Celebrating Love and Tradition: A Journey Through Gujarati Marriage Rituals

• Gujarati Matrimony
• January 1, 1970

Gujarati Marriage Rituals are a unique blend of rich Gujarati culture and traditions. It is a long process and might take a span of several days. Gujarati community is one of the vast communities of India. They have a rich culture and a remarkable history. Similarly, their wedding ceremonies are a symbol of their great culture. Gujarati Marriage Rituals are a mixture of traditional practices and family customs. Each ceremony is filled with symbolism and blessings for the couple's future. Let's explore these rituals in detail.

A Fascinating Insight of Gujarati Marriage Rituals

Roka Ceremony

Roka is the first ritual in the Gujarati Marriage Rituals. This ritual signifies the official agreement of both the families for marriage. These Gujarati Wedding Rituals denote the start of wedding preparations. The families exchange gifts and give blessings to the couple. This ritual often includes the exchange of rings between the couple.

Chandlo Matli

'Chandlo' Matli is an important Gujarati Marriage Rituals. This ritual is celebrated particularly in the Saurashtra and Kathiyawad regions of Gujarat. It is a symbolic gesture that takes place before the wedding ceremony. 'Chandlo' refers to a red mark that is made of sindoor. This is applied on the forehead. It symbolizes the acceptance of the bride in the groom's family. The Matli is a small vessel which contains gifts from the groom's family. Such as, sweets, coconuts, fruits and sometimes 'paan'.

Gol Dhana

'Gol Dhana' is one of the most popular Gujarati Wedding Rituals. It is often celebrated before the wedding or during the engagement ceremony. It is an important occasion often filled with blessings and joy. Gol Dhana' refers to sweet sesame seeds. In this the bride's family sends sweet treats, rice, wheat, and lentils to the groom’s family. The groom's family in return gifts clothes, jewelry and accessories to the bride. These Gujarati Wedding Rituals are important because it integrates communication and bonding between the two families.

Mameru

In this ceremony, before the wedding, a day or two, the maternal uncle of the bride visits the bride's house with sweets, gifts and clothing for her. 
Sagai (Engagement)

The Sagai is one of the auspicious Gujarati Wedding Rituals in the list. This is a former engagement ceremony. In this both the families come together and the couple exchanges rings as a preceding engagement ceremony. The family gives blessings to the couple. 

Antarpaat Ceremony

A white color cloth is held between bride and groom. Preventing them from seeing each other. This cloth acts as a shield to protect them from any of the wordly pleasures which may come between them throughout their marital life.  This is one of the alluring Gujarati Marriage Rituals. Antarpaat is removed after finishing the chanting of the mantras. The bride and groom gets first glimpse of each other. This one of the most beautiful Gujarati Wedding Rituals because it emphasizes on creating a deeper connection between the bride and the groom. Beyond the physical union.

Kanyadaan

This ritual signifies the giving away of the bride by the parents of the bride. During the wedding, the bride's father (or a close male relative if the father is unavailable) comes forward and places his daughter's hands into the groom’s hands. This is a gesture that signifies "giving away" of the bride. During this process the priest chants specific mantras. The groom accepts responsibility of taking care of the bride for rest of his life. This ritual is one of the most emotional Gujrati Wedding Rituals. It fills with emotions, nostalgia, and a sense of sadness as the bride has to leave her maternal home forever. After this Gujarati Ritual, other ceremonies take place, like jaimala followed by bidaai.

Conclusion

Gujarati Marriage Rituals are full of culture, joy, customs and traditions. The time taken for the overall Gujarati Marriage Rituals may take several days. It is a very long process. From the first ceremony of roka, till the bidaai, both the families have lots of emotions in their heart. They are filled with excitement, joy, blessings for the couple, nostalgia and a feeling of sorrow in the heart of bride's parents. Because as per Indian culture the bride has to leave her maternal home after the wedding. In the Gujarati Marriage Rituals, these customs not only celebrate the couple’s new journey together but also uphold the values of respect, trust, and familial unity.