Sikh Pre-Wedding Rituals
Pre-wedding rituals play an important role in the wedding
preparation. Before any ritual takes place, the engagement, or shagun, is
officially acknowledged by an exchange of gifts between the two prospective
fathers-in-law. A tilak ceremony
is performed by the bhaiji. The tilak, a red paste,
is applied to the forehead of the groom between the brows. This spot is considered
to be the seat of latent wisdom and mental concentration. The bride's father
presents a gold bangle, or kara to the groom with eleven gold coins
attached. They are strung to a black thread and put around the bride's neck
after the wedding . After the engagement is official, female relatives of the
groom visit the bride and present her with the chunni or
wedding veil.
Maiya - confinement
- takes place in the days immediately preceding the wedding. The bride and groom
are confined to their respective homes and are not permitted to change clothes.
A red thread, gana, is
tied to the right wrist of the groom and the left wrist of the bride. Shells,
pearls, a key ring and a silk bundle of sugar are hung from the gana of
the bride.
As the wedding day approaches,
a scented powder or vatna is applied to the bodies
of the bride and groom followed by a ritual bath.
The Mehendi ceremony takes place one or two
days before the wedding.
Friends of the bride paint mehendi
(henna) patterns on her hands and feet.
On the morning of
the wedding, similar rituals are performed at the
homes of both the bride and groom. During the gharoli
ceremony, female relatives bathe the groom while a bagh or cloth is
held over his head. The bride is then covered with the same cloth for her bath.
Finally, she is lifted up by her maternal uncle while red and white bangles,
chura, and wedding ornaments, kaliras are attached to her wrists.
As
the wedding party prepares to leave for the gurdwara,
the milin ritual takes place at the groom's home. A veil is tied
to the groom's forehead and a garland of currency notes is put around his neck
by his sisters. He then mounts a decorated black mare while his sisters-in-law
put collyrium in his eyes, symbolizing protection from evil.