Match-Making |
Foremost is the part
of matchmaking for the marriage alliance. Utmost care is taken in
this delicate matter so that the alliance is perfect. First, the
status of the families have to be at par, the Rajasthani clan must
be taken into consideration since the bride and the groom should
hail from separate clans. Then, the horoscopes have to be approved
and tallied by the family astrologer. Rajasthani's, as a rule, marry
only within the community. However, exceptions are made if royals
are involved.
|
Ceremonies |
Ganapati Sthapna
& Griha Shanti
Ceremony
However, there is no ring ceremony while Ganapati sthapana &
griha shanti is the second most important ceremony performed usually
a few days prior to the wedding. A havan is performed by the groom
or bride's parents to propitiate the gods and an idol of Lord
Ganapati is installed. All ceremonies commence only after the
sthapana (installation).
|
Pithi
Dastoor Ceremony
|
|
The
pithi dastoor is one of the first important ceremonies, which
involves the bride/groom and continues until the day of the
wedding. The actual ceremony consists of application of
turmeric and sandal wood paste to the bride/ groom who cannot
leave the house once the pithi starts. The pithi dastoor at
the bride's house is an elaborate affair. The bride dresses in
an orange poshak (Rajasthani dress) and is then brought under
a silken canopy, which is held with the help of swords at the
four corners by four ladies who must belong to the same clan
as the bride. She is brought to the ladies gathering, who then
apply the paste to her. A similar ceremony takes place at the
groom's as well, although it is not as elaborate.
|
Dholans
(women singers with dholak) sing auspicious prewedding songs
while the ceremony is in progress. Throughout the wedding
celebrations, the dholans are omnipresent, along with the
Shehnai and the nagara players, though the latter remain at
the courtyard or the garden.
|
Mehfils |
Mehfils are in
integral part of every Rajasthani wedding. Usually held in the
evenings, they are again segregated into the "ladies' mehfil"
and the "gents' mehfil". At the ladies' mehfil, all the
womenfolk gather at a central place in an enclosed courtyard or
hall. Dressed in dazzling dresses, they perform the ghoomar (a
special dance done in a group). The bride at the mehfil is given an
important position to sit and watch the proceedings. She may join
the dancing occasionally, but protocol demands that she should not
over indulge in the dancing. If the ladies' mehfil is in progress at
the groom's house, then only the groom is privileged to attend the
all women affair. Of course, the men have their own mehfil, where
singers perform and these are strictly all male parties.
|
Mahila
Dastoor |
The mahira dastoor
is yet another important ceremony, common to both the bride and the
groom's families. This ceremony is performed by the maternal uncle
of the groom/bride, who, along with his wife and family, arrives
with much fanfare, and is received by the bride/groom's mother with
the traditional welcome. The uncle then gives clothes, jewellery,
sweets etc., to the entire family. The ceremony signifies that since
at the time of a wedding there is considerable expenditure, it is
the duty of the brother to help his sister at her child's wedding.
|
Janev
Ceremony |
The
janev ceremony, where the sacred thread is given to the would
be groom on the eve of his becoming the house-holder, is interesting.
The janev is given only to men. The groom has to be dressed
in saffron robes like an ascetic and perform a havan before
wearing the thread. The significance of saffron robes is that
the groom now has two choices before him; either he renounces
the world and becomes an ascetic, or he accepts the institution
of marriage and its responsibilities.After the havan is completed
and the thread given,
|
|
the groom has to make a mock attempt
to run from the chains of marriage while the maternal uncle
must catch him and convince his nephew into accepting marriage.
|
Palla
Dastoor |
|
On
the day of the actual wedding, or maybe a day prior to it, the
palla dastoor is brought in by a few of the groom's relatives,
accompanied by family retainers, to the bride's house. The palla
dastoor consists of clothes, jewellery and gifts from the groom,
which the bride has to wear during the wedding ceremony. This
particular custom is typical to the Marwaris. The traditional
Rajasthani poshak or wedding dress is usually red in colour,
but it could also be orange, gold yellow, or pink. In certain
Marwari clans, a bright parrot green is also worn.
|
The jewellery
consists of the rakhri (a circular piece of jewellery for the
forehead), danglers for the ears, the timaniyaan (a choker studded
with uncut diamonds) the chooda (a set of ivory and gold bangles),
the bajuband or gold and stone-studded armlets, gold anklets
and the bichhiya or gold toe-rings for the feet, and the nath
or the stone-studded nose-ring.The jewellery has
its own significance: the rakhri, worn in the parting of the hair,
signifies that the bride must "walk on the straight path",
earrings remind her that she should not have weak ears and listen to
gossip, the necklace so that her head is always bowed down in
humility, bangles tell her that her hand must always go forward for
giving charity, anklets so that she puts the right foot forward and
the nosering, of which it is said that the pearl should not be
heavier than the nose, which means you should not spend more than
what your husband can afford.
|
The
Marwari Baraat |
A
Marwari baraat consists entirely of male members. The bridegroom
is usually dressed in a gold achkan, with an orange turban and
a churidar or jodhpurs with jootis. On the turban he wears a
serpech a piece of jewellery specially meant for the urban.
Around the neck he wears a necklace and around the waist he
ties a cummerband. Of course, variations in styles and colours
prevail. The baraat members also must wear achkans or sherwanis
with jodhpurs and safas colourful turbans.
|
|
The procession to
the bride's house looks rather regal as there is absolutely
no dancing on the streets by the baraatis. In fact, all members,
including the groom who rides an elephant or a horse, carry
swords. The horse is important for the Marwaris so even if he
comes on the elephant, at in style by the bride's family again,
only by the male members.
|
|