Tibet Post Wedding Rituals

In Tibet, a new couple is not allowed to leave their home for three whole days—a test for both of them as to the strength of the marriage. If they persist, then Tibetans believe that their marriage will last forever.

The bride leaves her family’s house with her face covered by a cloth. She remains that way until she arrives at her husband’s house (often his parents house). Sometimes a man with a sword is presents a the husband's house. He is there to keep evil spirits away.

After the wedding ceremony, the newly married couple went immediately to the bridal chamber, where they both climbed into the bridal bed. Some ancient newlyweds shared honey and wine served from two glasses linked together with red thread, sipping first before exchanging glasses to finish the wine.

The bridal chamber remained open to all visitors during the entire wedding day and sometimes this open visitation lasted as long as three days. No doubt, a great deal of good-natured but humorous people came at this part of the extended wedding festival. The guest put khatas on the bride, groom. The khatas are very heavy by nature. In addition to that they also give the gifts to the couple.

After the bride arrives a second feast is held. A priest conducts another ritual. This time he informs the village and the family gods that a new person has entered the husband’s house and asks for their blessing. Everyone prays and gifts of silk are given to the couple and all the guests. After this is done the couple is considered husband and wife.

The formal wedding ceremony and arrival at the bridal chamber were followed by a very formal wedding banquet, called 'joyful wine.' During this feast, which recognized publicly the union of the bride and groom, as many courses as the groom's family could afford were served to one and all. It was not unusual for both the bride's and the groom's families to host several such feasts in the days immediately following the wedding. Proper wedding protocol meant all the men dined together and all the women did the same, although there was no mixing between the genders.

Bangladeshi Post Wedding Rituals

The post wedding rituals is a grand affair and consists of many rituals. These rituals add a great charm in the post wedding ceremony. This ceremony is characterized by huge arrangements and gathering. Here is a brief description of the post wedding rituals you would find in a Bangladeshi wedding. All these rituals are organised at the groom’s house.

Vidaai ceremony

This is the most important post wedding ritual. In this ritual the bride comes out from the wedding venue and proceeds for the groom’s house. Before uniting with the groom the bride offers rice to her mother which signifies that all the debts are nullified at her parent’s house. Next she leaves for the groom house. This is the end of wedding rituals.

Bouboron

The bride receives a grand welcome at the groom’s house. Before entering in the house she dips her feet into a solution called aalta. After dipping she starts walking towards the groom house. She also leaves the marks of her hand prints on the wall. After that she is offered the first meal of the bride in the groom’s house.


Reception Party or Bou Bhaat

It is held after two days of the wedding. In this ritual the groom relatives and friends get a chance to meet the bride. The function is an encapsulation of entertainment  fashionable attire and food. The guest offers the bride clothes, sweetmeats, jewellery. It is organised in the evenings.

Phool Sajja

In this ritual the bride gets dressed in the new clothes. In addition to that she also wears the jewellery given by her parents.

Oshto Mongola

It is conducted after eight days. In this ritual the groom visits the bride house and stays there for three days. A feast is organised in the house amongst the family members only. The wedding knot is also separated on this occasion.

Theses ceremonies are the representation of the bangaladeshi culture which is much enriched. In addition to that it also represents the traditional customs which are still carried out today in an altered format.

Veeragase dance: An aggressive and vigorus dance difficult to perfect

Veeragase is a mythological, vigorus, aggressive and an ancient folk dance. It is only found in Karnataka and it is very popular here. Veeragase is the name of the garment worn by a soldier when he is at war. Veeragase was a geart warrior who was created by the sweat of Lord Shiva. Mythological stories state that when Lord Shiva got angry by the news of death of her wife Sati he got angry and started dacing Tandav a dance form and a drop of sweat fell on the earth and created Veeragase. He was a geart warrior.This dance form is realted to Hindhu community. It got it foundation from the dance named “Veerabhadra Kunita”. A visible difference between these two dances is that “Veerabhadra Kunita” is a solo dance and Veeragase is performed with two to six members. It is mandatory that the number of dancers should be even. Another important fact is that it is performed by a community names the Veerashaivas. They are the worshippers of Lord Shiva and Veerabhadra. This dance is also performed to praise the Hindu gods.

The dance is performed in open. The dancers are taken to the procession spot directly. There they are divided into pairs. There is a narrator who narrates the story of Daksha yajna. The dancers perform the requisite steps on the tune of the music provided by the traditional instruments.

The dancer wears a red shirt, red dhoti, a waist band, a garland of Rudra around the neck, anklets and knee bands. He also wears a wig. He has a sword in this right hand. A knife can be seen in the left hand.He also applys makeup on his face. He paints his eye brows in red. He applies Vibhuti and Kumkum on his forhead. He wears a metallic chestband.Sometimes the dancer wears a handgear in his head. The dancer pierces a neddle across the mouth.

The instruments used for this dance form is sambal, dimmu, Cymbals and shehnai.

