Decoding Indian Weddings: Odia Marriage Traditions and Rituals
Planning an Odia wedding? Read all about the traditional wedding rituals and their significance here.
Contributing Writer: Queenie Singh
Indian weddings are nothing short of a carnival. Every Indian wedding is made all the more colourful and fun, with different ceremonies deeply rooted in the culture. India has many cultures, making every wedding unique and beautiful. One such mesmerising wedding is the Odia marriage.
Located on the eastern coast of India along the Bay of Bengal, it is perhaps most famous for its temples and national parks—the Sun Temple of Konark and Jagannath Temple, to name a few. Apart from the scenic beaches, it is known for its rich cultural heritage and history. The Oriya wedding is an alluring ceremony to be a part of or witness.
In this article:
1. Odia Marriage Pre-wedding Rituals
3. Post-wedding Odia Marriage Rituals
To help you better understand the culture, we will take you on a detailed tour of the captivating Odiya marriage. Read on to learn about the significant ceremonies and much more that make an Odia marriage a magnificent celebration.
Odia Marriage Pre-wedding Rituals
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Like most marriages arranged among Indians, matches are scouted for through a matchmaker within the same community. Once a suitable match is found, the horoscopes are matched, and then the two families meet officially when the horoscopes are matched with satisfactory results. The better the game, the happier the couple's married life will be. The marriage largely depends on the bride and groom's mutual acceptance of each other and both families. However, in the case of a love marriage - the ways of the meeting might differ!
Nirbandh
Nirbandh is the official engagement ceremony. In a traditional Oriya engagement ceremony, the bride and groom are not present, but the elders of the families of both the bride and the groom meet at a temple or at the bride's home to give each other their word. This formal commitment through word of mouth is called Sankalpa. This ritual, also known as the Vak Nischaya, translates to word of mouth. The exchange of gifts follows this.
Jayee Anukolo
The Jayee Anukolo ceremony marks the beginning of the wedding ceremonies to follow. The families make and distribute wedding cards, and the official announcement of the wedding is also made. The first card is placed before Lord Jagannath, the supreme deity of the native people of Orissa. This is typically done at the Jagannath Temple at Puri, the Deva Nimantrana.
The second invitation generally goes out to the maternal uncle's families of both the bride and the groom with a betel leaf and a betel nut. This invitation is called the Moula Nimantrana. There is also a ritual where the third invitation is sent to the groom's family by the bride's family, and the bride's father, along with a few male elders, visits the groom's house to personally invite the groom with gifts. This is the Jwain Nimantrana. After this, the families can send out the wedding invitations to the rest of the guests.
Mangan
An Oriya equivalent of the Haldi ceremony, the Mangan ceremony is celebrated a day before the wedding, preferably in the afternoon, where seven married women apply turmeric paste on the bride or groom's hands and feet. One of these seven women must be a sister-in-law of the bride or the groom. After this ceremony, the bride and groom are bathed in holy water to ward off the evil eye and add to the pre-wedding glow. This ceremony is celebrated separately at the groom and bride's places, but with destination weddings being the norm, this is now done at one time, too.
Jairagodo Anukolo
The Jairagodo Anukolo ceremony marks the lighting of the pious flame considered auspicious for the wedding. This fire is lit using ghee or oil in the form of havan. The pious fire stays lit until all the ceremonies and rituals end.
Diya Mangula Puja
A very significant tradition of the Oriya wedding is the Diya Mangula Puja. Usually done by the local barber's wife, the bride's wedding attire, her bridal jewellery and a box of vermillion are offered to the Goddess to get it blessed for the wedding. This offering is made in prayers/puja at the local temple. In the olden days (even now), puja was done at the village temple goddess, the gramadevati. This puja ensures a long and happy married life for the bride.
Nandimukha
Like a Bengali wedding ritual, the Nandimukha puja is conducted in both the bride and groom's families. In this puja, their respective fathers pray to the ancestors to invoke blessings on the couple and ensure a happy married life.
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Odia Marriage Rituals
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Barjaatri
Another ritual similar to the Bengali wedding is the Barjatri, the Baraat of the Punjabi and Marwari weddings. The groom is accompanied by several family members in a festive procession when he sets off from his house to get married. The bride's family generally sends a vehicle to get the Barjatri to their residence, where a traditional aarti is performed by the bride's mother or an elderly female member of the bride's family. A tika/tilak of vermillion paste and unbroken rice is applied on the forehead of the groom to receive him, and soon after, his feet are washed in coconut water. A concoction of curd, sugar honey and ghee is fed to him before his heroic entry into the venue.
