When you are planning a wedding, inviting your close friends and family is important. Sending designer Hindu wedding invitations to your guests is an important step that you cannot miss out on.

Traditionally, the Bihari wedding lasts for almost a month but now the new generation couples celebrate their wedding within a week. Bihari weddings are usually quite pompous and flair as they love their union celebrations as they are quite traditional and rustic. During a Bihari wedding, the couples have to go through several rituals and the family members of both sides participate in various ceremonies that occur during the wedding.

The following are the list of rituals you would face if you want to attend a Bihari wedding for the first time.

Pre Bihari Wedding Rituals:

• Satya Narayan Katha: All Bihari weddings start with Satya Narayan Katha ritual. The family from the bride’s side organize this Katha. During this puja the groom’s family and friends also take part. The priest narrates the Katha and a place is decorated during this time and remains lit till the end of the wedding ceremony.

• Cheka: It is the engagement event celebrated in the bride’s place, it can be their house or other venue. The groom and also his family visit them to exchange wedding rings. They also carry different gifts including clothes, sweets, jewelry and more along with them.

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• Haldi Kutai: This ceremony happens just after the check. The turmeric paste is sent to the bride’s house from the groom’s family. During this, all women members of the ceremony sing Bihari folk songs.

• Tilak: During this ceremony, the bride’s brother visits the groom’s place with a plate of tilak. This indicates that the bride’s family accepted this marriage.

• Mandappa Chodan: This is the ritual of setting up the mandap where the marriage will take place. The mandap in Bihari weddings is usually decorated with bamboo and leaves of banana and mango tree.

• Haldi Ritual: Here the groom’s relatives and parents apply the turmeric paste that is mixed by the bride’s mother. Only married women can take part in this tradition.

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• Matripooja and Dhriti Dhaari: During this ritual, the family of the couple takes blessings from their ancestors and elderly persons who passed away.

• Imli Ghutai and Silpoha: It is a ritual in which rice is grinded that happens before the sun rises by the groom’s mother. Imli Ghutai helps to avoid evil spirits.

Bihari Wedding Rituals:

• Paricchavan: This is the ritual performed by the groom’s mother on the wedding day before the groom’s family and friends leave for the wedding ceremony.

• Baraat Prasthan: This is the ritual of leaving the groom’s side for the wedding in a car decorated with flowers.

• Jaimala Galsedi: Jaimala is the garland that is exchanged between the couples at mandap and Galsedi is a ritual that is organized by the bride’s side ladies including the bride’s mother, who are married.

• Kanyadaan and Kangana Bandhana: During this ritual, the priest ties a bracelet made with rice, cotton thread, mango leaves, honey and Haldi on the right hand of the bride as well as on the groom’s right hand as well. After this Kanyadaan happens where the bride’s parents hand over the bride.

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• Kuldevta Puja, Pheras, and Bhaisur Nirakshan: In this ritual the bride gets jewellery, sarees and other gifts by the groom’s father and the elder brother of her husband. After that, the couples have to pray to kuldevta. Around the fire, Pheras are done.

      Post Bihari Wedding Rituals:

Even after the Bihari wedding is done, there are some rituals that are to be performed by the bride and the groom. That’s why it is said that the celebrations of the Bihari wedding keep going till four or seven days.

• Chauthari, Awagataati, and Mooh dikhai: Swagataati is the ritual of welcoming the couple to the groom’s house. In the ceremony of mooh dikhai, the bride gets lots of gifts including earrings, bangles, clothes, and sweets from her in-laws and the ritual of thanking God for a grand wedding ceremony is called chaudhari.

• Chauka Chulha: Here, the keys of the house are given to the new bride. It means handing over all the responsibilities to the bride from the groom’s mother.

The Bihari ritual wedding is the most elaborated wedding ceremony in our country. During a Bihari wedding, lots of vibrant ceremonies and rituals happen and they are performed quite traditionally and culturally. That’s why you will be quite fortunate to experience a Bihari wedding once in a lifetime. If you have been invited to attend a Bihari wedding anytime, do not miss the opportunity to savour your taste buds and to enjoy a pleasant time watching the traditions.