This dance form is hard to perfect. The performer is not allowed to eat anything on the day of the performance. Second the performance lasts for four hours. Third the performance requires aggressive footworks and intense expression.

The dance is performed on occasions that are of importance to the community as also familial celebrations. The dance is performed in two ways: religious and non-religious. In traditional religious Veeragasedance, females do not participate while they actively participate in non-religious stage performances of the same.

Ghambira: A devotional folk dance raises social issues of the society

Ghambira is a devotional folk dance which is very popular in West Bengal.It is performed during Chadak festival in the month of March-April. It is known as a devotional folk dance because it is performed to worship Goddess Shakti. It is known as Ghambira because it is performed at the hall of dance of Chandi Mandir and is called as Gambhira. This people believe that this hall has been constructed as an exbhition area. This art is a mixture of dance, music, songs and dialogue which transforms it into a folk play.

There are only two dancers who perfrom this dance. One of them is called the Nana (maternal grandfather) and the other is known as Nati (grandson). Both of them use dailouges to express their feelings and show their role in the society in financial and physical aspects. The dialogue can be in the form of prose or verse. This dance is also known as narrative Ghambira. When the chorus repeats the two actors dance on the music.

Another kind of Ghambira which focuses on God and Goddess is known as primary Ghambira. This is used to worship Lord Shiva and Parvati (also known as Goddess Shakti).

The instruments used for this dance includes the harmonica, flute and drum, with the one of the performers (nati) wears strings of bells around his ankles.

The songs sung during the performance are known as Ghambira songs whose name is similar to the dance. The song is accompanied by a chorus. The singers are standing in the backstage.
The costumes wore in the performance are very simple. Both of performers wear lungi. The gray-bearded grandfather wears a mathal i.e.straw hat on his head and holds a stick in his hand. Whereas, the grandson wears a torn jersey and has a gamchha, a local checked towel that is tied round his waist.

The culture of state of West Bengal has is influenced a lot by the folk dances. These folk dances represent the beautiful culture, colourfulness and festivity.  It is not popular now a day but it is still performed in the Rajshahi region of this state.

Dollu Kunitha: A group dance of Karnataka

Dollu Kunitha is the most popular and a famous dance of Karnataka.It is performed mainly by men and women of the Kuruba community of Nothern Karnataka. It is performed in order to please the God Beereshwara or Beeralingeswara. Dollu is actually a drum like instrument which is used for music. There are several stories attached to this dance form. These stories involve God Shiva. It is performed at holy places.  The theme for this dance is based on 'Halumatha (Kuruba) Purana' which is passed from generation to generation in oral form.

It is drum dance. The group consists of twelve to sixteen dancers. There is a leader in the center who controls the actions of the perfromers.The dance consists of quick movements and synchronized group formations. Dollu can be found hanging around the neck of the dancer during the dancer performance so it requires that the dancer should be physically strong.

These instruments used are trumpets, gong and flute. This dance is also accompanied by singing a distinct class of songs-Dollu Songs/Drum Songs.

The costume wore during the performance are very simple. Upper part of the body of a male is usually left bare while a black sheet rug is ties on the lower body over the dhoti or sarong. The ladies wear sarees in the traditional style. They tie their hair in circular fashion and attach leaves in it. They also tie white cloth in both arms. The clothes are the reflection of their ancient culture which is still alive in thie dance.

No religious performance of a ritualistic ceremony or any village can take place without this dance. It is used to welcome the harvest season. It can be arranged to commemorate a wedding, the birth of a child or even a burial or a funeral.This dance is not conducted for entertainment but it is conducted for well being of the spectator’s i.e it has a spiritual aspect also.

Bhavai: A dance of balancing pictchers on the head

Bhavai is an ancient dance genre which is very popular in the state of Rajasthan. People believe that this dance originated in the state of Gujarat but very soon the Rajasthani people acquired the mastery on this dance form. Latter it became a part of the state’s culture. This folk dance is supported by many communities. They are Jat, Bhil, Raigar, Meena, Kumhar, and Kalbelia. Kalbelia communites are snake charmers and they have extraordinary skill for this dance.

The women take part in this dance. During the performance 8 to 9 pitchers are placed on their heads. They have to balance these pitchers while dancing. They can swing their arms or they can beat the floor with their feet. In addition to that they can also walk on the naked sword or they can walk on the brass plate. The spectators are so amazed by the performance that they start bitting their nails. In this state the women fetch water from long distances. They carry the picters on their heads. Through this constant process they inherit the act of balancing the picthers on their head.

The men are responsible for singing the traditional songs and playing the instruments.The instruments used during the performance are dholak, manjeera, pahkwaja, sarangi and the bhungal.

The dancers dress themselves in colourful Rajasthani dresses, making the dance more attractive.

Only skilled dancer can perform the breath taking and nail bitting stunts because it requires a lot of practice and perfection. These dances are very fast, energetic, imaginative and reflect day to day life.

This dance is performed on festive occasions like wedding.