Indian weddings are known to be colorful, diverse, and full of ceremonies. Similarly, the Sikh wedding also stands out when it comes to wedding ceremonies and customs. So, if you are soon going to attend a Sikh ceremony, you must lookout for some of these fantastic customs that will double your fun at the wedding!
Thaka & Roka
Thaka and Roka are two critical ceremonies that take place before the engagement. Thaka is for the groom where the bride’s father goes to the groom’s house with gifts and extends his wholehearted support to the couple. Roka is for the bride where the groom’s family visits the bride with gifts to give their consent.
Shagan
Before the wedding, the bride’s family sends gifts to the groom’s family in well-decorated packages. These gifts usually include sweets, coconut, dry fruits, clothes for all close family members, etc.
Chunni Chadhana
This is also an important ceremony where the groom’s mother goes to the bride’s house with a wedding dress, jewelry, and make-up. These are the things that she wears on her wedding day. She also places a chunni or a headscarf on her head that signifies her acceptance in the family.
Karahi Chadhana
In the karahi chadhana ceremony, a wok or a karahi is placed in the kitchen five days before the wedding. All the food items are cooked in that be it sweet or savory. All the guests are served food from the same karahi for all five days.
Warna
Warna is another impressive ceremony at a Sikh wedding where any amount of currency is waved around the heads of the bride and groom. After that, the money is given to charity. It is done to remove any kind of evil energy around the bride and the groom.
Chuda & Kalire
Chuda is given by the maternal uncle of the bride before the wedding day. These are 21 bangles in colors white and red. They are put in rosewater and curd so that they are sanctified before the bride wears it on the wedding day. Once the bride wears the chuda, all the family members gather around her and tie small umbrella-shaped Metallica ornaments on her bangles.
Vatnaa
A paste with barley, mustard, and turmeric are made by the women in the house. Then, the bride and groom are asked to sit on a stool where the married women in the family go up to them and apply the paste on them. It is supposed to make your skin glow on the wedding day. This is a fun ceremony with a lot of music and dancing all around the house.
Mehendi
This is another fun ceremony that takes a few days before the wedding. During this ceremony, henna is applied to the hands and legs of the bride. Women in the family gather together on this occasion. They also get Mehendi on their hands. Women sing traditional Punjabi songs and dance around the bride.
Sehra Bandi
Sehra Bandi happens on the wedding day right before the groom’s team is ready to leave for the bride’s home. The father of the groom ties a turban around the groom’s head. His father also gives him a fake sword that he is supposed to carry throughout all the ceremonies. Then, the groom’s sister ties the sehra, which is like a curtain around the turban that covers the face of the groom. This sehra is made up of flowers or golden ribbons and sometimes even pearls.
Baraat
Traditionally, the groom used to go on a mare to the bride’s house. But now, most of them prefer a car. Friends and family accompany the groom to the bride’s house with a lot of Bhangra, music, fun, and frolic. Once the baraat reaches the bride’s house, they start with the wedding ceremonies.
These are the top ten ceremonies that you must look out for when you attend a Sikh wedding. Of course, there are many more ceremonies, so if you get a chance for a full immersion in Sikh culture, it would be totally worth attending their wedding ceremonies from the start till the end. They are really amazing!
