Pag Phere

Pag Phere is a common post wedding ritual held in Punjabi weddings. In this, the bride and groom visit the bridal home, the day after the wedding. The bride’s brother may also come to pick her up from her in-law’s home and take her back to her parents. In her honor, the family prepares a large feast and also gifts her and the groom several expensive gifts. This is also a way of inviting the groom into the family and inside their hearts!

mooh dikhai ki rasam

mooh dikhai ki rasam

Indian weddings are elaborate affairs full of pomp and splendour. The laughter, the songs and dances, the aroma of rich food that fills the air, the taste of a salty tear on a quivering lip, the warmth of affectionate smiles and tight embraces around you. Finally it's time to take the hand of the man you love and accept his family as your own and be accepted in turn.

The bride goes to her new home and is welcomed by the entire family. The family now indulges in a series of games and post-wedding rituals, amidst much laughter to make the new member feel comfortable. One such ritual is the Mooh dikhai ki rasam.

Introductions
Literally translated, mooh dikhai means 'show your face', but this is a ritual, which helps to introduce the newly wed to members of her husband's family! Each member of the groom's family comes in turn to make an acquaintance with the new bride and shower her with gifts. The mother-in-law showers her with jewellery, clothes and money. The other close relatives of the family also offer her gifts and money.

The history
The ceremony is performed in slightly different ways across the country depending on the customs of that particular region. The most common way of performing the ceremony has the bride sitting with her face covered by a veil. The relatives come one by one to lift the veil, viewing the bride for the first time after the wedding and showering her with gifts. In olden times particularly this custom was very important because most of the womenfolk would not attend the wedding. The baraat generally travelled to the bride's village for the wedding. Because the travel was on foot or by horse, womenfolk generally stayed back. When the baraat came back with the new bride, the mooh dikhaicustom gave all the women a chance to meet the new member.



Traditionally, the Indian bride has to cover her face with her bridal veil or Ghoonghat. The mothers-in-law (and other ladies from the groom’s family) lift up this veil and offer gifts to the brides for ‘showing their faces’ thus welcoming them into the family. This ceremony is also held in Muslim, Gujrathi and Rajput weddings. Modern grooms may also offer the brides expensive gifts in the form of jewelry on the ‘first night’ after she has lifted her bridal veil.

Haldi ritual for wedding

The haldi ceremony is being performed with lots of traditions and customs. It is general assumption that by applying haldi on to the body of groom and bride, the beauty of both of them would complex more at the D-Day. On the Haldi ceremony, the families of bride and groom apply haldi on them along with water. It is applied to bless the soon-to-be-wed couple with great fortune and prosperity. Turmeric powder is applied on the bride's face to ensure more sparkling skin for her wedding.

Historically, this ceremony is celebrated separately in homes of bride and groom, but nowadays, it is often done together. 

The haldi ceremony, also known as Uptaan ,is conducted different in some parts of India, where aata (flour) and rice added to the haldi, according the respective rituals and traditions. After pasting, haldi is allowed to dry and shower to emerge gleaming at the marriage event. Ladies gather in each family to sing folk songs for celebrating the occasion. The relatives in both the families enjoy food and drinks along with bride and groom, respectively. Hence, the haldi ceremony is the occasion of rituals and celebrations just like wedding.

• Auspicious colors like yellow are worn on that day but these may not be new as clothes tend to get spoilt with Haldi stains.
• For the Tel Baan all ingredients like henna, mustard oil, sindur (vermillion), curd, turmeric, salt and mustard seeds are put in clay pots and kept in a plate. Grass is then used to apply these 5 ingredients to the bride/groom.

 

• The family members (generally married couples) dip the grass in all the clay pots and apply it on the bride/groom’s feet, hands, knees, shoulders and head 7 times from bottom to top (Tel Chadana) and after everyone has finished, the same couples repeat the process 7 times from top to bottom (Tel Uttarna). In some families Tel Chadana and Tel Uttarna are on different days. But if you are constrained on time, you can have it together on the same day itself.
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Sagai - Engagement Ceremony

Rings are exchanged between the groom and the bride.
The main purpose behind the organization of the sagai in India is to finalize the date of marriage.

In addition to being engagement ceremonies, the kurmai and chunni are both considered sagan ceremonies, which means they bestow good luck and blessings on the bride and groom. 

The kurmai is a ceremony for the groom done by the bride`s family and the chunni is a ceremony for the bride done by the groom`s family.

The chunni ceremony, held at the bride’s home, is conducted by the groom’s family. The bride is donned with gifts brought by the groom’s family. The gifts often include a salvar kameez or sari, make-up, nail polish, jewellery, bangles, bindis, hair clip or ribbon and sindoor (red powdered that placed at the tip of a woman’s hair part symbolizing she is married). The most important gift is the chunni (a long scarf). It is always in a shade of the traditional wedding colour, red, and is presented to the bride-to-be. The significance of the chunni ceremony is to begin the process of welcoming the bride in to the family.

The kurmai ceremony is traditionally held at the groom’s home. The groom is presented with gifts brought by the bride’s family. The gifts often include a gold kara (Sikh bracelet) or a wrist watch.

haldi-kumkum ceremony

Haldi Kumkum ceremony, is a social gathering in India in which married women exchange haldi (turmeric) and kumkum (vermilion powder), as a symbol of their married status and wishing for their husbands' long lives.

The ceremony is particularly popular in the western Indian states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Goa. Married women invite friends, relatives and new acquaintances to meet in an atmosphere of merriment and fun. On such occasions, the hostess distributes bangles, sweets, small novelties, flowers, betel leaves and nuts as well as coconuts. The snacks include Kairiche Panhe (raw mango juice) and Vatli Dal.

Griha Pravesh

Griha Pravesh-the time when the bride enters her husband’s home for the first time. 

This is an auspicious moment wherein the ladies (from the groom’s family) stand in the centre of the living room or near the entrance, inside the home. At the threshold is kept a kalash or jar of rice. The bride pushes and topples this jar with her right foot while entering the home.  In some parts of India, she may even be required to dip her feet in water containing ‘red kumkum’ or vermillion powder. This way; she leaves her footprints across the home as she walks, signifying that the Goddess of Wealth or Laxmi has entered the home, bringing success and prosperity to the groom

 In fact, it is the traditional Indian way of welcoming the newly wed bride.
During the Griha Pravesh ceremony, bride pushes a jar or kalash containing rice by her right toe at the entrance. After that, she enters within the house by stepping her right leg first. The ceremony of Griha Pravesh illustrates that the family of groom has welcomed the bride from the bottom of the heart and accepted her as one of the integral member of their family. At some places in India, the bride also tells her husband name at the entrance and then enters to the home.
Hence, the post-wedding Griha Pravesh ceremony is the medium in which the bride puts first step at her in-laws and starts a new passage in her life.

Rule it with 'ring'

The groom's mom throws a ring and other small items in a big bowl of milk and the newly weds have to find it

Couple entering home for the first time are directed to sit surrounding a large container full of milk and rose petals. There is a ring thrown in it and the newly-weds are asked to find it. Whoever finds it first is said to have an upper hand in the marriage.