Janganath Temple in Orissa

The beautiful ancient temple in Orissa receives visitors, general pilgrims as well as newly wed couples seeking blessings from Lord Jagannath.

The state of Orissa has many Hindu temples and monuments. Ancient and sacred, these temples are visited not just by the people of Orissa but Hindus from other parts of the country. The Jagannath Temple in Puri is a revered place and visited by thousands. This temple is among the four abodes of the ultimate divine. The temple structure dates back to 12^th century. The Ganga dynasty king, Chodagangadeva, built it.

Puri, the small beachfront town is famous for the Janaganath temple and seafood. This towering structure of the temple is visible from the countryside. The height of the structure is approximately 65 meters. The temple has a huge compound surrounding the four sides. The compound houses many important facilities like the famous temple kitchen, which feeds about 10,000 visitors and temple staff. The ‘prasad’ is cooked and served in the temple kitchen. The temple is the source of livelihood for around 6000 temple staff and management.

The temple has visitors from all walks of life. Being a sacred place of Hindu pilgrimage, the newlywed after completing the Oriya matrimony rituals visit the temple and receive the lord’s blessings. Puri is a regular destination for newly married couples. Apart from the pilgrimage center, there are many important ways of spend time in Puri for the newlyweds.

The Puri temple was covered with white plaster and the temple art was not discovered till the year 1975. The white plaster earned this structure name of ‘white pagoda’ by sailors who visited the Puri shores. The white plaster in the temple structure baffled many history aficionados and scholars. Orissa has a great temple art and there was no trace of it in this temple. In the 1975, archaeologists removed the plaster and found the hidden art underneath. The reason for covering the beautiful temple work with plaster was to protect the structure from salty water. The temple has intense religious value among the people of Orissa.

Author: Shipra Sinha

Enjoyable Post-Wedding Rituals in Oriya Matrimony

Weddings functions spans over several days. In India, there are many rituals happening before and during the wedding day. Even after the groom and the bride has tied the knot and settled in matrimonial bliss, rituals do follow them. Especially in the Hindu marriage, there are many rituals even after marriage. In the Oriya Matrimony, there are many rituals with the bride’s arrival in the groom house.

Orissa is a beautiful state with distinctive culture and traditions. The state is known for its dance, food and local crafts. Most of the population in Orissa is followers of Hinduism and the people are commonly referred as Oriya. The Hindu communities in Orissa are also divided into various castes and sub-castes. The rituals after wedding are similar for these Hindu communities. One of the common post wedding rituals is the Grihapravesh ceremony of the bride. The bride is welcomed in her new home and is given a warm ceremonial welcome. The newly wedded couple arrives and the mother-in-law welcomes them. One important thing to mention here is that groom’s mother does not attend the wedding of her son. This is a distinct custom of Oriya Matrimony

Another important post wedding ritual is the Astha Mangala Custom. In this ritual, the newly wedded couple visits the bride’s home. This visit is usually done on the 8th day after marriage. The mother-in-law of the groom and various other female members of the family welcome the couple. A feast is organized and mouthwatering Orissa delicacies is prepared and served. Food items of the groom choice is prepared and served. This visit is a short stay, as sometimes the bride and groom returns in the evening. In some cases, the couple stays for about two-three days. In the Astha Mangala custom in Oriya Matrimony, the groom and the bride receives gifts and jewelry from the bride’s parents.

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

The Wedding Attire of Oriya Bride and Groom

Orissa is famous for beautifully patterned silk and cotton saris, and for the weddings and other important occasions, saris are especially woven according to the choice of the bride. There are some typical designs that can be generally observed in the wedding saris in Oriya matrimony. The brides wear heavy gold jewellery and specific patterns of sandalwood paste are designed on her face.

The Oriya community is generally very specific about the wedding attire, especially sari, but with the changing trends, there has been change in the style of wedding attire of the brides also. Nowadays, the fashion has changed and the Oriya brides love wearing fabrics such as crepe, georgette, chiffon, tissue, satin, etc.

Some of the popular colors used in Oriya Matrimony are yellow, golden, pink, orange, maroon, magenta or brown. Dual toned saris such as a combination of red and golden, red and silver, green and red, pink and green, brown and green, pink and blues, and other permutation and combinations of colours are also very popular.

The most preferred colour for wedding attire is Red. The saris and lehengas in red are the favourite choice of the brides in India, since times immemorial. A number of combinations are available with the red colour, which suits every complexion. The warmth of the colour adds to the charm and beauty of the bride, and is associated specifically with marriage.

An Oriya groom wears a dhoti and kurta, which they call Punjabi. A silk or cotton kurta is generally popular for wedding and other ceremonial purposes. The kurta has fine embroidery all over, which is complemented by an Uttariya. The Uttariya is a piece of cloth that the grooms keep around their neck during the wedding. The grooms in Oriya matrimony wear a silk thread around their body, signifying the purity.

Author: Rashmi Karan