Baadua Pani Gadhua
Once the groom approaches the mandap, the bride is made aware of his arrival by the females accompanying her. She is then immediately taken for her holy bath—Baadua Pani Ghadua, a ceremonial bath to ward off evil and prepare her for the pious function.
Kanyadaan
Like most Hindu marriages, the Kanyadaan is one of the first rituals of an Odia marriage ceremony. The groom arrives at the mandap first, and the bride follows suit. The bride's father then gives his daughter to the groom and requests him to take good care of her. The groom accepts these responsibilities and pledges to do so, commencing the marriage ceremonies in full swing.
Hatha Granthi Fita
The bride's father then places her hand on the groom with a garland of mango leaves around it. Mango leaves are considered holy in many Hindu rites. This ritual of vows with their hands wrapped in the leafy garland is called the Hatha Granthi Fita and is similar to the Panigrahan ritual in many other Hindu marriages. This marks the next step of the bride in life - transformation from a daughter to a daughter-in-law and a wife. The couple then makes seven rounds of the fire together by holding hands. These seven rounds symbolise seven sacred promises of marriage.
Saptapadi
Seven small piles of rice are made on the ground, blessed by the priest. These piles represent Saptakil Parwatas, or the seven hills, symbolising their hardships during their married life. The bride breaks these heaps of rice with her right foot, along with the groom by her side, and this marks the seven steps of togetherness to begin their journey of a happily ever after. This is the Saptapadi.
Lajahoma
Sala Bidha
The groom's brother-in-law is also known as the Sala. This fun ritual involves the Sala punching the groom playfully on the back, which is supposed to remind the groom of his duties and commitments towards the bride and that he is answerable to his Sala, just in case.
Sindoor Daan
The bride and groom rise from the wedding stage and go outside to view the Pole Star. After viewing the Polaris, the groom applies vermillion powder to the bride’s hair parting and slips on conch shell bangles on her hands. The wedding is considered to be complete after this ritual.
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Post-wedding Odia Marriage Rituals
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Post-wedding ceremonies are always fun in Indian weddings. They act as icebreakers for the bride who comes into a new family, especially in the case of an arranged marriage, where the bride and the groom's family get a chance to warm up to each other.
Kaduri Khela
After the wedding rituals, the couple is seated in a room and made to play games to relax. They play with small, white, shiny shells called kauri, and the ritual is known as Kaduri Khela. The groom holds them in his closed fist, and the bride will try to pry them open. The same is repeated with the bride holding the shells in her fist and the groom trying to retrieve them.
Sasu Dahi-Pakhala Khia
After the Kaduri Khela ritual, the groom's mother-in-law invites him over for some food. According to traditions, he has to sit on his mother-in-law's lap as she feeds him Pakhala, cooked rice soaked in water with curd, and Baigan pods (mashed grilled eggplants with spices).
Bahuna
As the bride prepares to leave her parental home, her mother sings ‘Bahuna’ songs, which describe the pains she has had to endure to give birth and raise her daughter. Other female relatives also join her in her lament.
Gruhaprabesha
The bride reaches her husband’s home and is warmly welcomed by her mother-in-law. She is treated as the incarnate of Goddess Laxmi, who is to spread joy and prosperity, as represented by overturning a pot of rice placed on the threshold with her right foot.
Chauthi/Basara Raati
On the fourth day of the wedding, a puja is performed at the groom’s house, where a coconut is roasted. The couple’s room is decorated with fragrant flowers, and a glowing oil lamp is beside the bed. The couple is fed charu or roasted coconut. The groom proceeds to the room, and the bride follows him with a glass of Kesari dudha or saffron-infused milk. The couple spends their first night together as husband and wife. As per Oriya traditions, the marriage is considered complete only after consummation.
Asta Mangala
On the eighth day after the wedding, the bride and groom visit the bride’s paternal home, where they are generally welcomed with a grand feast. The couple spends the night together at the bride’s paternal home. This marks the end of all wedding rituals in Oriya traditions.
Odia marriage ceremonies are extraordinary celebrations that will amaze you for days. Trust us to be a part of the celebrations and know what comes after what is a stellar feeling!
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