Hemali AdhiyaIndian weddings are not just about vows. They’re week’s long festivities, and sometimes, they go even longer. Moreover, the bride gets to feel special any time between six months to one year of the wedding. There’s the feeling of the first Diwali, first Holi, first Karwa Chauth (the tradition when the wife fasts for her husband’s long and healthy life), and the like. But some Indian wedding traditions are simply beautiful, interesting, and even funny!
We go about following these traditions without investing much thought into the reason behind these Indian wedding traditions. Since Love Smitten is dedicated some days this month to the wedding season that’s set in India. Let’s take a look at some such interesting and funny Indian wedding traditions to kick in some fun!
Oh, and, we also came with a list of some super interesting places to conduct a destination wedding in India. Take a look at the list here.
Interesting & Fun Indian Wedding Traditions
Let’s begin with some fun traditions before we dig into some interesting ones.
1. Aeki-Beki (Fishing out the ring)
One of the popular Indian wedding traditions of Indian weddings is Aeki-Beki, a post-marriage ritual. People from the Gujarati community commonly practice this ritual during which relatives play a game with the bride and the groom. The outcome? They believe that whoever wins the game will have the more dominating personality in the relationship. Relatives prepare a large dilution of milk, water, and red color (used for prayers), with some rose petals floating on top of the large bowl. They then drop a ring and some coins in the mix.
The Bride and the groom get seven chances to fish out the ring. Whoever finds it for the most number of times wins the game, and hence is considered to possess a more dominating personality in their marriage. The game becomes pretty fun with the couple teasing one another under the water when no one can see. It’s fun in India because PDA is not well accepted in front of relatives before weddings.
2. Robbing and hiding the Groom’s shoes
Hands down, this is one of the most fun Indian wedding traditions because it involves money! (haha). This is a ritual between the groom and the bride’s sisters. No sooner does the groom enter the wedding than the bride’s sister’s eye and tactfully try to rob the groom’s shoes. At the end of the wedding, the groom has to give whatever amount of money his sister-in-laws demand in exchange for the shoes.
It’s not that easy, though. People on the groom’s side will try and hide the shoes from the bride’s sisters. So, the tradition involves a lot of chasing around, hiding, being vigilant, and of course, oodles of fun!
3. Chooda (The red bangles)
A tradition hailing from North India, especially Punjab, the bride wearing a Chooda is one of the sweetest things she does. Moreover, the red bangles look so appealing, that it is not just a tradition anymore but also a fashion trend. So, several other brides from different parts of India also enjoy wearing the Chooda.
Usually, the bride wears it a couple of days before the wedding, and it is usually hidden with a white cloth. It is then revealed only on the wedding day, and she continues to wear this for a period of time according to the family’s tradition and culture. Some women wear it for a month, some for fifteen days, some for three months, and some for six months. It is considered lucky for the bride to wear the Chooda since it is believed that wearing bangles on the wrist attracts positivity since the pulse is felt there.
Nowadays, Choodas come in several styles and patterns. Brides also engrave her and her husband’s name on it. The cost, of these Choodas ranges from being in about a few hundred to thousands!
4. Ponkhana- Pulling the groom’s nose
Take a look at this picture from my own wedding- my mom in full energy to pull my husband’s nose! He tried his best to save himself! (Haha)
Pulling the groom’s nose is one of those Indian wedding traditions wherein the groom and the bride’s mother get to enjoy a hearty laugh. I believe that it also ensures a very healthy and friendly relationship between the two, and it was one of the cutest things I got to witness at my wedding. The ritual takes place at the door, where the bride’s mother welcomes the groom with an Arti, and then pulls his nose. The groom on the other hand remains prepared for this act and tries to save himself from the nose pull.
People behind the groom also try to save him from the pull while the bride’s mother tries her best! It’s a mere fun tradition that begins the wedding rituals on a happy note. The intent behind this tradition is to remind the groom that he has come to the bride’s house to take her as his wife and that he should remain humble and grateful about it. Pretty cool, right?
