Nepali weddings are special for their long after marriage rituals that may extend to more than four days and many pre marriage rituals. These long rituals make Nepali marriages very unique and different forms others giving them a different stand in the world. These rituals start on the auspicious wedding day when bride’s friends and family perform the Nandi shradha and the famous Matrika poojam. In this worshipping and honouring of the ancestors are done. It is considered very good omen and is known to bring happiness to marriage and make marriage life blissful. Like many cultures Nepali weddings also worship their ancestors before any good work. It is considered very lucky and auspicious.
Groom and family is ready
The next in the Nepali wedding is the Baryatra or Janti. It is where the marriage processions. It marks the start of Nepali wedding in the groom’s side. Moreover this is just like Baraat in any other Indian wedding where there is loud, cheerful gathering with music of the groom’s side. Also sometimes a musical band accompanies them with some tacky Bollywood hits. Through the Janti the groom and his family and guests are carted to the wedding venue in traditional horse cart or a car. And like any other good work worshipping of gods is done before Janti as it is auspicious. Also the groom and his well-wishers are welcomed at the venue by the bride’s family open hearted. Also there is a ritual to walk around the groom’s family and the groom three times and they are welcomed by throwing flower petal and peeled rice or popped or Lawa-akshat in traditional language.
Welcoming of the groom and his relatives
After this welcome, aarti is done and tikaa is applied to the groom’s forehead. Then there is a traditional wooden seat waiting for the groom decorated with flowers and lightning sometimes in courtyard. This is also called pida. Then the groom is welcomed by the bride’s father by all respect and love and then food is served to the groom’s side guests.
The actual marriage ceremony begins with the ritual called Kanyadaan or Mahasankalpa. Here it is auspicious to seat the groom in the mandap facing east and a yellow cloth is then spread over the bride, the groom and anyone else participating in the Kanyadaan. After this there is a ritual where bride is given away with a kalash or pot that is full of water, mango leaves, gular, pipal, palash, camphor, arka, betel nuts, areca nuts, durva grass, sacred thread and other important things.
Godadhuwa ceremony
Then there is a ritual in Nepali wedding called godadhuwa ceremony where the bride and the groom’s feet are washed as they sit next to each other by bride’s relatives using the traditional copper bowl. After that the groom is given a conch shell filled with rice, grass, fruit, yoghurt, water and sandalwood and water. Also sometimes some of these are sprinkled on his head also. Then there is a ritual where the groom is fed honey, ghee and yoghurt mixture. Also it is a traditional for the person performing Kanyadaan to offer the groom a present to ward away the evils eye and hope for happy and blissful marriage. The gift here is usually a cow or money as the tradition says.
