Odisha Pre-wedding Rituals

Odisha 9th largest state by area, also known as Orissa is a state of India. The Bay of Bengal touches it boundary. Oriya is the language spoken by the majority of the people of the state. The people in Orissa believe in simple living. It reflects in their lifestyle. A wedding is also a simple affair. People of Odisha consider wedding a joyous and it consists of many pre-wedding and post wedding rites and rituals. Here is a brief description of some of the most common pre-wedding rituals.

Nirbandh

It is also known as the engagement. It occurs at the bride's place. The fathers of both the bride and the groom take an oath that they will wed their children. The couple does not take part in this ritual.

Jayee anukolo

This ritual opens the door for other rituals to be conducted. The wedding invitation cards are distributed. In this ceremony first card sent to the famous Temple Puri and after that second card sent to the maternal uncle of the bride and groom.

Mangan

It is conducted one day prior to the wedding day. Seven married ladies apply turmeric paste on the hands and feet of the bride. Next she is given a holy bath. The people also bless the bride for a happy married life. The tradition is mainly performed for the beautification of the bride.

Jairagodo anukolo

This ritual marks the stoking of the fire after the bride is given her ceremonial bath.

Diya mangula puja

This is a religious ritual which is conducted in a goddess temple. Prayers are offered before the goddess to get the blessings of the Gods for a long and married life. In this ritual the wife of the barber plays a very important role. The female barber offers the bride's bangles, toe ring, sindura and sari to the Goddess.

Barajatri

The procession which starts from the groom's house for the bride's house is known as Barajatri. It consists of close relatives and friends. 

Baadua Pani Gadhua Custom

In the Baadua Pani Gadhua custom, the girl's side informs the bride that the baraat has come. Thereafter, arrangements are made for her holy bath. The bride is informed of the groom's arrival and then she takes another ceremonial bath called Baadua Pani Gadhua.

Manipuri Pre-Wedding Rituals

Manipur, which is also known as the ‘land of gems’, is one of the north-eastern states of India. This state is famous for unique customs and traditions. Weddings form an important part of the lives of the people of Manipur. The weddings are lively and colourful which makes it a grand affair similar to a festival. In certain tribes girls and boys get an opportunity to know each other before marriage. In certain tribes girls go to market to purchase goods. This gives the couple to know each other. Special kind of rules and customs are observed. Some of the most common rituals are described below.

Hinaba

This is the first step and the very first pre-wedding ritual. This ritual is a meeting. The groom’s parent visits the bride's house. Here the parents of both parties sit together and match the horoscope. If everything is found satisfactory the date of the next meeting is fixed otherwise the proposal stands cancel.

Yathang thanaga

This is the second stage of wedding. The bride parents visit the house of the groom. They inquire about the boy’s family background. If they are satisfied with the information then the alliance is finally fixed.

Waraipot puba

This is the third stage of wedding. In this ritual food items are brought by the grooms family to the bride's house. The food items mostly consists of traditional sweets and other dishes. This turns the occasion into a celebration.

Heijapot

This is the engagement ceremony where couple are formally engaged in the presence of both the families. The groom's family visit the house of the bride along with family members. On this occasion the close members of the bride are also present there. A priest is called to look after the proceedings. On this occasion the date of marriage is also declared by the priest.

Assamese Pre- wedding Rituals

An Assamese wedding is simple and yet very elegant. It is known as Biya because during the wedding the traditional 'biya naam' song is sung by the ladies. The wedding consists of Vedic tradition and rituals. An Assamese wedding also consists of pre wedding rituals. Here is a brief description of the most common pre wedding rituals.

Nau puruxor sarddho

In this ritual homage to the ancestors of both the bride and the groom is paid by their respective parents. This is done so that progress of wedding is hassle free and to get the blessing of the ancestors.

Daiyan Diya

This ritual is performed in the early morning of the wedding day. Curd is sent to the bride's house from the groom's place. The bride is supposed to eat the half part and the other part is returned to the groom. The groom eats the other half. The curd is a symbol of good luck.

