Decoding & Reveling in the Many Shades of a Sindhi Marriage

Image Courtesy: Deepika Padukone

A Sindhi marriage is popularly known for the amazing Sindhi food, copious amounts of drinks and dancing and the super exciting rituals. Even though a lot of the Sindhi marriage traditions mirror those of other communities, like Punjabi weddings, Marwari marriage, Sikh weddings and so on - it’s the craziness that Sindhi’s bring to a wedding that makes it different and a memorable one.

Along with the upbeat vibe and joys, Sindhi food is also a big part of the weddings and it is indeed a cuisine that is truly delicious. The famous Bollywood couple, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, recently tied the knot and the pictures of their Sindhi marriage is proof that it’s a wedding everyone needs to attend at least once.

The one thing about a Sindhi marriage that makes it significant is the many pre and post-wedding ceremonies; each with the meaning and beauty of its own. Even during the wedding, a Sindhi marriage brings with it many small and significant rituals that add a whole lot of meaning to the sacred knot. Here’s a rundown on the many Sindhi marriage rituals:

Pre-Wedding Rituals

Image Courtesy: Jackson James Photography

Kacchi Misri

Image Courtesy: Gaatha

A private formal ceremony where the families of the bride and groom meet and exchange gifts to celebrate the fixing of the wedding. This is usually combined with an informal engagement.

Pakki Misri

This is the formal engagement ceremony where the to-be bride and groom exchange rings and the groom’s family shower the girls with gifts. The groom’s mother offers an earthen pot full of Misri to the bride’s mother. A small Pooja is also performed by 7 married women where they call upon Lord Ganesha to bless the couple.

Dev Bithana

This is a Pooja that happens at both the bride and the groom’s house. A stone grinder is placed in both homes as a deity and prayed to.

Lada

Lada is the much-awaited Sangeet ceremony. Traditionally, this is a ceremony held only at the groom’s place but couples today host the ceremony together. It includes a lot of folk songs sung by the groom’s family and officially marking the pre-wedding celebrations. A priest from the bride’s home brings sugar, spices, coconuts, sweets and dates and performs a Pooja with these. The priest also brings a piece of paper which has the auspicious wedding date and time written on it. After the Pooja, the paper is kept on the groom’s lap.

Vanwas

7 married women, both at the bride’s and groom’s place, pray to the stone grinder placed in the house. This is followed by pouring oil over the boy and girl, followed by a cleansing bath.

Mehndi

Image Courtesy: Sanika Devdikar

A day before the wedding, the bride’s hands and feet are decorated with bridal mehndi. Again traditionally, the ceremony takes place at both houses separately but people today prefer combining the ceremony in the presence of both the families together.

Jenya

A sacred ritual performed only with the groom, where a sacred thread is tied around his body and a Mantra is whispered in his ear, to be chanted daily.

Saagri

It is a formal introduction for both the families. The bride is introduced to each of her to-be in-laws. The bride is also given gifts by the groom’s family.

Ghari Pooja

A Pooja helps individually at both the groom’s and the bride’s house. The priest hands wheat grains to the couple during the Pooja. Some married women then grind the grains to flour. This Pooja signifies prosperity for the couple.

Wedding Rituals

Navgrahi Pooja

Image Courtesy: Pinterest

The wedding day starts with a Pooja offering prayer to the 9 planets and various Gods and Goddesses. This is a prayer that asks to bless the day and remove any obstacles.

Haldi

Haldi paste is applied to both the bride and groom, followed by a ceremonial bath. In a Sindhi marriage, the groom’s shirt is torn by the groomsmen post the Haldi ceremony, signifying tearing away an old life and getting ready for a new life ahead.

Baraat

The groom’s family arrive singing, dancing and merry-making in a procession that starts from the groom’s house.

Jaimala

Image Courtesy: Prachi Bhandari

The bride and groom exchange beautiful garlands three times in a Sindhi marriage after the Barat has been received and welcomed by the groom’s family.

Palli Pallo & Hathiola

Image Courtesy: Bella Lumi

The end of the bride’s Dupatta is tied to the groom’s. The sister of the groom ties the Dupatta with a few grains of rice tied within. The right hand of both the groom and the bride are then tied together with a red cloth.

Kanyadaan

Image courtesy: Memoirz Photography

The father of the bride in an auspicious ceremony then officially gives his daughter’s hand to the groom. He then pours holy water over the tied hands of the couple.

Phere

In a Sindhi marriage, the couple takes 4 Pheras around the holy water, 3 led by the bride and the last by the groom. Each Phera is accompanied by Mantras and vows recited by the priest.

Saptapadi

Image Courtesy: Vipul Bagadi

7 bags of rice are placed in front of the couple. The bride has to walk over all 7 bags, with the help of the groom. This signifies the act of facing difficulties in life together and taking the first few steps towards their future. After this, the couple seeks blessings from all the elders.

Post-Wedding Rituals

Image Courtesy: I Alam Photography

Bidai

Image Courtesy: Lightyear Studio

This is an emotional Sindhi marriage tradition where the bride bids farewell to her family and parents and heads to her new home, her husband’s home.

Datar

Image Courtesy: Pinterest

The new bride is welcomed into her new home. Her feet are washed by the groom’s family and she is then asked to sprinkle milk in all the corners of the home.

Salt Shagun

The bride places some salt in her husband’s hand, that he places back in her’s. This is repeated thrice.

Chhanar

The day after the wedding, during a Pooja the priest removes the stone grinder that is placed before the wedding. The mother of the groom then feeds the couple 7 bites of rice, milk and sugar.

Gadjani

This is an informal introduction for the bride to her new family. This is usually like a typical reception and followed by a lot of dancing, greeting and fun.

From flamboyant decor, bright and colourful pandals to the upbeat music - Sindhi weddings are literally the party you would never want to leave. No, we're not just saying that for the party but also because Sindhi families are some of the warmest people you will ever meet!

And that’s a rundown of traditional Sindhi marriage rituals. Doesn’t that sound like a lot of fun and excitement? There are so many rituals that start right from the day the wedding is fixed, leading up to a few days post the wedding. So you can now start counting how many new dresses you need to attend a Sindhi marriage.

Are you having a Sindhi marriage, or had one? Did you have all the traditional rituals or did you improvise too? Share your Sindhi marriage experience with us.

-With valuable inputs from Ankita Vazirani.