Marathi Wedding Checklist: Rituals, Traditions & Customs for Marathi Marriage | Marathi Wedding
Updated: Dec 18, 2021
“Simple is beautiful” is the first word that comes from your mouth while seeing a Marathi wedding. Right? Specific rituals and customs such as SakharPuda, hassle-free and simple ceremonies like Halad Chadavane and a bride dressed in a different Navari - you can easily recognize these elements to a Maharashtrian wedding. If you’re searching for ways to plan a typical Maharashtrian wedding with the Maharashtrian wedding customs being performed energetically for yourself, let us assist with a quick guide to each wedding ceremony.
The starting of all the Maharashtrian wedding rituals is the Aaple Lagna that takes place with the guidance, role and support of every member of your family, as the familial bond is a strong thread in Marathi culture. Once you send out the Lagna Patrikas, here is how you can also assimilate them into your wedding plan.
If you are planning your wedding, you certainly require a Marathi wedding checklist that is accurate and precise. So here are all the Marathi wedding customs explained for you to deep dive into the beauty of this majestic culture.
What we will discuss today? Here is the list:
1. Pre Wedding Ceremonies
Lagnaach Bedior
SakharPuda
Muhurt Karane
The Wedding Invitation
Kelvan
Halad Chadavane
2. The Wedding Rituals
Ganpati Puja, Devdevak and Gaurihar Puja
Punyavachan & Seeman Puja
Antarpat
Sankalp
Kanyadaan
Lajahoma
Saptapadhi
Karmasamapti
3. Post-wedding rituals
Varat
Grihapravesh
Reception
4. Maharashtrian Wedding Outfits and Jewelry
5. Things to remember in Maharashtrian Wedding
If you have decided to marry in Marathi style? All you have to do is take a quick recap at some ideas to plan a beautiful Maharashtrian wedding right here.
Pre Wedding Ceremonies
This is the common set of pre-wedding ceremonies and rituals of Maharashtra which take place in a Marathi wedding chicklist:
Lagnaach Bedior
Before taking any further decisions the horoscope or Patrikas of the bride and groom are matched. This custom was more common before when all the Maharashtrian wedding rituals were arranged by the parents or elders of the bride and groom. The family priests then decide a perfect time and date for the wedding or the Maharashtrian wedding vidhi.
SakharPuda
SakharPuda is an official engagement ceremony or the Roka ceremony in a Marathi/Maharashtrian wedding, which is manifested by Sakhar or sweets. The groom’s mother put in Haldi-Kumkum on the bride’s forehead as blessings and gifts her saree, jewellery and SakharPuda or sweets. The mother of the bride applies the same rituals with the groom. After this, the couple exchanges engagement rings as a part of the wedding rituals of Maharashtra. This ceremony can be celebrated right away after the Maharashtrian wedding vidhi is picked or even during the pre-wedding period.
Muhurt Karane
After the Maharashtrian wedding vidhi is predetermined and the engagement is celebrated, the Maharashtrian wedding rituals start in full swing. The preparation for the wedding begins months before the D-day. Sushasanies or married women are invited by the bride’s mother. They begin making turmeric powder and Sandege (pulses and spice powder) in mortar and pestle to be used later in the wedding. Rolling of Papad is still another very important pre-wedding activity of Muhurt Karane. And then start shopping! The women then hold a Rukhvat by decorating gracefully and revealing bridal lehengas and sarees, jewellery, kitchen utensils, sweets and all types of bridal trousseau as a part of the wedding customs of Maharashtra.
The Wedding Invitation
The first invitation goes to Lord Ganesha for his blessings as an essential part of the Marathi wedding traditions. After that, the other invitation cards are sent out.
Kelvan
This is carried out a few days earlier to the wedding. Both the families perform a Puja to their Kuldevta or family divinity for blessings. This ceremony is normally then followed by meals amongst family and close relatives.
Halad Chadavane
The same married women from Muhurta Karane perform this Maharashtrian kind of Haldi. They put turmeric paste with mango leaves on the forehead, shoulders, hands and feets of the groom. This same paste is then taken to the bride and the same custom is carried out with the bride.
The Wedding Rituals
The Marathi wedding rituals are a blend of Pujas and vows. Some wedding rituals are the same as South Indian wedding traditions such as Saptapadhi and Kanyadaan; as long as there is some distinctiveness in some of the Maharashtrian wedding ceremonies too. Have a look:
Ganpati Puja, Devdevak and Gaurihar Puja
Just like other auspicious Maharashtrian occasions, the wedding day begins with the worship of Lord Ganesh. Ganpati Puja is carried out for a bright future for the couple. The family God Goddess is then invited at the wedding Mandap by Devdevak. In Gaurihar Puja, the bride, all dressed up in her wedding dress, worships the goddess Parvati for her prosperous life. The maternal uncle of the bride offers her some rice which she then provides to the Goddess.
