There are many aspects of why Indian weddings, especially Marathi wedding ceremonies, are unique in their traditions. They hold a great significance in the lives of the bride and the groom and for the families that come together with the union of the couple. The practices of Marathi weddings are not meant to display the grandeur but to signify its simplicity. It’s all about following old, classical traditions that make for a memorable experience for the honorable guests that are attending. Talking about great experiences, if you’re on the path to choosing the correct life partner with whom you can share your life and cherish meaningful moments, then visit the Marathi Matrimony site to find someone special. Marathi weddings have their charm when celebrating the events & rituals; let’s find out how.
Marathi Pre-Wedding Rituals:
Lagnaach Bedior
The ‘matchmaking ceremony’ of Lagnaach Bedior marks the beginning of the rest of the events in the Marathi wedding festivities. In this ceremony, the bride and groom’s parents get together and call a family pandit. The pandit is then asked to match the couple’s horoscopes to find the auspicious date for the wedding. You can download any popular Marathi Matrimony app and get your horoscope matched
SakharPuda
The ceremony of SakharPuda is commonly referred to as the ‘official engagement’ of the couple. For this ritual, both sides of the family get together to officiate the wedding between the couple. It is also an event when the groom’s family bears gifts to the bride, such as beautiful Paithani sarees, traditional jewelry, and a sugar packet (Sakharpuda). The bride’s parents offer coconut and other gifts as a token of promise to accept the proposal from their side.
Muhurat Karane
Months before the wedding, the bride and groom’s parents call five women, also called Suhasinis, who start preparing for the wedding beforehand. It includes making papad rolls and pounding a paste out of turmeric or halkund in an iron pestle. This is to be used later for the wedding festivities. Along with this, they also make Sandege, (a mix of pulses & spices dried out in the sun). The Suhasinis hold an exhibition of bridal wear, jewelry, and food prepared by the bride. These days it has become a lot easier to create an online Marathi matrimony profile and meet your perfect life partner.
Kelvan
Kelvan is a puja ceremony held only days apart from the wedding. The significance of the ritual is to offer prayers to the family’s deities. Once the puja is complete, friends and family get together to enjoy a meal.
Halad Chadavane
Halad Chadavane is a traditional Marathi wedding ceremony that takes place a day before the wedding. Like in the Hindu ceremony ‘Haldi,’ the bride and groom are covered in turmeric by the family members. This ritual is performed by the Suhasinis using the turmeric that they’d prepared at the Muhurat Karane ceremony. It’s applied to the couple’s face, limbs, shoulders, and neck using mango leaves to add a glow for their special day.
Marathi Wedding Rituals:
Ganpati, Devdevak & Gaurihar Puja
In a typical Maharashtrian standard wedding, the wedding rituals begin by praying to Lord Ganesha for the couple’s bright future and healthy married life. The Ganesha Puja is then followed by Devdevak Puja, which worships the family’s deities at the Mandap. After both are complete, the bride performs the Gaurihar Puja in her bridal wear, where she prays to Goddess Parvati for the happiness of her future. During the puja, the bride offers rice to goddess Parvati, which is given to her by her maternal uncle.
Seeman Puja
Once the groom enters the mandap with his family, the bride’s mother waits with a thaali in her hand to perform his aarti. She washes his feet to welcome him to the venue and applies tilak on his head.
Sankalp
In the Sankalp ritual, the priest chants aloud Mangal Ashtakas, while the bride walks towards the mandap, led by her maternal uncles. A partition made between the couple out of a cloth curtain prevents them from looking at each other. This cloth partition is called Antarpat, which is then removed for them to exchange garlands.
Kanyadan
The bride’s father performs this ritual, where he’s offering his daughter to the groom to promise that he looks after her. Following this, the couple stands for the Satapadhi ceremony, where they have to encircle the holy fire seven times. The ceremony involves the bride and grooms speaking their seven vows in marriage while moving around in a circle.
Karmasampati
The last ritual for the Marathi wedding ceremony is called Karmasampati, where the couple has to perform Laxmi puja. It means that they sit in front of the same fire and pray until it is put out. What follows is quite interesting; the groom picks a new name for his new wife (This is how Manikarnika became Laxmibai). The couple then takes the rest of the family members’ blessings and moves forward to begin their new life as husband and wife with utmost happiness.
