Marathi Wedding Rituals & Program
In a traditional Marathi wedding, there are several pre-wedding and wedding rituals that are significant and hold cultural importance. Some of the main pre-wedding and wedding rituals in a Marathi wedding ceremony are:
Pre-wedding rituals:
Lagnaach Bedior
The horoscopes, or patrikas, of the bride and groom, are matched before any further proceedings. The family priests fix an auspicious time and date for the wedding or the Maharashtrian vidhi. This ritual was more prevalent earlier when the respective parents of the bride and groom arranged all the Maharashtrian wedding rituals.
Sakhar Puda
This is the official engagement ceremony, or the Roka ceremony, in Marathi/Maharashtrian weddings, signified by sakura, or sweets. The groom’s mother applies Haldi-Kumkum to the bride’s forehead as a blessing and gifts her with a saree, jewellery, Sakhar Puda, or sweets. The mother of the bride follows the same rituals for the groom. After this, the couple exchanges engagement rings as a part of the wedding rituals of Maharashtra. This ceremony can be celebrated immediately after the Maharashtrian wedding vidhi is picked or even during the pre-wedding period.
Muhurt Karane
After the wedding vidhi is fixed and the engagement is celebrated, the Maharashtrian wedding rituals begin in full swing. The preparation for the wedding starts months before the big day. The bride's mother invites suhasanies, or married women. They begin making turmeric powder and Sandege (pulses and spice powder) in a mortar and pestle to be used later in the wedding. Rolling of Papad is yet another significant pre-wedding activity of Muhurt Karane. And then starts the shopping! The women then hold a Rukhvat by decorating artistically and exhibiting bridal lehengas and sarees, jewellery, kitchen utensils, sweets, and all sorts of bridal trousseau as a part of the wedding rituals of Maharashtra.
Kelvan
This is performed a few days before the wedding. Both families perform a puja to their Kuldevta, or family deity, for blessings. Meals with family and close friends usually follow this ceremony.
Halad Chadavane
The same married women from Muhurta Karane perform this Maharashtrian version of Haldi. They apply turmeric paste with mango leaves to the groom's forehead, shoulders, hands, and feet. The paste is then taken to the bride, and the same ritual is performed with the bride.
Wedding rituals:
Ganpati Puja, Devdevak and Gurihar Puja
Like many other auspicious Maharashtrian occasions, the wedding day commences with the worship of Lord Ganesha. Ganpati Puja is performed to ensure a bright future for the couple. Devdevak follows up by inviting the family deity to the wedding mandap. In Gurihar Puja, the bride, all dressed up in her wedding attire, worships the goddess Parvati for her prosperous life. The bride's maternal uncle gives her some rice, which she then offers to the goddess.
Punyavachan and Seemanpuja
The bride’s parents take her to the wedding venue and ask everyone to bless their daughter on Punyavachan. In Seemanpuja, the bride’s mother receives him with Aarti and sweets upon the groom's arrival. She washes the groom’s feet and applies tilak to his forehead.
Antarpat
The groom enters the Mandap and sits on a designated wedding spot. The antarpat, or curtain, is hung in front of the groom, restricting his vision of the bride, who’d be sitting opposite him.
Sankalp
The bride then enters the Mandapa, and the priest chants Mangalashtakas, or sacred vows, accompanied by musicians. At an auspicious moment, the antarpat is removed, and the couple exchanges jai mala. That’s when everyone showers them with akshata, or whole rice.
Kanyadaan
The father of the bride gives away his daughter to the bridegroom with blessings. The groom promises to love and respect his wife forever.
Lajahoma
For the final Marathi marriage rituals to commence, a sacred fire is ignited, and the bride offers grains to the fire, chanting three mantras repeated by the groom. However, only the bride silently utters the fourth mantra. After that, the bride’s parents worship the couple as avatars of Vishnu and Laxmi, and the couple then tie a turmeric thread to each other’s hands. As a final touch, the groom ties the Mangalsutra around the bride’s neck and puts vermillion on her forehead.
Saptapadhi
After saying out loud the seven wedding vows, the couple encircles the holy fire seven times while performing the Marathi marriage ritual of Saptapadi.
Karmasamapti
The couple performs the Laxmi Pujan and worships until the fire goes out. The groom then gives the bride a new name. Finally, the bride's brother teasingly twists the groom’s ear to remind him of his marital duties, and the couple takes everyone’s blessings in the end.
These are some of the main pre-wedding and wedding rituals that are performed in a traditional Marathi wedding ceremony.