Juran Diya

This is the most important pre wedding ritual. In this ritual the groom's mother along with some close relatives visits the bride place where she receives a very warm welcome from the bride's mother. The bride's mother greets her with with xhorai, a brass plate covered with a gamocha. The groom's mother gifts her wedding attire along with an odd number of clothes.

Tel Diya

This is the second most important pre wedding ritual. The groom's mother places a ring and betel on her daughter-in-laws hair parting. In addition to that she pours the oil she has brought with herself thrice. Next she applies vermillion on the bride's hair partition.

Pani Tola & Nuani

This ritual is performed on the wedding day at both the bride's and the groom's venue. Holy water is collected from a river or lake in a pot. After this both are made to bath with the holy water. After the pani tola both are prepared for the wedding ceremony.  

Arrival Of The Groom

This ritual is conducted for fun and can be observed on the wedding day. The groom is not given entry in the bride's house until he pays a price.

Arunachal Pradesh Pre-Wedding Rituals

In Arunachal Pradesh marriage plays a very important role in the society. A marriage is considered unrecognized if it takes place outside the prescribed rituals and rules of the community. Normally three types of marriage are practiced.
a)     Marriage by negotiation or service (Aaw long aaw)
b)  Marriage by elopement (Thok no ho chai)
c)  Marriage by kidnapping or capture (Aan sheio Aaw)

Ritual followed in Marriage by negotiation/ Practice

Negotiation

When the groom’s parents find a girl of their choice they hire a middleman(Chow-Pachaw) for marriage negotiation. The middleman finds his assistant who would help in the negotiation process. On an auspicious date they do to the bride’s home along with hopha (kind of token-some amount of sugar) and Baan Moya (a platter of flowers). They are kept before the bride’s parent.  The middleman conveys the message of the groom’s party. The bride’s family keep the decision secret till the second visit. If the bride’s parent are not ready for the alliance they have to return the hopha.

In the second visit the middleman along with his assistant visits the bride’s house. This time the decision of the parents are known. If the decision is a positive one a third hopha is placed in front of the bride’s parent and the date of engagement and marriage are fixed. The bride price is also negotiated. This is done to secure the future of the bride. Horoscopes are also matched. If something unfavourable come the marriage negotiation is cancelled.

Pong Pha-Engagement

The groom parent present the bride’s parent with a token (Pha) which contains 1. Pa heing(smoked fish) A fish lays a infinite number of eggs. The people think that the couple will be able to reproduce and in this way the family members would increase.  B) Khaw tom (cooked sticky rice which is neatly tied by leaves) The people believe that by giving sticky rice the love between the bride and groom will be evergreen and they would be together for the lifetime (sticky). C) Wan Khai (bowls filled by 5 or 7 eggs) This custom is performed to inform the celestial bodies like the sun, the moon and the stars about the marriage. It is prepared very carefully.

It is a custom that the groom’s party should have the same number of male members as there is in the bride’s party so that they can form a couple. In addition to that Pha( Smoke fish, sticky rice and egg bows) should be carried by unmarried girls. If a mistake is detected the groom’s side pay a fine of Rs. 140. The elders tie a scared thread around the wrists of both the groom and the bride.

When the engagement is complete the negotiator hands over another hopha (token amount) and a platter of flowers before the bride’s parent. He takes the permission to take the girl with him.

Desievite New Feature: Check it out

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These days technology is changing very rapidly. Desktops have changed into laptops. Soon laptops would be changed to tablets. These days you can also access internet on you mobile. That’s a great revolution.  You carry a mobile most of the time so internet is finger tips away.

You can also access DesiEvite on your mobile which has an Android operating system. DesiEvite provides you an App. It is small software which you can download with ease on you mobile. Once you install it you get an access to most of the features on your mobile. You would find this App on the DesiEvite homepage. Now DesiEvite is a few fingertips away.   

  

1-2-3 steps when sending e-card & e-invitation

Suppose your friend lives at some other place. You have to take a route which has lot of turns. For a couple of times he takes you to his home. Once he tells you that he is busy and you have to come on your own. Now you start and get lost. Suppose these roads have sign boards. You call your friend and ask for important junction. This time when you start you follow these signs boards and reach his home very easily.

