Muslim Weddings in India

The Muslim population in Asia comprises of more than half the population of the world.  The continent is home to about 65% of Muslims living in various countries. The followers of Islam are found in every country, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia can easy be called Islamic nations. Indian and China also have good number of Muslim population. The regions of Gulf or Middle East have a good number, but majority of the Islamic followers reside in the Southeast Asia and South Asia.

Muslim Wedding in India

According to historians, the advent of Islam in Asia was around the 7^th Century. The chief reason for the spread of the religion from the Arabian Peninsula was due to trade. Traders and exporters came to the northeastern part of India, in the state of Manipur arrived through silk route. For the same reason, traders reached China. Religious leaders also came along and preached about the religion. In the southernmost state of India, Kerala, the first mosque was built. The Muslim Matrimony in India follows the wedding customs and traditions of the Arabian people.

The Muslim matrimony functions in India are based on the Islamic principles as followed in the Arab region. The propaganda of these traditions was the medieval Muslim rulers.  The Mogul rulers and sultans helped in spreading the Islamic traditions. The Muslim wedding is called ‘nikaah’ and the wedding rules are the same for the shia and sunni groups of Muslims. In India, the Muslim matrimony function is usually a family affair with close friends and relatives attending the wedding. The wedding in India has numerous rituals and lasts for about three days. Like all Islamic weddings, there is the signing of the Nikaahnama in the Indian Muslim Matrimonial. Like all Indian weddings, there is singing and dancing in a Muslim matrimony. Both at the groom’s house and at the bride’s place, the rituals are conducted following the Islamic rules.

The Vibrant Culture of Bengal

The beautiful state of Bengal lies in the eastern part of the plain of Ganges. The state is a melting pot of diverse cultures and traditions. The rule of Muslim rulers and later the British influence in the state culminated in birth of a unique culture. The culture of Bengal draws visitors from all parts of the globe. Many aspects contribute to the richness and variety of the distinctive culture.

Religion of Bengal plays an important role in defining the culture of state. Majority of the state has followers of Hindu religion. The Hindus here has their own birth, wedding and death rituals. Apart from the Hindus, there are followers of Islam and Christianity. Bengali Matrimony functions for the various religious communities differ. The Hindu Bengali Matrimony has rituals that run for several days.

Another important aspect that has shaped the distinct culture of Bengal is its literature. Bengalis have a love for literature and boasts of rich literary collection. Some of the greatest writers of all time belong from Bengal. Notable among them are Kazi Nazrul Islam, Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and the nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. There works are mostly in Bangla, the language of Bengal. Writers and authors are inspired from their work. Many of the modern writers have adapted their work in English language.

Food is another important part of the culture of Bengal. To eat the best of the regional delicacies in Bengal, people can attend any Bengali Matrimony and enjoy the sumptuous feast. Bengal’s staple food is rice and fish. Bengalis love their fish curry and other preparations made from it. Other tasty recipes from Bengal are the Aaloo Posto, Luchi, Kosha Manghso, Maacher Jhal and Sageer Chorchori. Sweets of Bengal are also famous, not just in India but in other countries as well. Most of the sweets are made from milk-based products.

Author: Shipra Sinha

Popular Wedding Themes in Punjabi Matrimony

Everyone loves to have an unforgettable wedding. Undoubtedly, it is an occasion for which every family waits. It is really a proud moment to see one’s child dressed like a bride or a groom. In the Punjabi community, they believe in complete pomp and show, and do the best to make an immemorial one.

The general concept

Conducting a wedding in the Punjabi Matrimony is to book a party lawn, garden or an indoor hall. You can decorate it according to your choice, use generous amount of coloured tinsels, fabrics, and on top of that are flowers and lights, which add the beauty to any type of celebration. Now it’s the time to change and add some style quotient to the wedding. If you are going to get married, then try some new ideas, which are:

 Royal Marriages

If you have that bank balance which can afford conducting a royal Punjabi matrimony, then go for a royal one. The royal wedding are mostly celebrated in the castles of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, and others, as such places offer the best ambience and feel, though very costly. The bride and groom are decorated like a king and a queen.

Beach marriages

It’s an exciting wedding style, where the bride and groom, throw a party at the beaches, accompanied by their parents, family members and friends. The beach side resorts serve as the best places for hosting such wedding, which make the arrangements for the wedding feast and accommodation. The best beachside marriage destinations are Goa, Kerala, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, etc.

