Peep into a Sikh wedding

Well, have you ever visited a Sikh wedding, an Anand Karaj? If not in real life, you have surely watched “JAB WE MET”, the movie with Sikh backdrop. Have you noticed their colourful, cheerful and flamboyant wedding rituals? Not just the wedding rituals, but the outfits they wear during all the functions of the wedding reflect their liveliness. Let us get started to know a bit more about them:

The Pre-wedding rituals of a Sikh kick off with the ROKA/THAKA ceremony. This follows the SAGAI, MAIYA, then SANGEET, MEHENDI, GANA, VATNA, GHAROLI, KHARE CHARNA, CHOORA CHARANA, SEHRABANDI and GHODI CHADNA. The wedding rituals include MILNI and ANAND KARAJ. Post wedding rituals have DOLI, then DOLI DINNER, RECEPTION and PHERE PAUNA. However our main concern is not the wedding rituals, but the outfits of the people participating in a Sikh wedding. Sikh brides and grooms dress differently for each of the pre-wedding, wedding and post-wedding rituals. All the wedding rituals continue for about 3 to 4 days and for each day the bride and the groom don a new look.

The Sikh wedding functions are extremely traditional and grand. The invitees are normally dressed in traditional and beautiful clothes. The female folks generally wear vibrant salwar suits or these days the gorgeous anarkali kameez while male folks wear kurta pyjama or kurta churidar. As the Sikhs are very traditional, they are extremely sensitive about the outfits they wear. The grooms wear sherwani and pyjama or western suits. The elders of the family put pagdi or turban on groom’s head, before he leaves to get his bride and a female member ties sehra around the turban. Red or pink is the usual colour of the bridal wears of the Sikh brides. Salwar is most important dress of the Sikh brides, which is flattered by brilliantly embroidered heavy dupatta or chunni. As the trends have changed nowadays, the brides wear designer lehengas as well studded with stones and heavy embroidered work done.

The bride wears heavy jewelleries, which might be of diamond, gold or imitations. Earnings, anklets, necklace, mangtika and above all the chooda, which is given to her by her maternal uncle to wear on the wedding day, are the main components of a Sikh bride jewellery kit. Chooda is the combination of red and white bangles made up of either ivory or plastic, studded with beautiful stones. These bangles have to be worn by a Sikh bride for at least a year.

Beautiful designs of henna, on the mehendi night, are applied on hands and feet of bride. This is considered as auspicious and makes the bride appear exceptionally gorgeous. The mehendi designs really harmonize the bridal dress and the jewelleries. Make-up artist carry out bride’s makeup to enhance her beauty and give her the best look on the wedding day.

Matching clutches are carried by the Sikh brides, which complement the dress and her personality. Such clutches and purses are specially designed for brides, which can be selected as per the dress and design of the wedding day. In the recent days, clutches are in fashion for all female folks of the wedding.

If you notice, the style mantra for Sikh brides and grooms and all the other members in a Sikh wedding is simple yet graceful! In order to find all the fashionable wedding outfits and accessories, browse online. Do not forget to share your experience with us. Stay blessed, stay fashionable in the New Year.