Sending an invitation is a three step process. It includes selecting an invitation, personalizing it to your need and adding the guests. We have added a banner which shows you what are doing. It is same as the sign board. When you are executing the first step it would highlight “Select an occasion/Event”. Same is true with the remaining three steps. It increases understand ability and you would be never confused. 

    

New layout and design in e-invitation page

A house looks mess if it is not designed properly in the beginning. At the time of designing we also plan the layout of the house like door would be at a specific place, windows would be at some other place. When the house is completed it looks perfect.

We have separated the invitation from the other functionalities. Now you would see the whole invitation in half pane. The other halve would display the other functionalities like Guest response, editing an invitation and sharing photos of the event.  It gives a great look to our interface and increases readability.     

 Adding Indian wedding information in Blog

DesiEvite runs a blog service which is integrated in the portal. You would find a lot of wedding related blogs belonging to different culture. It is updated frequently every week. Please visit the page and find out more about the diverse culture of India. If you want to include a blog belonging to your area you can submit a request. We would love to post it.

 
 Visit Business directory search page

DesiEvite provides party services & business promotion facilities/option to all party services & business, who would like to promote their business on this popular social media platform. For this purpose it has made an online directory called Party Resources Directory. A user can got there and search information like wedding party hall, wedding items and gifts. In addition to that if a user wants to promote his business he can add an ad for free.  The search page works like the google or yahoo search engine. Please visit the page and take a look at this robust feature.

Latest designs in both e-card & e-invitation

We keep adding new designs to e-card & e-invitation categories. The categories which are constantly updated are birthday and wedding. Other categories are also updated on a regular basis so that the user has enough options to choose. We have also added sub-categories to the designs so that a user can find the design which suits his needs very easily.  You just have to keep visiting these categories. You can also submit a new design request if you need one.

Better user support

One of the goals behind running the site is to provide user with the upmost satisfaction. It should be a two way process. We invite the user to provide us the feedback so that we can improve. We give the feedback the highest priority.  We are constantly sending e-mails to know their view on the whole process. If it has not landed into your inbox, it would be there soon. We also invite them to provide us with the enhancements they would like to see. We have also added some of the requests from the users like, the user can import the contacts from the excel file.

Gmail Contact Importer

This functionality lets you import or transfer all your gmail conatcts to your guest list and if you have checked the other functionality “Add to address book” it gets added into DesiEvite address book. Next time when you return you have to open you address book and add guests to your invitation directly. It saves a lot of time and effort. For the time being it works with internet explorer only. You can concentrate on your invitation design and customization.  It is a nice feature to have and fall in love with.   

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Tripuri Wedding Culture

Tripura is a state in North East India. The Tripuri Tribes originated from Tripura and Bangladesh. Tripuri tribes belong to the famous Tibeto-Burmese tribal group. A tripuri wedding is very different from a regular wedding. The rituals followed by these people are also very distinct. Here is a bit of information about tripuri wedding culture.

Hamjwk Tubui Kaimani

A marriage broker plays a vital role in a tripuri matrimony. He is known as Raibai or Andra. The decision of marriage is the whole and sole of the parents. If the parents disagree the process ends here. The bride or the groom has no choice. They have to agree with the decision of the parents. This type of marriage always take place in the house of the bridegroom. If the girl is chosen by the groom parents the bride parents demand a sum of money and ornaments. It is a custom in tripura that the girls does not bring dowry to his husbands home. This custom makes tripura free from dowry system.

Koksurma

This is the preliminary proposal for marriage from one of the parties. If the proposal is accepted by both parties then they fix a date for a final settlement called Kokswhngmung. Raibai play a vital role in theses type of marriage. He fixes the brokerage in the koksurma.

Kokswhngmung

This is the process in which marriage is finalised. Both the parties commit to get their ward marriage. The guardian of both sides sit side by side in front of two pots of rice beer called bwtwk. A bell-metal plate containing some cotton, durba, copper coin, rice, soil etc. is put in front of them to perform the rituals of Dangdua, performed by each person three times. The would-be bride then comes before the assembled persons and bows before the elders. The dates and times, terms and conditions of the marriage, bearing of expenditure etc. are finalized in this kokswhnglaimung. It is a custom that the bride has to wash the hands of all the old people present on the occasion. In addition to that she has to bathe her would be parents.

