Punjabi Weddings – Full of laughter, music and exuberance. Punjabi weddings are among the most boisterous of Indian weddings. As a community they are among the most joyous and exuberant in the country, and their weddings mirror this enthusiasm for life. The whole community is a part of the week long celebrations, and food and liquor form a major part of the wedding components.
Rituals and Ceremonies of Punjabi Weddings:
From the Sagai – or the formal engagement ceremony – till the actual wedding pheras – Punjabi weddings can last over a week. During the engagement ceremony the bride to be is presented with a beautiful red Chunni, and other gifts to welcome her into the family. The groom is anointed with a tikka, applied by the bride’s father and he and his family are also gifted many clothes and other items. The sangeet evening is full of bhangra dances, and folk music, and a lot of dancing and enjoyment. The mehndi ceremony signifies a gathering of the women of the house, and the elaborate designs on the bride can take up to four hours to be completed.The penultimate day begins with the Chura ceremony, where the Punjabi bride dons the red and white bangles, placed on her arms by her mother’s brothers, and the tying of the ‘kaliras ‘by all the family members. In the evening the Punjabi groom comes on a horse, and is preceded by bhangra dancing family members. A Punjabi baraat or groom’s procession is a way of letting the community know that they are going to get their family member married, hence the band and the dancing on the roadside! The bride and the groom exchange garlands, and then they go through the traditional wedding in front of the fire. The seven steps around the sacred fire signify the completion of the wedding rituals. The Punjabi bride is taken to her new home, in a beautifully decorated car, and is greeted at home with gifts and games, and some good matured ribbing.
Unique Aspects of Punjabi Weddings:
Punjabi weddings are unique because of their emphasis on food and drinks. The glitz and the glitter, the abundance of food, and the music and dancing everyday, are all an inherent part of this bright and colourful wedding.
