time with folk songs. In Raas, the dancers use small sticks called dandiya. The music is loud, the colours are bright, and the dancing goes on for hours.

The Wedding Day

On the wedding day, the groom arrives in a Barat. The Barat is a grand and noisy procession. The bride’s mother welcomes him in a ritual called Ponkhvu. She gently pulls his nose and puts a tilak on his forehead in a playful way. She also waves a lamp around him. It is a fun ritual, and the guests smile and laugh.

The bride and groom exchange garlands, and the bride’s father gives her hand in Kanyadaan. The bride’s father washes the feet of the groom and places the bride’s hand in his. It is a deeply emotional moment. In Mangal Phera, the couple takes four rounds around the holy fire. Each round stands for a goal of life. Then comes Saptapadi, the seven steps. The couple promises to walk together in every stage of life.

The wedding ends with Vidaai, and the bride is welcomed at the groom’s home. The bride says goodbye to her family. When she arrives at the groom’s home, the family greets her with a lamp and prayers. She steps into her new home with good wishes.

Clothes and Jewelry

The bride often wears a red and white Panetar or a red Gharchola sari. The Panetar is a white sari with a red border, and the Gharchola is a red sari with a square pattern. Both are old and special to Gujarat. She wears gold jewelry. The groom wears a sherwani or a kurta with a turban.

Food, Music and Fun

The wedding meal is a Gujarati thali with sweets like jalebi and shrikhand. A thali has many small dishes served on one big plate. It has rice, dal, vegetables, farsan and breads. The taste is a mix of sweet, salty and spicy. Gujarati food is mostly vegetarian, and it is loved for its rich variety. The wedding is full of dance, food and music, and it leaves everyone with happy memories.