5. Kaleerein
Women who wear Choodas also tie some gold and shiny dangling ornaments on the wedding day. While it looks beautiful, it also has some fun and significance assigned to it. The bride shakes her hands over the heads of unmarried girls at the wedding (close relatives and friends). If pieces of the ornaments fall on anyone’s head, people believe that person would get married next. The ritual kicks in a lot of enthusiasm because there’s huge guesswork on who will get married next and they also get to tease the girls on whom the Kaleerein falls. Of course, this is also one of those Indian wedding traditions that belong to Punjab.
6. The Earthern Pots Test
Even though this is one of those traditions that now probably exists only in the rural areas, it is still worth mentioning. The Earthern pots test is a ritual practiced by the people of Bihar in which the mother-in-law tests the daughter-in-law by placing some earthen pots on her head. The bride then has to touch the feet of the elders to seek blessings. They believe that if she can do it without the pots falling and breaking, she will be able to balance the responsibilities of the house very well.
It’s just a tradition with some beliefs associated with people of the past. The times have changed now and many of these Indian wedding traditions are now a source of entertainment for everyone than putting the bride or groom through tests. Balance the pots and responsibilities at home don’t have a direct connection, but then it’s how the ancestors believed it would be since women in those days were confined only within responsibilities of caring for the house and family. Now she does that and goes out to work!
7. Unknot the string
People of the Sikh families play this game as they welcome the bride into their home and family. They surround around the newlyweds and hand them a string with several knots in it. The bride and the groom then have to untie those knots using only one of their hands (each). It is one of those Indian wedding traditions that want to understand the tuning and compatibility between the couple.
8. A flower veil for the groom
Even the groom needs a lot of protection from the evil eye, isn’t it? Therefore, the groom protects his face with a veil of flowers so people do not see him directly. Relatives believe that in this manner, the groom is safe from the vision of people who want ill things for the groom.
9. Baraat
If you’re an Indian reading this article, then you’re already dancing on reading the word Baraat. if you’re not an Indian, then make friends with one, and ensure you attend the groom’s Baraat. There’s nothing more fun than being a part of one’s Baraat. Even with the changing times, this is one of those Indian wedding traditions that will never phase out and still feels as fun as ever.
The groom, who usually sits on a horse, and their relatives, walk to the wedding venue when they’re a little away from the location. (Earlier, people would walk the entire distance.) But they’re not alone! They’re accompanied by a band who play the best of the Indian wedding songs and people dance to it like there’s no tomorrow. It’s an expression of the happiness that the family feels for the groom. There’s no shyness and no awkwardness; the world could stand and watch, but there’s no stopping somebody who’s dancing in a Baraat!
This procession is then welcomed by the bride’s family who waits by the door with flower garlands. They not just welcome the groom and their dancing relatives, but these days also join them in a dance or two sharing a bit of their utmost happiness!
10. The color of the Mehendi
Applying Mehendi (henna) at an Indian wedding is a must. Not just the bride but also the relatives attending the wedding ensure they all have Mehendi on for the big day. Indian weddings are all about colors and vibrance, and we cannot do without some color on our hands either. But one of the Indian wedding traditions also includes seeing how bright the Mehendi’s color is on the bride’s hands. People believe that the brighter the color, the more the husband loves/will love her.
The environment becomes a fun one with everyone teasing the bride throughout the process of applying the Mehendi and when they see the color. It is also a tradition to write the groom’s name somewhere in the Mehendi, which then younger siblings challenge the groom the find! When the groom successfully finds his name at the wedding, people cheer for their love, uplifting the entire mood of the wedding altogether.
Say, are there any Indian wedding traditions we missed covering? I’m sure there are! The so many states, cultures, and belief systems in the country make for several such rituals. Several of them are still very unheard of. Why don’t you let us know in the comments below?
Share this article with your gang and also with those who’re all set to tie the knot in the coming time so they can also plan some of these fun rituals to follow at their wedding. Subscribe to Love Smitten so we can personally notify you when we publish something as cool as this article!
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