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Ganesh Puja
The Ganesh Puja is a vital ritual in every Hindu wedding, especially in Uttarakhand, where weddings span three to five days. This puja is performed either on the first day or on the day of the wedding to invoke Lord Ganesha’s blessings, ensuring a smooth and obstacle-free marriage. On the first day, an elder relative may conduct the puja at home, but only the priest performs it during the wedding ceremony. Known as ‘Ganesh me doob dharan’, the ritual purifies the space and prepares the families for the sacred union. In Uttarakhand, the Ganesh Puja precedes the Suwal Patai ceremony, where elders prepare three red pouches filled with turmeric, roli, supari, akshat, and coins. These are placed at the entrance, kitchen, and wedding meal area for protection. On this day, both families make Suwale (rice papadums) and sesame laddoos. Small idols of the bride's and groom's parents, symbolising the Samadhi and Samdhan, are created and exchanged in decorated baskets on the wedding day. At the wedding, the priest leads the Ganesh Puja on the mandap, invoking Lord Ganesha with mantras. Offerings of durva grass, coconuts, flowers, and sweets are made, followed by the Uttar Puja, bidding farewell to the deity.
Cultural Significance
The Ganesh Puja is not just a ritual but a reflection of the people's deep-rooted cultural values and religious customs. The Ganesh Puja purifies and cleanses the mandap, where the holy fire is placed for the pheras. It is believed to remove the evil eye and create a positive and sacred atmosphere for marriages in Uttarakhand.
Additionally, each item placed before Lord Ganesha's idol has deep meaning. For instance, sweets represent sweetness in the marriage, red blooms represent everlasting love, durva grass represents prosperity, and vermillion purifies the soul. Similarly, slamming the coconut is significant for shattering the ego before the Lord.
Fashioning Tradition
The bride may not be present during the Ganesh Puja but enters the mandap afterwards, dressed in traditional Uttarakhand attire. She typically wears a ghagri, an ankle-length skirt made from cotton, silk, or velvet, adorned with intricate embroidery. Paired with a matching choli (blouse), the outfit is often embellished with beadwork and mirrors. Some brides choose a red Banarasi silk saree with gold zari or zardozi embroidery. A crucial part of her ensemble is the Pichora or Rangwali, a red or saffron scarf decorated with red dots and traditional motifs like the Swastik, sun, and moon, symbolising energy, purity, and prosperity.
The groom usually wears a kurta-pyjama or kurta-dhoti, sometimes paired with a waistcoat or shawl. Modern grooms may opt for a sherwani, an embroidered long coat worn with churidar pants, along with a pagri (turban) adorned with a brooch called a kali.
Jewellery & Accessories
For the ceremony, the bride adorns herself in pahadi jewels like Nath, Guluband, Pahunchi, Kumaono Chupki, and Maangtikka. On the other hand, the bride mostly dresses in lighter attire and ornaments for the Ganesh Puja at home. She may wear dangling earrings called jhumkas or chandbalis and a gold or silver necklace like the traditional Guluband or Hasli. While few new-age brides opt for ornate Polki sets to wear at the Ganesh Puja, some prefer a simple gold chain and pendant with matching jhumkas, bangles, and a ring.
Grooms from Uttarakhand mostly wear understated gold or silver jewellery. The typical groom in Uttarakhand wears a chain, ring, and bracelet or Kada in gold or silver. On the wedding day, if the groom is wearing a richly embroidered Sherwani, he may opt for a multi-strand pearl mala. He may even wear an embroidered kamarbandh (waistband) embellished with stones and a decorative turban brooch called kali.
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