A Traditional Bengali Wedding

The Wedding :

The special thing to be noted about the ceremony is the mothers of the bride and the groom do not come for the ceremony as it is supposed to protect the newly weds from the ‘evil eye’. Conch shells are blown to welcome the groom and his group when they arrive. Then the mistress of the house comes with the baran dala and touches the plate to the groom’s forehead and then to the ground and back to the forehead again. After this procedure the groom is offered sweets and sherbets. Water is poured on the doorstep as the groom enters the house.

Then the purohit comes with an idol of Bhagwan Narayanan. Then comes the bride and after mala badal (exchange of garlands) when the purohit starts chanting the mantras, the bride’s paternal/maternal uncle gives her away in sampradhan. Then comes saptapadi, agni sakshi and a host of other rituals.

After the marriage ceremony is over, the married couple are brought inside the house. This is generally fun especially when those present tease the newly married couple.

• Bashi Biye: This ceremony involves the worship of the Sun God in the presence of the purohit.
  

• Bidaai: This is the ceremony where the bride takes leave of her parents. The bride’s veil is tied in a knot with the groom’s shawl. They seek the blessings of the elders and they start for the groom’s house.
  

• Bou Baran: As soon as the newly weds come to the groom’s house, a flat metal plate containing a mixture of lac dye and milk is brought out by an elder woman of the house. The elder brother’s wife holds the plate under the bride’s feet and the latter dips her feet into it and walks inside the house. Till the bou bhat ceremony the bride does not eat anything in her in-laws house.
  

• Bou Bhat: Food is served to the bride the next morning after the wedding ceremony.
  

• Phool Sajja: This is the wedding night.
  

• Dira Gaman: A few days after the wedding, the newly weds come to the bride’s house where the thread which has been tied to the bride’s wrist is cut.