Situated in north western part of India the state of Rajasthan is famous for its reach culture and heritage. This is also known as the state of rajputana (Kshatriyas). The Rajput Rajasthani wedding ceremony is an occasion when the grand royal tradition and custom is experienced.
The formal rituals of Rajput Rajasthani wedding starts when the male family members of bride visit the groom’s family and the bride’s brother offers the sword to the groom after applying the tilak on his forehead. This is followed by Ganapati sthapana, Janew, Pithi Dastoor, Mahira Dastoor and Palla Dastoor etc. All these rituals take place before the marriage day.
On the day of marriage, the groom decorated in traditional Rajasthani wedding dress leads the barat party and reaches the marriage. It is normally the house of the bride. The marriage ceremony is held and then after vidai ceremony, both the newly married husband and wife reach the husband’s residence where the rituals of Grihaparvesh and Palelagni take place.
The various important features of Rajput Rajasthani wedding culture are as here below:
Wedding Outfit
You will find the contrast, bright and heavy colours in wedding outfits. The most popular colour is red, but you may find its variants in pink, orange or bright yellow. The heave embroidery is most done by hands. The Rajasthani bride is laden with attractive jewellery all over her body. A few of them are Rakhri, Timaniyaan, Chooda, Bajuband, Bichhiya, Nath etc.
The most important wedding dress is lehnga choli has originated from Rajasthan. The fabric is generally silk based and decorated with gems, stones, silken threads, motifs as well as excellent floral patterns. The best thing is that all these decorations are done with hands by the artisans. The other items worn by the women are saree, ghagra, odhni etc.
The Rajput Rajasthani grooms wear Achkan along with churidar and special shoes. The head is covered with turban (safa) and sehra.
Ghoonghat
The Rajasthani women always prefer to be in veil, the most commonly called ghoonghat. They feel pride in having it. This is not seen as oppression for women there. The veil is lifted by the women around the bride and the groom applies sindoor (red vermilion) on her forehead.
Sword an Essential Accessory
The Rajasthani groom always carries a sword with him when he goes for marriage. It is tied to his waist and a mark of valour and bravery. He is never less than a king on that special day. Like God he is worshipped and his aarti is performed when he reaches the marriage venue. The sword is carried by the groom all the times during marriage ceremony.
Effect of Modernisation
With the passes of time, many things have changed but you may still find the old flavour in Rajput Rajasthani wedding. Whether it is performed in Rajasthan or other part of country of world, the Rajasthani people preserve their rich heritage and culture. The effect of migration and mixing of cultures have not affected them to a great extent.
