Tag Archives: bengali marriage tradition

Top 7 Things You Can Expect at A Bengali Wedding

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Bengali weddings, much like the other regional Indian weddings, have their own customs and ceremonies that define them to start with the matrimonial life. If you are going to attend a Bengali wedding anytime soon, it is essential for you to know these top 10 things that you can expect at a Bengali wedding so that there is no risk of you zoning out during the ceremonies.

Let’s check them out!

1. Placement of The Mangal Ghat

Colorful rangolis are a common sight in a wedding house in Bengal. In addition to that, women also place clay vessels or “Mangal Ghats” filled with mango leaves and a coconut resting on the top. It is then placed in the four corners of the house. These vessels apparently help in warding off the spirits and bringing in good fortune for the matrimony to come.

2. Ai Buro Bhat

This ceremony takes place a night before or a few days before the actual wedding ceremony where the groom and the bride have their last meal as an unmarried couple in their own homes. It is a fairly lavish meal that consists of rice, paturi (steamed mustard fish in a banana leaf), mutton curry, papad, dal, payesh (rice pudding), fish and assorted fried vegetables.

3. Gaye Holud

This is a fascinating custom in which a paste of turmeric is rubbed on the bride and the groom’s skin while they sit on a plank or a Piri to make their skin glow. The married women of both the families usually apply this paste. The bride’s family sends the paste in addition to Piri for the groom. Some mantras are also recited before the application of the paste.

4. Applying Aalta

Rather than applying mehndi, the brides apply Aalta which is a red pigment on their hands and feet. This is a symbol of the Goddess Lakshmi and this custom to said to bless the groom with prosperity and wealth.

5. Bor Aasha

The groom arrives at the venue at the stipulated time on the wedding day. It is quite similar to a baraat but not half as crazy or wild. He sits in a separate chamber and is constantly greeted by all the guests there until the time comes to tie the knot with his bride.

6. Hulhuli

Hulhuli is the Bengali equivalent of ululating. It is done to ward off the evil spirits, or so most people believe. However, it is usually done at the end or the beginning of an important occasion or event as a sort of signal. It is also accompanied by blowing the shankh or the conch shell.

7. Shubha Drishti

The brothers or the male relatives carry the bride on a Piri, and she covers her face behind several paan leaves. Once her fiancé comes in front of her, she removes the leaves. The bride’s face is generally decorated intricately with designs made out of sandalwood paste. The groom and the bride then exchange garlands before sitting with the priest.

These are some amazing Bengali customs that you are bound to witness when you attend a Bengali wedding. If you are also looking for a Bengali man/woman to get married to, you can check out the several bengali matrimonial sites and matrimony sites. Who knows? You might find your one too!

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7 must have Sarees for a Bengali Bride

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No matter how westernized we become saree still remains the most attractive and appealing attire for an Indian woman. Bengal which has been known for its tradition and customs since ages unknown is a perfect portrayal of the same. That too when it comes to weddings, you cannot overlook the significance of sarees. Thought of a Bengali marriage will bring forth the imageries of beautiful ladies dressed in authentic Bengali sarees and being the center of attraction with their captivating looks.

There are a wide variety of Bengali sarees with vibrant colors and looks and every Bengali bride must have at least one of each type in her wardrobe.

Korial Saree

The Korial lal pari saree is the most famous Bengali saree. It is a crisp white saree with a red border. It is a typical white sari with a red border, with a deeper shade of red and solid color in it. Married women generally wear this simple and timeless saree

Taant Saree

It is a Crisp and soft cotton saree. Though it now comes in many vibrant colors, but traditionally it is a white and red bordered sari and is something that every Bengali lady would have in her wardrobe.

Garad Saree

Garad is quite similar to the Korial saree. A non-bengali would not even be ab;e to differentiate between the two. Garad sarees are also white in color with a red border. However, unlike the Korial saree, Garad saree has a lighter red border with flower-shaped symbols and other motifs spread across that give it an attractive and feminine look.

Murshidabad Silk Saree

Silk sarees are not only famous in the northern and southern part of India, but even West Bengal has a plethora of lovely silk sarees. Murshidabad silk sarees are the most famous among the Bengal silk sarees. They are light in weight and have beautifully printed designs. They are ideal for small get-togethers as well as extravagant functions.