Punyavachan & Seeman Puja
Bride go the wedding venue with her parents and her parents ask everyone to bless her on Punyavachan. In Seemant Puja, on the groom’s coming, the bride’s mother welcomes him with Aarti and sweets. She cleans the groom’s feet and applies Tilak on his forehead.
Antarpat
The groom enters the Mandap and sits on an elected wedding spot. The Antarpat or a curtain is hung in front of the groom limiting his vision of the bride who’d be sitting opposite to him.
Sankalp
Then the bride comes to the madap and the priest chants Mangalashtakas or holy vows with musicians. On an optimistic moment, the Antarpat is detached and the couple exchange jaimala. That’s when everyone showers them with Akshata or complete rice.
Kanyadaan
Bride’s father 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 customs to start, a holy fire is ignited and the bride provides grains to the fire chanting three mantras repeated by the groom. Then the next fourth mantra, but, is emitted silently only by the bride. After that, the bride’s parents worship the couple as avatars of Vishnu and Laxmi and the couple then tie a turmeric thread on each other’s hands. As a finishing touch, the groom ties the Mangalsutra around the bride’s neck and puts vermillion on her forehead.
Saptapadhi
Speaking out loud the seven wedding vows, the couple take seven rounds of holy fire while performing the Marathi marriage custom of Saptapadi.
Karmasamapti
The couple executes the Laxmi Puja and worships till the fire extinguishers. The groom then gives the new name. In the end, the brother of the bride teasingly twists the groom’s ear to remind him of his marital duties and the couple takes everyone’s blessings in the end.
Post-wedding rituals
Here are the usual Marathi marriage customs that take place post-wedding in a traditional Marathi wedding:
Varat
Varat in a Maharashtrian wedding generally means the farewell of the bride from her parent’s home to her new family. It’s normally a procession that follows the bride to her in-laws’ house. When the bride bids her goodbyes, the groom conveys the Parvati idol from Gaurihar puja.
Grihapravesh
The newlywed couple is greeted by the groom’s family. The mother of the groom performs Aarti and washes the couple’s feet with milk and water. The bride is then asked to push down a kalash of rice at the doorway and they both enter the house putting their right foot forward.
Reception
After completing all the Marathi wedding rituals the final celebration party is arranged. Here the bride and the groom are introduced to all the guests. The bride wears a saree that is gifted to her by the groom’s family and the groom wears an attire that the bride’s parents gift him.
Maharashtrian Wedding Outfits and Jewelry
The Groom:
A traditional Maharashtrian groom’s wedding attire is off-white, cream or fawn cotton Kurta paired with a white thin bordered Kanche or Dhoti. There is stylish red or gold colored stole that the groom swathes on his shoulders in style. For the head, there is a Pheta or turban or a white Gandhi-style hat.
The Bride:
A Maharashtrian bride put on the most colorful silk sarees with elegant gold borders. The saree is normally adorned in a classic Marathi Dhoti style. Some of the most famous color combinations are yellow, orange, purple and green. Normally, two types of sarees are worn in a Marathi wedding - six yards Paithani or nine yards Navari. As for jewellery, green glass bangles, Mangalsutra, Thusi or their customary necklace, Maharashtrian armlets and a moon-shaped bindi are the essential elements of Marathi bridal wear.
Both bride and groom wear a Mundavalya - a string of pearls attached to their headband.
Things to remember:
You should have a clear discussion with both the family priests regarding date and timings.
Some couples choose a complicated engagement on SakharPuda. It’s fully your choice. Just surely you don’t hurt any religious feelings or affront anyone in the family. Try to put forward your views without impeding the traditions as much as possible.
For Rukhwat, you can also choose for handmade baskets, handicrafts or creative packing with the trousseau. Add a little spunk to the traditional events
Be sure all the Puja Samagri described by the priest are available and present during the nuptials and other Marathi wedding rituals.
If you’re going for a destination wedding or a weekend wedding out of town, be sure you have everything you require for the rituals and ceremonies. Make backup plans in case of unavailability by consulting with your wedding planner.
If you’re planning to mix in traditional and modern wedding in your Maharashtrian marriage customs, take assistance from your wedding decorator to select a suitable theme.
Well Maharashtrian weddings are simple yet graceful; vibrant yet elegant. Marathi weddings have flavors of culture, traditions as well as fun and playfulness as seen in the Marathi wedding rituals in details above. Still, you can blend for your own Marathi wedding customs by blending traditional and modern values together. Go to an exotic location for your Marathi wedding and follow all the Marathi wedding rituals. Greeting your guests with creative return gifts without interrupting the conventional Maharashtrian marriage customs and rituals. Make your Lagnachya Katha the best-loved saga of your family and friends! Schedule a perfect Marathi wedding checklist to ensure your wedding is a super hit for all to remember!
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