Cruise marriages

What an adventurous wedding that would be, which is celebrated on the cruises! Big dance floors, cold breeze, awesome food and music can make anyone die for such a wedding. No matter you are conducting your wedding on a cruise, you can conduct you own rituals of the Punjabi matrimonial and make it an immemorial day.

Author: Rashmi Karan

Importance of Chura in Punjabi Matrimony

Every bride dreams of looking her best at the time of wedding. The brides adorn themselves in the most elegant and unique manner with the usage of the wedding attire and accessories. Chura is one of the important Indian Wedding Accessories. There is a vital importance of Punjabi chura in the Punjabi matrimony. It is the sign of the marital status of a woman, and also signifies prosperity and fertility. I really love the way the newlywed Punjabi brides wear the chura in their hands. The red and maroon ivory bangles studded with stones look magnificent on the hands of the newlywed Punjabi brides.

Punjabi Chura

Every community has its belief, and in Punjabi Matrimony, the bride must wear the chura after the wedding the bride is allowed to remove the chura in the variables of three months, i.e. 3 months, 6 months, 9 months or 1 year. The chura is available in the market in various colours such as maroon, red, pink, white, etc. The chura with smooth edges are available in varied sizes and appealing patterns. The beautiful designs of the chura have also attracted non-Punjabi brides who also love to flaunt their marital status.

It is believed that a Chura can beautify the skin. During the rituals in Punjabi Matrimonial, the bride is given a bath and is then sat for the pooja. The family member of the bride makes her wear the chura, and the bride is not allowed to see those red and white ivory bangles. The family members tie a set of jingles over these bangles and bless her with their best wishes and blessings. The girls of the family who are eligible for marriage sit in rows and the bride lightly bangs the kaliren on their head. It is thought that the girls over whom the Kaliren fall is the next candidate to get married.

Author: Rashmi Karan

Oriya Matrimony Attire

Oriya Matrimony

The unique tradition of Orissa is truly reflected in the Oriya Matrimony Functions. The state is known for its handloom saris and what better to get a display of the handloom saris than a wedding of Oriya people. The bride is no doubt the center of attraction in any wedding. Here in Orissa, there are many rituals before the actual wedding day. These functions are attended by family members and close friends. The female members attending the wedding wear traditional saris from the state on most occasions.

The bride wears a traditional silk sari on the wedding day. The colors of the bridal saris are usually red, orange, magenta or pink. Most of the saris are silk and have heavy golden thread work on the pallu and borders. The bridal saris have attached fabric for making blouses. The blouse fabric also has the same borders as that of sari. The saris have heavily embroidered golden work all over.

Traditional gold jewelry complements the bridal look of the girl. The bride wears heavy gold jewelry on the wedding day. On other occasions, light-weight jewelry is preferred. Bangles, earrings, finger rings and choker are some of the pieces of jewelry worn by the brides. The other female family members also wear gold jewelry completing their traditional saris. Silver jewelry of Orissa also famous and women attending the wedding wears silver jewelry during daytime. Hairpins, earrings and bangles of silver are preferred among the women.

The groom also wears traditional Indian attire on the wedding day. Mostly he wears a silk kurta and dhoti made of tassar silk. The dhoti and kurta sets on the wedding day have heavy thread embroidery done. Some grooms also wear a western-styled suit during the reception party. Other male members also wear traditional Indian clothes for the various functions related to Oriya Matrimony

Author: Shipra Sinha

Enjoy the Sumptuous Fare in a Sindhi Matrimony

No wedding is complete without a feast of the local cuisine. In a typical Sindhi Matrimony, the very best of the Sindhi cuisine is served after the wedding rituals are over. The Sindhi reception ceremony is known as Sataurah. This ceremony is usually held in the groom’s house. Food served at the Muslim Sindhi Matrimony is an assortment of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. The Sindhi cuisine has influence of other regions like South Asia, Central Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine.

Snacks are served during various rituals in a Sindhi Matrimony. A range of snacks, sweet and salty variety, are served. Some common traditional Sindhi snacks are Mithi Loli, Chhola Dhabal and Maal-apuroo Mithaee Maanii.

Muslim Sindhi Matrimony includes dishes made of beef, fish and lamb. There are also many vegetarian dishes served to the guests. Beh is a very famous dish made of lotus root and cooked in clay pots. The use of various spices gives Beh its unique flavor and aroma. Another very tasty dish served at the wedding functions is the Sindhi Biriyani. Rice is steamed and then special spices typical of Sindh are used to add flavor to it. Other tasty vegetarian dishes are Koki, Seyal Mani, Sindhi Curry, Seyal Phulko, Dhodo Chutney and Curry Chawal.

