All You Need To Know About Rituals Of Bengali Wedding

Bengali weddings have some distinctive qualities ad dramatic customs which make them so beautiful. Whether it’s the simplistic charm of the Bengali bride or the fun-filled rituals, every element of a Bengali wedding makes it unique in every aspect. Whenever you will visit the site of a professional and well-known Kolkata wedding photographer you will notice numerous wedding pics of various wedding rituals. But with the changing times, we often forget to know our culture and traditions deeply. If you are a to-be-bong-bride or groom who wants to learn about important rituals of Bengali wedding then delve into this comprehensive guide of vibrant rituals of a Bengali wedding.

1. Aashirbaad

In simple words, aashirbaad is an engagement ceremony prior to a Bengali wedding. But instead of exchanging rings, the bride and groom both exchanging rings, the bride and groom both seek blessings from elders. Their future-in-laws bless them with gold jewelry, sweets, and new clothes.

2. Aiburobhat

Once the blessing ceremony is done both the bride and groom celebrate their bachelor party in a traditional way. According to Bengali customs, the would-be couple enjoys their last bachelor meals in their relatives' houses. They were served with different delicious food items and delectable sweets. If you want to create everlasting memories of these precious moments, make sure to hire the best wedding photographer in Kolkata.

3. Ganga Nimontron

Women of both families go to nearby rivers or ponds to invite the goddess Ganges for the wedding. After inviting Ganga, a banana tree is also invited by performing some rituals. While coming back to their homes they carry a pitcher full of river water which is used later in Bengali haldi ceremony.

4. Dodhi Mongal

This Bengali wedding ritual needs to be performed before sunrise. In the early morning of the wedding day, both the bride and groom are fed curd, puffed rice, and sweets with love.

5. Nandi Mukh

In this wedding ritual, a Bengali priest is invited to both houses. He performs a puja in which the bride and the groom pay homage to their ancestors in their respective homes. The bride wears a cotton saree, while the groom wears a traditional dhoti kurta during the puja.

6. Gaye Holud

After finishing the Nandi puja the groom is applied a small portion of turmeric paste and bathed with the river water. Then the same turmeric paste is taken to the bride’s house with a new saree, sweets, betel-leaf, and fish. And then the Haldi ceremony ritual is also performed at the bride’s house using the same turmeric paste.

7. Bor Boron

Welcome the groom and the baratis is an age-old Indian wedding ritual. The mother of the bride welcomes the groom with sweets and water while other females of the house blow conch shells.

8. Saat Paak & Subho Drishti

After the groom is welcomed to the wedding venue, the bride is carried to the mandap. She wears a red Banarasi saree, which is the traditional wedding dresses of Bengali women. The gorgeous bride keeps her face covered by betel leaves and is usually carried by her four brothers or relatives on a wooden seat. She moves around the charming groom seven times. She then slowly removes the betel leaves from her eyes and looks at the groom three times which is called Subho Drishti.

9. Mala Bodol

Followed by Subho Drishti, a fun-filled Mala Bodol ceremony takes place. In this vibrant ritual both the bride and groom exchange floral garlands three times. Sometimes to add some fun into the ritual, the bride's brothers lift the bride up so that the groom can't put garland in her neck so easily.

10. Sampradan

Sampradan is a part of bengali marriage traditions where the father of the bride gives his daughter's hand in the groom's hand. A holy knot is tied to the couple's hand using a pure cloth and the groom promises to his father-in-law to take care of his daughter.

11. Yagna

The next morning yagna start starts with the chants of Vedic mantras. The bride and groom sit next to each other and worship the god of fire.

12. Anjali & Saptapadi

Another eye-catchy bengali wedding ritual is called Saptapadi also known as Saath Phere in other Indian regions. According to this ritual, the bride's brother hands over a tray of puffed rice to the bride and groom. Then the couple offers the puffed rice into the holy fire three times. Followed by this holy ritual the bride & groom walk around the sacred fire 7 times by stepping on betel leaves and pushing the mortar with feet. This is known as Saptapadi in Bengali.

13. Sindoor Daan

The most beautiful moment in the wedding rituals of a Bengali marriage is sindoor daan ceremony. This beautiful wedding ritual always gets a special place in the portfolio of a Bengali wedding photographer. This marriage ritual includes the groom applying vermillion on the bride's forehead. Depending on the custom of different cast a groom may use a mirror, a coin, or a finger ring to perform this sindoor daan. After applying the sindoor the bride's head is covered with a new saree which is a gift from the groom’s family.

14. Biday

 The farewell always comes with the pain of separation the adorable Bengali bride leaves her parent's house with his groom. While leaving her parental home she throws back some rice in the saree of her mother which is a very emotional moment for every family member of the bride’s side.

15. Bodhu Boron

The gorgeous bride wearing traditional Banarasi and stunning gold jewellery steps into his husband's house. She is welcomed by her mother-in-law by performing aarti and offering her sweets. Groom's mother touches the bride's air with honey and shows her boiling milk in the house. It symbolizes that everything inside the house will always be in surplus quantity.

16. Bhat Kapor & Boubhat

On the next morning, the groom offers his wife a plate full of rice clothes, and other items and makes a promise that he will take his wife responsibility throughout his life. Followed by these rituals the bride then serves cooked rice or kheer to all the members of his husband's family.

17. Reception

At last comes the grand celebration in the evening. These days we can see brides wearing lehengas in their receptions but traditionally they wore a traditional silk saree in this grand event. The groom's family invites guests and the bride's family to celebrate their wedding with everyone with a grand feast.