Rituals and Superstitions Attached to Bengali Weddings
A Bengali wedding is a beautiful affair. Despite its simplicity, it comes across as sheer poetry, than to the traditions and customs attached to it. Bengali matrimony is marked by various traditions, rituals as well as superstitions, which make it a class apart in comparison to other weddings around India. A Bengali wedding is an elaborate affair, marked by a number of rituals. Let us now throw light on all these rituals, without which any Bengali wedding seems incomplete:
Pre-wedding rituals:
Aai Budo Bhat: This is a kind of a farewell party for the bride, where the members of her family get together and feed her with her favorite food and delicacies, just a day before the wedding.
Holud Kota: It is similar to the haldi ceremony, where the ladies of the family apply turmeric paste on the body of the bride and groom.
Dodhi Mongol: In this ceremony, the ladies of the house adorn the bride’s hands with the traditional shakaha-pola bangles, which symbolize that she is a married woman now.
Wedding rituals:
Bor jatri: It is mainly the wedding procession of the groom, where all his relatives dress in their best attire and go to the bride’s house.
Bor boron: When the bor jatri reaches the bride’s place, usually the mother of the bride along with other members come out to welcome the groom and his family by showing the holy earthen lamp, sprinkling trefoil, and husked rice placed on a bamboo winnow (kula). Then they are served sweets and drinks.
Saat paak: When the ceremony commences, the bride encircles the groom sitting on a small wooden piri, carried by her brothers. Her face is covered with betel leaves .
Shubho drishti: After garlanding one another the bride and the groom are made to look at each other in front of all the assembled invitees. This exchange of loving glance is to initiate them to be together officially by the society.
Post wedding rituals:
Bou bhat and bou boron: On reaching her new house, the bride cooks a scrumptious meal for the groom and his relatives. This is followed by a lavish reception for all guests.
Superstitions:
There are a lot of superstitions as well which mark a Bengali wedding. A few of them are as follows:
Mothers of the bride and groom do not attend the wedding: the mothers of both the bride and the groom do not attend the main wedding ceremony as it is considered inauspicious.
Uludhoni: The ladies of the bride’s house make loud ululations, known as uludhoni throughout the wedding celebrations. It is believed that it wards off evil spirits.
Shubho Drishti: The bride only shows her face to the groom after exchanging the garlands. This in a way, makes sure that the wedding is solemnized.
Kal Ratri: Once the bride reaches the new home after the wedding, even then the couple is not allowed to spend the night together. This night is called kal ratri, or the black night.
It is all these unique rituals and superstitions which make Bengali weddings beautiful and unique in every right. So get set to enjoy the gala.
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