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
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