The mutton dish, Bhugal Teewarn and the Lamb meat dish cooked in cardamom, Phote waro Tivan are some of the non-vegetarian items served and are favorites at any Sindhi Muslim Matrimony functions. The Keemo is a special dish of minced lamb meat. The Seyal Pallo is pomfret fish dish cooked in garlic sauce.

Guests at the Sindhi Matrimony function are served thadal, which is a famous drink made from almonds. Another drink, Khi-r-ni, is served hot and is made of milk and cardamoms and saffron are added. Special sweets from the Sindh region are included in the wedding menu such as Varo, Dothi, Geara, Mesu Tikki and Boorani.

Author: Shipra Sinha

Gujarati Matrimony – Truly Represents the Rich and Vibrant Culture

The state of Gujarat lies in the western part of India. It is one of the prosperous states of India, having its distinct culture and traditions. Weddings in the state display the rich and vibrant culture of Gujarat. The people from Gujarat have their own set of matrimonial customs and religions. Gujarati Matrimony is a joyous occasion with family and friends attending the celebrations. Dancing, singing and enjoying the regional specialties are part of every Gujarati wedding.

Alliances for the Gujarati Matrimony are fixed after consulting the castes and horoscopes of bride and groom. The state of Gujarat has people from all religions, though Hindus constitute majority of the population. The various caste and communities of Hindu Gujarati are Patel, Brahmin, Vaishnav, Lohana and Nagar. In addition, many Rajputs and Baniya Community members are found in the state. There are also many Gujarati following Jainism. The Jains from Gujarat belongs to either Shwetambar or Digambar sects. Gujarati Matrimony also includes Sunni Hanafi community grooms and brides.

People from Gujarat are found in every part of India. The Indian states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and West Bengal have a good number of Gujarati community members. Many Gujarati community members are also settled in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the United States of America. In addition, the African countries like Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa have a strong presence of people hailing from the state of Gujarat. Some countries in South East Asia like Malaysia and Myanmar also have Gujarati community from India. Gujarat Matrimony celebrations outside Gujarat include and follow the same rituals and customs.

The Gujarati community members are industrious and most of them are into business and trade. It is an acceptable fact that Gujarati communities have a stronghold in global business scenario. With the changing times, people from the state are shifting to different occupations. The community members, belonging to any caste, are joining public and private services. Men and women, both are equally involved in professional activities. Gujarati are also into the field of medicine, engineering, information technology, and banking and finance.

Author: Shipra Sinha

The Baraat of a Sikh Matrimonials

The happy and cheerful sardars and sardarnis dancing to the beats of dholak, a huge procession of musicians, and in the procession is a man riding the horse- Yes guys, I am talking about the ‘baraat’ of a Sikh wedding. The ‘baraat’ or the groom’s procession to the wedding venue is important ritual of Sikh Matrimonials. And, the man riding the horse is the groom himself. Unlike other community weddings where the groom’s procession to the wedding venue happens in the night, the Sikh community baraat happens during the daytime. The groom decked in wedding fineries like sherwani and jeweled turban heads to the gurudwara with his family members and friends. Traditionally, the groom is supposed to ride a horse to venue of wedding. With the changing times, some groom prefers to come by car, decorated with flowers and ribbons.

The groom’s friends and family members dances and sings to traditional Punjabi songs. Women members of the groom’s family equally participate in the dance. Apart from traditional Punjabi songs, the band of musicians also plays latest Punjabi chart busters and pop songs. Everyone present soaks in the dancing spirit. Whether you are a dancer or not the beats of the drum makes you shake a leg. On arrival of the ‘baraat’ in the wedding venue, the bride’s mother welcomes the groom with a tikka and sweets. Traditional Punjabi songs are sung to welcome the groom.

The Sikh matrimonial function is usually held in a gurudwara. According to the custom, a sikh wedding is solemnized in front of the holy book, Guru Granth Sahib. Whether the wedding venue is a gurudwara or any other place, the holy book should be kept before the wedding rituals take place. The granthi is the man who conducts the Sikh wedding, sings hymns from the Granth Sahib. The bride and the groom then encircle the holy book four times. This ritual solemnizes a Sikh wedding.

Author: Shipra Sinha