The Classic Story of a Himachali Bride: Her Tales, Her Quaint Encounters and the Forever Story

A Himachali bride will always tell you about the many traditions and rituals before, during and after a wedding. Himachali wedding traditions are very simple yet extremely meaningful. I agree all parts of India have their own beautiful traditions, but there’s something about a Himachali wedding and the experience a Himachali bride goes through that has always made it a little more fascinating for us. The weddings in the woods have always been a tale to tell and a "Once upon a time" fairytale that is a dream come true to be a part of even as a spectator or a guest if not the bride herself. However, we have a bride's story to tell.

A WeddingWire bride, being Himachali herself, shared her own beautiful wedding tale with us. She chooses to remain anonymous for two reasons, one because she was shy and more importantly because she is married to an Army Officer and it is unethical and a breach of national security to share personal information on a public platform for her. But here’s what our shy Himachali bride had to say, ‘I consider myself truly modern but when it came down to my wedding I wanted everything traditional; I just couldn’t miss out on being a traditional Himachali bride.’

Here’s how it all started...

‘We had an arranged marriage. Our parents knew one another and the two of us trusted them to make the right decision, luckily!’

Our Himachali bride and her soon-to-be husband started going out on dates to get to know each other better. While the parents started with the traditional matchmaking ceremonies. None of the families believed in horoscopes so the first ritual they followed was the ‘Tika’ ceremony. The girls’ parents shower the boy with gifts and apply ‘Tika’; the official declaration of the match being formalised.

And then the wedding preparations began...

‘I was very sure that I wanted to get married in my hometown, in the mountains. A traditional ceremony wasn’t enough; I wanted the whole affair right in the thick of Himachali culture and of course the beautiful surroundings.’

One of the biggest traditions for a Himachali bride is buying her Dogra Nath, the traditional nose ring that all Himachali brides wear with pride. It is an elaborate nose ring that is the mark of a married woman in Himachal. No special occasion, festival or celebrations are complete without adorning this beautiful piece of jewellery.

‘Aah! I was so excited to finally get my own Nath. I had always eyed my mom’s Nath and even tried it on but of course, I never got to wear it, forget to get it. I think this was one of the biggest reasons I was so excited to get married.’

As the wedding day gets closer, one of the most important rituals and the ceremony is the ‘Mama Swagat’. Mama, or mother’s brother, plays an important role in a Himachali bride’s wedding. The maternal uncles and aunts shower the Himachali bride with gifts, blessing and officially declare the start of the wedding ceremonies. The Mama of the Himachali bride also gifts her a traditional Chunri, another mark of a married woman.

This is followed by the Halad or Haldi ceremony. Haldi, or turmeric, is a natural herb that is powdered and mixed with sandalwood powder and milk to form a paste. This paste is then applied on the bride’s face, arms and legs. Yes, it’s the most ancient form of wedding beauty treatments.

Image Courtesy: Shades Photography by Ashwin M.

‘The Haldi ceremony was crazy and also very emotional for me. All my Mamas and Mamis, cousins and friends painted me yellow with Haldi. It was such a beautiful day with all my loved ones around me, blessing me and showering me with all their love. We danced for hours, played games, ate so much Himachali food and I truly felt like the queen-bee.’

On the wedding day, all the men of the bride’s family wear a Sehra. The wedding party then gets ready for the Saptapadi, the welcoming ceremony for the groom’s family. Gifts and sweets are given to the groom’s side to welcome them.

During the wedding ritual, red cloth is tied to the groom’s and the bride’s dress. This knot signifies the union of the couple. This is followed by the 7 Pheras, each a promise that the couple makes to one another.

And then the most difficult, emotional yet beautiful ceremony- the Kanyadaan and Vidai

‘I never thought I’ll cry on my wedding; especially since I had lived away for years when I was still studying. But I was so wrong. I think it’s the whole atmosphere, the pure love and sacred rituals that just make everything so beautiful around you. I have never seen my dad so emotional and I think I started crying the moment the Pandit Ji asked my parents to start the Kanyadan ceremony.’

Kanyadaan and Vidai are emotional and traditional wedding rituals where the bride’s parents officially give the bride to the groom and bid her farewell for her new home and life. A Himachali bride, like most other brides around the world, goes through a whirlwind of emotions during her wedding.

Are you a Himachali bride who would like to share her wedding story? Reach us through the comment section.