Maharashtrian Wedding Rituals

Maharashtrian marriage is perhaps the most plain sailing and the least grandiose in the whole country. There are no unnecessary pre-wedding events that have no spiritual significance and the wedding rituals exhibit the core values of the Maharashtrian culture. Yet it is not to be mistaken as this drab and formal affair.  Marathi weddings are full of colors and fun rituals that are sure to spice the whole event.

A Marathi groom usually wears a dhoti and a simple kurta. The colors chosen for the attire are rich and deep pastel with creams and yellows. Mundavalyan is their traditional unisex accessory that is adorned by both bride and the groom.

Wedding Rituals

Halad Chadavane:This is the Maharashtrian version of the Haldi ceremony. In a Maharashtrian wedding ritual, mango leaves are immersed turmeric paste and then applied on the body of the bride. The same happens at the groom’s house. Close family members are invited to attend the event.

Ganpati Puja– The wedding day begins with worshipping Lord Ganesha and asking for his blessing for the couple’s future and that their lives are devoid of any obstacle.

Punyahvachan – The bride’s parents then accompany their daughter to ask everyone present at the venue to bless their daughter.

Devdevak – The family deity or Kul Devata is then invoked at the site where the wedding is to take place

The Seeman Puja – The groom and his family arrives at the wedding venue and the bride’s mother washes the groom’s feet, applies tilak on his forhead, does his arti and feeds him with sweets.

Gurihar Puja – The bride is decked up in traditional wedding attire, usually gifted to her by the maternal uncle, and she offers her worship to a silver idol of Goddess Parvati placed on a mound of rice. She offers some of the rice to the Goddess and asks for her blessing for a prosperous life.

The Antarpat ritual– The groom now appears at the mandap with his head covered by a traditional cap or turban; he wears the mundavalya and sits at his designated place on the mandap. A cloth is held in front of the groom preventing him to see the bride and this cloth is known as the Antarpat.

The Sankalp ritual - The priest chants the Mangalashtakas, or holy wedding vows. The bride is led to the mandap by her maternal uncle. The Antarpat is removed and the couple sees each other. They exchange the garlands and are showered with akshatas or unbroken rice

The Kanyadan ritual–The father of the bride then gives his daughter away to the groom along with his blessings for them to start a life of Dharma, Artha and Kama. The groom accepts his blessings and says he is receiving love in exchange of love, and that the bride is the Divine love that is showered from the Sky and received on Earth. The bride asks him to promise that he will love and respect her. The bride’s parents perform worship of the couple as avatars of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. The couple ties a piece of turmeric or halkund with a thread on each other’s hands and the ritual is known as Kankan bandhane. The groom then seals the ritual by placing the mangalsutra around her neck and applying vermillion on her center parting. The bride in return applies a sandalwood tilak on the groom’s forehead.

The Satapadhi ritual– The couple circumambulate around the sacred fire seven times saying out loud the seven ritualistic weddings vows.

The Karmasampati ritual– At the end of all wedding ritual the couple prays in front to the holy fire before it is extinguished. The father of the bride playfully twists the groom’s ear to remind him of his future duties. The couple gets up from the mandap and seeks blessings from all relatives present.

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