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.