Traditional Indian Weddings

To celebrate the impending nuptuals in The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, here is the first of our top facts about traditional Indian weddings!

 

1. The Mehndi

 

Prior to the wedding, Indian brides apply henna to their hands and feet; this is called the Mehndi. The belief is that the deeper the final colour and the longer it stays on her skin, the more successful and loving the marriage will be. New brides are often forbidden from doing any housework whilst the colour of the bridal Mehndi remains so as to keep it for as long as possible!

 

Mehndi
Over the centuries, mehndi has become so ingrained in Indian tradition that today the mehndi ceremony is one of the major celebrations before the wedding. A family member or mehndi expert applies mehndi on the palms and feet of the bride. Elaborate designs are applied on the hands with a cone filled with mehndi. While the mehndi is being applied, other members of the family play the traditional dhol and dance to its beats. Every female member of family gets mehndi done on her hands and feet. The entire mood of a mehndi ceremony is extremely festive.
The mehndi ceremony takes place at the bride’s place and usually, it is held a couple of days prior to the wedding. It is a night ceremony which is accompanied with relatives, music, laughter, food and a lot of fun.

 

The mehndi ceremony for the groom takes place separately at his home. The bride and groom do not usually get decked up very elaborately at the time of the mehndi application, and their ensembles are very simple. Once the mehndi for the bride is done, the female relatives of the bride, especially her sisters, visit the groom’s ceremony. It is great fun as the would-be sister-in-laws play pranks on their future brother-in-law and try to get some money from him as a tradition! It is a very happy occasion for both the families. Traditional songs and music characterize the ceremony from the beginning to the end.

 

Present trends in mehndi
Although times have changed and a lot of new inclusions have been made in Indian weddings, the significance of the mehndi ceremony has grown in stature. Many families bring in DJs to play songs and celebrations that go on until late in the night. If something has changed about the ceremony, it is the designs and patterns. While only intricate Indian designs were traditionally applied in the past, brides today are experimenting with Arabic designs and Indo-Arabic designs and mixing shimmer pastes along with the traditional mehndi paste. Semi precious stones are also embedded in the design. It is traditional to write the name of the groom on the bride’s palm. In some regions, this is also a small ritual after the wedding. The groom is made to search for his name, which is usually smartly written so as not be readily visible.

 

The mehndi ceremony is a reflection of the rich Indian culture, bringing together the knowledge of medicinal herbs with many lovely sentiments and beliefs. The result is a ceremony filled with fun and joy and the perfect precursor to the auspicious wedding day.