Khum Phunukmung

Once the marriage is finalized the every family member of the village is called by invitation. The invitation is given orally by offering betel leaf, nut and flower etc. This ritual is started from the village head that is also known as Chokdori. Once the date is fixed for the matrimony the bride is brought to the groom house. She is welcomed with enthusiasm, and dangdua.

Ayajuk Invitation

A day before the marriage the bridegroom party invited Aya and two boys for carrying water by offering a betel.

Nagaland Wedding Traditions

Marriage in Nagaland is centred around many interesting beliefs, facts and principles that are rooted deep within the tribal people of the state. Marriage takes place in the Church. The date of marriage is fixed during the engagement. During courtship the boy and the girl and their respective parents has to live a clean and prayerful life.

There are two forms of marriage—one ceremonial, the other non-ceremonial. The ceremonial involves many rituals and many guests are there to witness the events. The non-ceremonial is a simple one. It involves taking the bride to the grooms house where she stays for a single day.

Naga weddings don't last for many hours. After the lunch buffet people tend to leave. Organising a Naga wedding is a huge operation taking months and months of planning.

There are some interesting rituals followed in a wedding. The couple decides to marry without the consent of the parents. They get married in the middle of the night. This remains a secret. In the morning when they see their daughter carrying the load of fire to the other house they come to know that their son or daughter has tied the nuptial knot. The groom's friends play a vital role in this type of marriage. With the help of his friends the groom brings the bride to his house.

Another rituals states that the young boy expresses his desire for marriage. He also informs his choice. The father of the boy sends a friend to the girl’s house to know the willingness of her parents. If the bride's parents agree for the matrimony the bridegroom's father puts the matter further to the test by strangling a fowl and watching the way in which it crosses its legs when dying. If the legs are placed in an inauspicious attitude, the match is immediately broken off. Otherwise the girl is informed of the favourable progress of negotiations. At this stage, she can exercise a power of veto, as if she dreams an inauspicious dream within the next three days, her suitor must search a bride elsewhere; if all goes favourably the wedding day is fixed.

This is a very interesting ritual. After the boy and the girl were engaged, they went on a trading expedition for twenty days. If the expedition was profitable, the marriage preparations were proceeded with, but if there was a loss (it was considered as inauspicious omen) the engagement was broken off.

Adivasi Pre-Wedding Rituals

Adivasi marriage system is very different from a general Indian marriage. There are some practices like winning of the bride by capture, purchase, service to the parent, elopement- negotiation which fascinates people. They want to know more about this type of marriage. Payment in various forms is made for bride price. Adult marriage is the usual practice. A marriage means a lot to Adivasi. Marriage is seen as a roadmap of prosperity and start of new life. Marriages in Adivasi are pure and sacred. All the customs are followed.

They are few people who play a vital role in matrimony. Raibaar is the middleman who mediates in initiating talk about marriage proposal to either family. He is known by both the families.  Majhi  is the headman of village.

Sar Sagun: Talk initiated by Raibaar to both the families.

Raibaar visits both the families and talks to both the families. If the bride side show interest in the alliance then they would inform the Raibaar to initiate the talk with the boy's family.

Orah duar njel: Visiting of parents and relatives to each other’s home

Once both the families agree for the alliance, they visit each other. During the visit they would examine the condition of living, status and other things but also check how the family members are and presenting themselves in front of other family members. For a fair judgement they take the relatives along them. Once they return home they discuss their observation and decide whether to go on with the proposal or not.

Horah chinah: Final decisions and conveyed by Raibaar.

Both the families convey their final decision to Raibaar. If it is negative, the process will end. If the decision is positive the parents will convey their decision to Majhi. He is the headman of village. The to be bride and groom are presented new clothes. This process is called Horah chinah.

Taka chal: Express decision to Manjhi and arrangement of marriage.

Both the families convey their decision to Majhi. The majhi would give a green signal for the marriage preparations. Taka Chal is the custom included with the process.  In this process groom’s family has to hand over meagre money to bride’s family.

