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Weddings in Assam, also called Biya, are often days-long ceremonies that begin with pre-wedding rituals, including the Juran Diya, Tel Diya, and Pani Tula. The wedding day itself is also made up of a series of traditions and customs as put down in the Hindu scriptures. Different communities also observe the traditions in line with their own regional beliefs, resulting in a wedding day unique to the state. On the wedding day, the bride’s family arrive at the venue first and receives the groom and his family. He arrives in full fanfare but is stopped from entering in a rather fun custom called the Dora Aaha ritual. Here, the girl’s side playfully demands money from the groom, and only then he will be allowed to marry the bride. After some haggling and negotiations, the groom pays the fee and the bride’s family cheers on. Then, the bride’s family joins in to welcome the groom. The bride’s mother performs an aarti, the bride’s sister washes the groom’s feet, and her brother carries the groom to the mandap so that his feet don’t touch the ground. Meanwhile, the bride is given panch – a mixed drink of milk, curd, honey, ghee, and sugar – that is considered auspicious. After this, she makes her grand entrance to the wedding stage on the shoulders of her uncles and brothers. The bride and groom then sit around a sacred fire as a priest chants prayers and conducts the ceremony. One of the first rituals is the Kanyadaan, where the father of the bride gives her away to the groom. The bride’s brother hands her puffed rice that she must place in the fire as an offering to the gods. The next ritual is the Saptapadi, where the bride and groom walk around the holy fire seven times. Each of these circles stands for a wedding vow they make to each other. The groom’s Cheleng is tied to the bride’s dupatta, and they both take turns to walk in front. The bride also steps on seven Paan or betel leaves with her right foot for good luck for seven lifetimes. The couple then asks for their elders’ blessings during the Aashirbaad and Maan Dhora part of the ceremony. After all the religious customs are observed, the couple gets to play some traditional wedding games called Khel Dhemali. A popular game is hiding the couple’s rings in a bowl of rings, and the first one to find it wins. After the fun and games comes the emotional Bidaai ceremony, where the bride leaves the wedding to go to her husband’s home. This is a tear-jerking moment as she bids goodbye to her parents and throws handfuls of rice over her shoulder as a way to repay them for raising her. When the couple get to the husband’s home, they are received with a lot of love and fanfare. They must perform a series of post-wedding rituals, including the Ghor Gosoka ritual, where the bride steps on a flat dish with milk and enter the home by breaking a Saaki, a clay lamp. After this, she heads back to her parent’s house, and the following day, the groom goes over for the Khuba Khubi ritual. The couple leaves together to go to their new home, where their bedroom is decorated with flowers by their family in a tradition called the Phool Soja.
An Assamese wedding focuses on the practical and religious commitment that a husband and wife make to each other. Many of the ceremonies reflect the Hindu idealogies on marriage as well as family and community.
For instance, in the ceremony of Kanyadaan, the bride is symbolically given away by her father to the groom. It represents the father's accepting the man as his daughter's rightful husband and the transfer of responsibility from the bride's family to the groom's family. This means that the groom must now take care of his wife’s physical and material needs.
On a more spiritual note, the sacred fire around which the ritual happens represents Agni, the fire god, in Hindu mythology.
Agni is considered a witness to the marriage vows exchanged by the bride and groom. He stands for purity and truth, so they circle the sacred fire seven times during the Saptapadi ritual to show that their vows are honest. The seven circles also stand for seven lifetimes since most Hindus believe in reincarnation and that when you marry a person, you are bound to their soul for seven lifetimes.
The vows said during the Saptapadi covers different aspects of the Vedic marriage. The vows range from promising to always do the right thing to supporting each other’s growth to include various values and aspirations. The couple also vow to stay loyal and devoted to each other, build a family, and navigate the ups and downs of life’s together.
The wedding look for an Assamese groom is a kurta and dhoti worn with a Cheleng, a traditional shawl draped around the neck. The Cheleng is made from Muga silk, one the state’s most coveted textiles. He may wear minimal jewellery such as a gold chain and rings.
The bride wears a Mekhela Chador, pronounced 'Mekhla Sador', a two-piece ensemble that is similar to a saree. It has a thick skirt with pleats in the front, called Mekhela, and an upper garment, Chador, that is tucked into the skirt and draped over the shoulder.
Traditionally, the bride ties a garment called Riha around her chest. Although, most modern brides prefer to wear a fitted blouse.
The Mekhela Chador is typically made from Muga, Pat, or Eri silk and embroidered with heavy gold and silver zari. While ivory or off-white colours are the traditional choice, the bridal ensemble can also come in pastel shades, reds, and greens. The designs in her outfit are often inspired by Assamese flora, fauna, and folklore, as well as local Jaapi and Gamosa motifs.
No Assamese bridal look is complete without beautiful gold jewellery. Traditional pieces include Jon Biri, a heavy gold chain with a large moon-shaped pendant encrusted with rubies, emeralds, or pearls. She can also wear a Dholbri necklace, a unique ornament wiith silk beaded threads and a drum-shaped kundan pendant. Some other necklace options are Golpata, a floral choker, Kerumoni, a long necklace with a round gem-laced pendant, and Loka Paro, a beaded necklace with pigeon-shaped pendants. The bride can pair these with gold chandbalis, jhumkas, or Thuria stud earrings.
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