All The Essential Wedding Rituals Of An Oriya Marriage

The idea of a wedding in India varies significantly based on the region, religion and based on personal preference of the bride as well as the groom. There are several occasions that are conducted at the wedding celebrations with include the use of extensive decoration influenced by colors, music, dance, costume, and rituals of the family background and religion of the couple. For example, if a couple has met over Oriya Matrimony sites, their ceremony is likely to happen according to their family culture.

On a general note, in Hindu marriages, the most extensive ritual which is conducted is known as the vivaah ceremony. It is considered one of the biggest and most significant personal rituals which the bride or the groom undertakes in their life.

Typically, the families put in a lot of effort and financial resources for preparing and celebrating the Shaadi. However, it should be noted that the ritual and the methods of a wedding depends on the region of the country and the local adaptation of the family.

The key rituals of a perfect Hindu marriage include these three points, namely, Kanyadaan, Panigrahana, and Saptapadi, after successful matchmaking. It can be better described as the processes which involve gifting away of the daughter by her father.

This process involves the couple holding hands voluntarily next to the fire, signifying the new union, which is finally followed by taking the seven steps around the holy fire. Each step relates to the idea of taking a view together. With the seventh step of Saptapadi, the couple finally comes together and is legally claimed as husband and wife.

In this article, we will be dealing with the prime points, which are a part of a typical Oriya marriage ceremony.

What are the ceremonies of an Oriya Wedding?

There are several rituals that are a part of a perfect Brahman Oriya Wedding. It can be better described as follows:

The wedding starts with the ceremony of Kanyadaanam. A special structure is prepared, which is decorated using beautiful flowers and leaves. In this traditional ritual, the daughter is handed over to the groom by her father. The holy fire is lit, while the priests chant mantras. Seven different heaps of rice grains are prepared. These heaps represent the seven hills that are worried during the rite of Saptapadi.

The couple then takes seven rounds around the holy fire; the fire acts as the witness of the entire marriage and the seven vows which the young couple take. During this particular custom, the father of the bride of the father gives the hand of his beloved daughter to the groom. The groom comes forward and promises to take care of the bride all his life. This particular ritual is known as the Hats Ganthi or the Pani Grahanam.

A knot is tied after placing the hand of the bride on the groom's. After these seven vows, the bride becomes part of her husband’s family, and they are legally claimed as a life partner. A ritual of Khai Poda is undertaken after taking the seven rounds around the holy fire. In this rite, pippedriec is offered to the fire, which symbolizes the coming of Laxmi who symbolizes wealth as well as prosperity.

After the wedding ceremony, several rituals are undertaken at the Groom’s house. It includes several games played between the bride and the groom along with other family members, testing their strength as well as intelligence. Most of the families these days, although modern, search for a perfect match for their child over these Matrimonial Sites and conduct all the rituals systematically.

The Attire of the bride and the groom

Coming to the attire, a Hindu Oriya groom generally wears dhoti and kurta and often drapes a white silk cloth. This is known as soda. During the wedding ceremony, the joda or the white cloth is wrapped on the bare body of the groom.

The attire of the post-wedding reception is usually formal clothing or Western clothing for the grooms. On some occasions, he may or may not wear a dhoti or drapes it around his waist in an unusual manner. This signifies a certain amount of traditional flavor to his modern outfit. In most conditions, either white or a cream-colored dhoti is preferred. The groom also needs to carry a scarf shaped cloth on their left shoulder. It is known as Uttariya.

The main point which needs to be considered when getting a bride ready for the wedding is the ritual of Alata Pindha. According to this ritual, the feet of the bride are decorated with Alta. It is a red-colored liquid using which the feet of the bride as well the groom are painted in a marriage.

The brides in Odisha wear a beautiful looking yellow saree with prominent red borders portraying the perfect traditional flavor. The bride is adorned using fine and gorgeous gold jewelry pieces. Apart from this jewelry, she must wear white and red bangles in her hands. These bangles are known as Shankha Pola, one of which is white while the other one is red. In most cases, the mother of the bride as well as her friends and female relatives decorate her and get her ready for the ceremony.

Apart from the costumes mentioned above, there are various other types of dresses which are worn by the groom and the bride on their special occasion. Most of the bridal sarees are made using chiffon, silk, cotton, and other such costly materials.