Newta: Invitation to relatives and final preparation of marriage

Family members will be busy inviting their relatives, friends, near and dear once. But first invitation is always to the Majhi.

Parsi Pre-Wedding Ritual

India is one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world, with some of the most deeply religious societies and cultures. Religion still plays a central and definitive role in the life of many of its people. This stands true for marriages in India. The majority of Indians have their marriages planned by their parents. A parsi marriage is also planned by the parents and it is conducted with great eagerness and intensity.

Pre-Wedding Ritual

Rupia Peravanu ceremony

This is the unofficial engagement between both the families. Ladies from groom's family visit the bride's house and gift her silver coins and shagun. This ceremony is repeated at the groom's house as the bride's family visits them.

Groom Adravanu or Nam Padvun

Each party goes to other's party's home and present them presents of silver coins. This denotess that thay are ready for alliance. After the engagment is done the the bride takes the name of her husband, even if the marriage does not later occur. This engagment is often performed quickly after a marriage is arranged.

Mandav Saro

It is performed four days prior to the marriage ceremony by both the parties. Thursdays and Sunday are considered best for this custom. A flowerpot with a mango plant, planted in it is kept in the house.

Divo

Two lamps are lit, one in each of the homes of the marrying parties. Once again the ladies travel to the home of the other party and place a silver coin upon the lamp. It is at this occasion that formal gifts are exchanged. This includes the exchange of wedding rings.

Adarni

It is performed three days before the marriage. It is a ritual of gift exchanging. On this day the groom's family visits the bride's home to present her with all the gifts like clothes and jewellery. The bride can also visit the groom's place but the vice versa is not allowed. Later, all the guests are served a traditional meal of sev and dahi, boiled eggs and bananas.

Varadh Patra

It is a religious ceremony performed to honour the dead ancestors.

Supra nu Murat

This ritual is similar to the haldi ceremony organized in Hindus. The groom and the bride are applied turmeric paste by five married women.

Nahan 

The couple takes purifying bath after which they get ready for the wedding ceremony.

Buddhist Pre- Wedding Rituals

Buddhist Religion is known for its simplicity and the same is reflected in its wedding ceremony also. The Buddhist wedding does not even include any complex rituals. Buddhism does not compel a person to be married. Buddhism allows each individual the freedom to decide for himself all the issues pertaining to marriage. Buddhist marriage is very simple. It is based on faith and less on religion. It is a social affair. One more striking aspect of Buddhist wedding is that you won’t get any mandatory ritual. It is entirely up to the bride and the groom and their families to plan their wedding events in whatever way they want. Buddhists can marry anyone from any religion. They can even get married in courts or at Buddhist temples if they like.

Khachang

The parents or the boy choose his prospective bride. Once it is decided that the you want to marry this particular girl, a family friend would usually go to the girl's house. He would carry a bottle of whisky and a white silk scarf called khada to offer. It is meant to see whether they give a nod to the proposal. This type of visit is usually known as Khachang. When the bride's family show interest in this alliance both the families meet for horoscope matching.

Horoscope Matching

The first practice amongst Buddhists is horoscope matching. This custom has a lot of significance and is performed with great reverence. The matchmaking is usually done by taking the boy and the girl in confidence. After having matched the horoscopes of the prospective bride and groom, the boy's family, in consultation with the lama (priest), selects an auspicious day for putting forward the proposal for marriage.

Chessian Betrothal Ceremony

The family members of the bride and the groom come together for the execution of this ritual. At the time of this ceremony, the bride’s maternal uncle seats on an elevate platform while the priests carry out prayers and presents ‘madyan’ or a kind of holy drink to all. After that, the bride and the groom’s families fix on the date of wedding with the approval of an astrologer.

Nangchang or engagement Ceremony

In this ritual formal engagement takes place. The maternal uncles of both the sides play an important role in the ongoing marriage negotiations. On the boy's side, the mama and the siblings play important role. Whereas, the girl's side has the entire family, friends and the mama joining the occasion. The guests would bring Tsang and many kinds of meat to the girl's house. They gift rice and chicken especially to the girl's mother.  A propitious day is also decide for the girl's departure from her maiden house. The young couple mostly live together either in the girl's or the boy's house after the engagement.

