Hindu weddings are elaborate and can last for days. The wedding ceremony can be broken in roughly three periods. The first part is the engagement period or the pre-wedding period.

The engagement is made official when the parents of the bride and groom make an official statement in front of the community elders. The pre-weddings arrangements are made at the homes of the bride and groom’s parents.

Around two weeks before the actual date of the wedding a puujaa (पूजा) is held. A puujaa (पूजा) is a religious ritual made to Hindu gods. For the wedding, a prayer is made to Ganesh (गणे). Ganesh (गणे) is the god who is known to remove obstacles from one’s life. Basically, a prayer is made so that the wedding goes without a hitch. Then a thread called a mauli (मौलि) is tied to the wrists of the groom and his parents. The thread symbolizes that the puujaa (पूजा) has taken place.

Then there’s the tilak (तिलक) ceremony. The tilak (तिलक) ceremony is where male relatives of the bride’s family smear some red powder of the forehead of the groom. The males relatives are usually the elder members of the bride’s family, such as the father of the bride, the eldest uncle of the bride, the eldest brother of the bride, etc. Depending on the region, sometimes a gift giving ceremony is held afterwards. This may be the time the bride’s family hands out gifts to the groom’s family. By doing this, the bride’s family obtains the favor of the groom’s family. In return the groom’s family promises to take care of the bride.

In America, the brides and the bridesmaids go get pedicures or facials before the wedding. In India, the bride gets to have her hands and arms painted before the wedding. Meenhadii (मेंहदी) is a form of henna painting applied to the palms of the hands and arms. The tips of the fingers are darkened and the designs on the the palms of the hands are intricate and varied. Meenhadii (मेंहदी) is removable, and it shouldn’t be confused with tattooing.

The next time I post, I’ll go over the second series of preparations for a Hindu wedding.