Dhakai Jamdani Saree

These were initially made in Dhaka, which was a part of West Bengal before partition. Hence the name derived as “Dhakai”. However they are quite famous in the state of Bengal even today.  Jamdani refers to the typical style of print or design that you can see on this saree. It is almost transparent and woven with a mixture of silk and cotton. These are a must-have for high profiled events, parties, weddings and more in Bengal.

Baluchari Sarees

The origin of Baluchari sarees hails from a village named Baluchar in Murshidabad. These are silk sarees made of Tussar or pure silk, with floral designs running across the body of the saree, while the pallu is remarkable with scenes from Indian mythology, including the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Tussar Sarees

Tussar is produced in several places, but majorly in the town of Malda in West Bengal. Tussar silk is bit coarse in texture and is used to manufacture a varied range of silk saris in the state.  Typically, the patta and the butti style of this saree is famous among Bengali women.

If you are a bengali bride, you cannot afford to miss on any of the above sarees. And if you are looking for Bengali Grooms for marriage, you cannot afford to miss registering on LoveVivah.com Bengali matrimony site.

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Bengali Pre Wedding rituals: Sweet & Loaded with Fun

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Bengali Pre Wedding Rituals

Bengali wedding like any other wedding has its own flavor of traditions and rituals. If you have ever got a chance to witness any Bengali wedding, then you must have realized that it is filled with rituals and fun. Bengali Hindu weddings like most other Indian weddings are good mix of traditional customs and rituals. The wedding is union of two families. The parents of the Bengali boy and girl for marriage search life partner. The parents of the girl and boy fix marriage if they find the match suitable for their child.  Generally, the Bengali weddings are not that fancy and gaudy as compared to weddings in North India. Let’s take a look at some of the pre-wedding rituals of Bengali wedding.

Adan-Pradan: Both the families fix a wedding date after getting the consent from the Bengali bride and groom for marriage. After checking the horoscope compatibility and other details, the families fix an auspicious marriage date.

Aashirwad ceremony: This is a ceremony where the bride and groom are formally accepted by both the families. All the family members shower the blessings on the would-be Bengali bride and groom. They put husked rice and trefoil leaves on their head. They also give gifts like gold jewelry, clothes, sweets and other things to the bride and groom. The day of this ceremony is not fixed as it varies from family to family. Some families conduct this ceremony a few days before, or a month before or on the wedding day.

Ai Budo Bhaat ceremony: This ceremony is very much similar to bridal shower of Christian wedding or bachelor party. The neighbors, close relatives and friends of the bride/groom attend this ceremony at her/his home before the wedding day. In this ceremony, the bride and groom offers a traditional Bengali meal in their respective homes as a ritual. It is considered as the last meal as bachelor or spinster.

Dodhi Mangal ceremony: This ceremony is held at the dawn of the wedding day. The family members and close relatives of the bride/groom visit a nearby river or pond where they can fill a pitcher with water and return home. They use this water during the holy snan ritual. After returning home, the would-be bride and groom have curd, rice flakes, banana and sweets in their respective homes as they are expected to fast the whole day till they complete all wedding ceremonies.

Nandi Mukh: This ceremony is performed on the wedding day morning just before the ‘gaye hould’ ceremony. It is performed in both the families. A priest chants Vedic incantations and extended family pay homage to their forefathers. A small puja is performed for the happy married life and seek blessing from their ancestors.

Tattava, Gae Hould and Snan: On the morning of the wedding, both the families send gifts and this ceremony is known as tattva. The groom’s family gift a new saree, oil, a big, decorated carp or rohu fish and some other gifts including jewelry, make-up kit, sweets and other edibles. The would-be-bride is supposed to wear the same saree during ‘gae holud’. The family members applied the turmeric paste on the face, hands and feet of the bride and groom in their respective families and this ceremony is populary known as gae holud in Bengal. Then the bride and groom take bath in the holy water brought in the morning from the river/pond for the snan.

Sankha and Pola: In all Bengali weddings, the brides is supposed to wear conch shell bangles which are red and white in color on the ai budo bhaat and in some families the bride wear these auspicious set of bangles on the wedding day morning after or during the gae hould. The white bangles are known as the sankha and the red bangles are called pola. These bangles are similar to the mangalsutra that a married woman wears in North India.

LoveVivah.com West Bengal matrimony portal gives profiles of brides and grooms for marriage. Search for Aadhaar matchmakings from Bengali matrimonial resumes.

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