Jain Pre-wedding Rituals

Jains celebrate their marriages with great enthusiasm.Jain weddings are simple and very traditional with a lot of rituals but They are not elaborate.The Jain people generally marry in their own communities so that children born out of this marriage are also Jain.A Jain marriage should be conducted by a Jain 'Pundit'.They think that marriage should be grand but there shouldn't be any wastage of time or money.

Marriage to the Jains is a declaration by the couple that they desire to be together for a lifetime. The speciality of a Jain wedding is, it considered to be incomplete without a grand proclamation

Though simple yet a Jain wedding has a number of pre-wedding, wedding and post wedding rituals. Let's get familiar with some of the Jain pre-wedding rituals.

Vagdana

In this ritual the parents show their intent to marry their son and daughter so they declare their wish publickly in the society.

Laghana Lekhan

It is the very first ritual of any Jain wedding and is held at the bride's house. A small puja is conducted at the bride’s home.An auspicious date and time for the wedding is decided by the priest. It is then sent to the groom's house.This function is usually attended by close relatives and friends.

Lagna Patrika Vachan

It is held at the groom's house. The lagan patrika vachan, sent from the bride’s home along with the time of the wedding is read out at the boy's house at some auspicious time. The groom then performs a Vinayakyatra puja.

Sagai or Engagement ceremony

It is held at the groom's house.The bride’s brother puts tikka on his forehead. He also gifts him a gold chain, a ring, clothes, coconut, sweets and money. There after, the groom seeks blessings from all the elders present.

Maha Mandap

This ritual takes place at both the bride's and the groom's place a day or two before marriage. Here, the priest performs all the religious rituals.

Barati

This ritual takes place on the arrival of the groom's procession at the girl's place on the day of the wedding.The bride’s brother and the groom apply tikka to each other and exchange coconuts, money, sweet and clothes.

Aarti

Married women welcome the groom from the bride's side and perform traditional aarti and sing mangal geet.

Gujarati Pre-Wedding Rituals

The Gujarati weddings are organised on a grand scale and their rituals are very colourful.It is full of various poojas and interesting traditional customs.The entire atmosphere is full of enthusiasm.

Sagai (engagement ceremony)

A typical Gujarati Wedding begins with Sagaii or engagement. It is actually the first formal approval of marriage in the Gujarati community. It is a traditional ceremony when would be bride arrives at would be groom’s place. The bride's father and four other male members applyes the vermilion mark on the forehead of the groom. This announces the acceptance of the alliance between the two families. The couple is blessed at this ceremony by both the families.

Mandap Muhurat

This ritual has a great significance. The parents of the couple seek the blessings of Mother Earth and ask permission to commence with the digging of the soil to erect the mandva or mandap. The families pray to Lord Ganesh the Hindu God who is believed to remove all obstacles and seek his divine blessing. The puja is performed by a priest in front of a sacred fire.

Griha Shanti

Any disturbance in the stars can cause harm or clashes in the marital relationship and the lives of the couple. The purpose of the puja is to bring peace among the stars.This is carried out in the respective home of the bride and the groom. In this ceremony both the families seek the blessings of all the nine planets and pray to remove all possible obstacles before the wedding.

Garba

Garba is the specialty of any Gujarati marriage ceremony. A marriage ceremony is incomplete without the Garba. This ceremony gives chance for both families to meet, greet and know each other well. Normally it is held a night before the wedding, it involves lots of dancing and bright colourful clothes. Dandiyas or special sticks are used for the dance and music is also played.

Pithi

It is performed individually at both the bride and groom houses. In this ritual turmeric paste which is considered auspicious and beautifying is applied on the bodies of the bride and groom houses. Close relatives and friends at their respective places are invited in this ceremony.

Mehndi

The bride normally celebrates the mehendi function with her female family members and friends. In this ritual henna is applied on the bride’s hands and feet.

Muslim wedding or Nikaah

Muslim wedding is an elaborated affair and it extends to a period of five days. The traditions and practices followed in the wedding ceremonies relate to the Muslim world. The people who get involved in these ceremonies have Islam as their faith. Muslim wedding is also known as Nikaah. The wedding can take place at any convenient time. The wedding venue can be the bride or groom`s house. The wedding venue can be a place that is convenient for both parties. Muslim culture all over the world is famous for inviting and welcoming guests. This gives them a chance to entertain them. Just as in any other Indian wedding, here too marriage ceremonies can be divided into pre-wedding, wedding and post-wedding celebrations. Here are some of the famous pre-wedding rituals followed in a Muslim wedding.

Mehndi Ceremony

The Mehndi ceremony is the most important ritual of Muslim wedding. It is held at the home of the bride. It can be held on the eve of marriage or a couple of days before marriage. The female relatives of the bride apply mehndi on her hands and feet. The bride wears simple clothes on the day. When this process is in progress the women gathered there sing traditional songs. According to custom the bride must not step out of the house for the next few days until her marriage.

Manjha Ceremony

In this ritual the bride wears yellow clothes and turmeric paste is applied all over her body. It is called Mayoon or Mayun or Ubtan or Manja. She is seated on a small square table. It is mandatory that a married friend will accompany the bride everywhere and at all times. After all the ritual associated with Manjha finishes the bride has to take a bath. This is a very lively process and includes a lot of singing.

Engagement or Mangni

As in every Indian marriage wedding rings are exchanged. After the exchange is done the bride and the groom commit to be life partner. After Mangni Islamic laws does not allow the marrying parties to have any kind of relationship. It is only after valid Nikah that they become legally husband and wife. If engagement is broken by any of the party, it does not affect the parties anyway. However, the parties prefer to return whatever they have got as gifts. The bride and the groom can't see each other before Nikah.

Mahr

This is a pre-marital custom in which the bride’s family welcomes the groom party. The bride’s sisters play pranks and slap the guests with flowers. 

January 14: One Day with three festivals associated with Sun

Makar Sankranti

The movement of the Sun from one zodiac sign into another is called Sankranti and as the Sun moves into the Capricorn zodiac known as Makar in Hindi, this occasion is named as Makar Sankranti in the Indian context. It is one of the few Hindu Indian festivals which are celebrated on a fixed date i.e. 14 January every year. It is regarded as the beginning of an auspicious phase in Indian culture. It is said as the holy phase of transition. This day marks the beginning of warmer and longer days compared to the nights. Sankranti marks the termination of winter season and beginning of a new harvest or spring season. This day also holds a historical and religious significance. As it is the festival of Sun God the festival also holds an eternal meaning to it. This day thus symbolizes the importance of the special relationship between father and son. This occasion also represents the end of 'negativities' Makar Sankranti is observed with great fanfare in different parts of India.

Lohri

Lohri is an extremely popular festival celebrated by the Punjabis and Haryanvis. Kids bring wood sticks from their grand parents and aunties and like a fire camp burnt these sticks in the night with people enjoying, dancing and playing around fire. Lohri is a festival dedicated to the end of the Winter season. Lohri is traditionally associated with the harvest of the rabi crops. Lohri is also seen as the beginning of a financial new year. Eating of til (sesame seeds) and rorhi is considered to be essential on Lohri day.

Pongal

It is one of the most popular festivals of South India. Pongal is traditionally dedicated to the Sun God. It coincides with the festival Makara Sankranthi celebrated throughout India as the winter harvest. Pongal in Tamil generally refers to festivity. Pongal means the "boiling over" of milk and rice. Tamils thank the Sun god for the good harvest and consecrate the first grain to him. Tamilians decorate their homes with banana and mango leaves and decorate floor with different patterns drawn using rice flour.

Desievite is a portal which is associated with e-invitation and e-cards industry from a long time. We have a nice collection of Makar Sankranti, Lohri,Pongal e-cards which depicts the celebration of these festivals. These cards have quotations printed on them. The process of sending e-cards is simple. You have to register with us and follow the verification process. Please visit and check it out these cool features.

Rajasthani Pre wedding rituals

Rajasthan is famous not only in India but all over the world for its magnificent weddings in luxurious palaces. The Rajasthani wedding happens to be the most lavish wedding in India. The Rajasthani marriage is celebrated in a royal style. The most auspicious time for a Rajasthani wedding is from May-July or November-February. The rituals and customs in such wedding can be categorized into the pre-wedding, wedding days and post-wedding customs. This article will provide you the features of pre wedding-day customs in Rajasthani wedding.

Tilak

This is the very first pre-wedding ritual conducted in a Rajasthani wedding. It is a male affair. Females are not allowed to attend this ritual. Only the father, brother and other male relatives of the bride's family attend this ceremony. The brother of the bride applies tilak on to the forehead of the groom. A sword, clothes, sweets etc. are given to the groom.

Sagai

In this Ceremony the Bride to be and the Groom to be exchange rings as part of the acceptance of each other. Both the families bless the couple. After sagai a feast is given to all the guests.

Ganapati Sthapana and Griha Shanti

It is one of the most important pre-wedding ritual. It is performed a few days prior to the wedding.An idol of the Lord Ganesha is brought home and installed. It is worshiped. All the wedding rituals would be performed only after the sthapana or installation.A havan is also conducted by either the groom or the bride's family. 

Pithi Dastoor

This is one of the most important pre-wedding ceremonies. It involves both the bride and the groom. This Custom involves the application of Turmeric/ Haldi paste on the hands and feet of the Bride/ Groom in their respective homes. The bride and the groom who cannot leave the house once the pithi starts.

Mahira Dastoor

In this ritual maternal uncles of both sides arrive at the homes of the bride and the groom, respectively. On their arrival, they are given attractive presents by the family members.

Janev

In this Ceremony, the Groom performs a Havan under the guidance of a priest. After that he wears a pious thread given by the priest.After wearing the scared thread the groom has to decide whether he will become an ascetic or getting married.The groom acts as to become ascetic but his maternal uncle stops him and convinces him to accept responsibilities of married life.

Palla Dastoor

In this ritual clothes, jewellery and gifts are send by the groom’s family for dressing the bride on the wedding day or prior to the wedding day. She has to wear the belongings on the wedding day.

Baraat

Only males members are allowed to take part in the Baraat. The groom has to ride an elephant or a horse and go to the bride's house. He has to carry a sword with him. He is accompanied by his male family members, relatives and friends.

Christian pre-wedding rituals

A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in an institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures and religions. A Christian marriage can take place anywhere. Christian weddings are usually conducted in a Church with much joy and celebrations. Christian Wedding is also an elaboration affair. In Christianity, marriages are considered the union between man and woman predestined by God. Christian Rituals are basically designed for a simple and social marriage. Participation of friends and family members of the bride and the bridegroom helps to add joy to the wedding celebrations. Christian wedding can be divided in terms of pre-wedding, wedding and post-wedding rituals. Pre-wedding rituals would be covered in this blog.

The Announcement or Engagement party

The first formal Christian Rituals is the engagement party. It is hosted by the bride’s parents. It is conducted in the presence of a priest. The couple exchanges engagement rings that have been blessed by the priest. The couple exchanges their thoughts and also shares their feeling with everyone. In the end there is a formal dinner or buffet lunch. A cocktail party can also be organised on this event.

Bridal shower

Bridal Shower is one of the major pre-wedding customs of a Christian Wedding. It is mainly a female get-together that is made lively by songs, dance and joyful game sessions. It is hosted by the bride's female friends. It is a fun-filled and entertaining informal hen party. There is an old tradition followed in this event. The bride serves a pink cake to all present. Uniqueness of the cake is that there is a thimble hidden inside this cake. It is believed that a girl who receives the piece of cake with a thimble will be the next to get married.

Bachelor's party or Stag Party

When the bridal shower is arranged at the bride's place bachelor party is arranged at the groom's place. It is hosted by the groom for his friends. It is organized a couple of days before the wedding where a groom is expected to enjoy his last evening as a bachelor. The close friends of the groom are invited. The purpose is to have fun and enjoyment.

Preparatory course

It is mandatory for the prospective bride and groom to attend a Marriage Preparatory Course. It could be a one day affair or it can extend to three days. The couple must fill a form declaring details of their lives and take an oath on the Holy Bible that they have not withheld any information and that they are aware of the duties. They must produce their baptism certificates.