7 Unique Sets of Wedding Traditions That Make You Say Incredible India

India is a diverse country and its diversity is also reflected in wedding traditions. As you move farther away from any particular location, wedding traditions change with the changing culture. Even though the majority of rituals and traditions have some commonality, there are a few unique ones. You will find some these traditions quite amusing and some interesting. Let's explore what these unique traditions are and from what part of the country do they belong.

1. Toran ceremony

Fancy a ceremonial knock at the door? Then the Toran ceremony held in Rajasthan belongs to the set of wedding traditions just for you.

A Toran is a framed picture of Ganesh, hung over the wedding gate at the wedding venue and the groom knocks on it by touching it with a long stick. Often, this is done with a cheering crowd of onlookers egging him to do it in one try. The prize? You're welcome to your own wedding.

Called Toran Maarna, the ceremony ends with the Toran becoming a cherished wedding keepsake. It's kept carefully by the bride's family for a year, before it's handed over at a temple.

2. Welcome with tomatoes

In a small town in Uttar Pradesh called Sarsaul, the bridal party welcomes the groom’s family and friends in a rather interesting manner. They don’t felicitate them with garlands or offer them sweets or refreshments when they enter — they actually throw tomatoes in their direction instead.

This can be traced back to their wedding traditions and the belief that a relationship that starts on an unhappy note sees a happy ending and leads to love.

3. Invoke the Goddess

This tradition is prevalent in Bengali weddings and generally involves the bride’s married aunts collectively participating in an activity early in the morning. They offer prayers to the Ganges and invite the goddess to the ceremony in the hope that the bride will be safe and happy for life.

Another set of wedding traditions, which come from the same region, requires many mothers to not witness their daughters getting married and not observe the actual wedding ceremony.

4. Heading out for Kashi

Widely considered to be one of the most unique customs and wedding traditions, the groom is required to announce that he’s changed his mind right before the wedding and is opting for a frugal existence devoid of worldly pleasures. The bride’s father intervenes at this juncture and persuades him to choose family life instead.

This tradition is called Kasi Yathirai or the Kashi Yatra in simple terms.

5. Go fishing

Now this one's from the unique treasure trove of Manipuri wedding traditions.

Here, fish play a crucial role in the wedding ceremony. One woman from the bride’s side and another from the groom’s side release a fish each into a pond at some point and everyone watches to find out whether the fish swim next to each other in the water.

If they do remain by each other’s sides. This is considered to be a good sign for the couple.

6. Maintain the balance

This one tests the bride’s endurance and balancing skills and is a true task of skills among wedding traditions.

Originating from Bihar, it involves a set of pots, a resolute bride and her mother-in-law. The MIL puts a massive earthen pot on the bride's head, and more pots are added in succession to see whether she can maintain balance and handle pressure in the family.

7. Team up to feed the family

The Rabha tribes from Assam prefer to keep the rituals simple and sweet, only exchanging garlands during the ceremony. They don’t hold back while celebrating, though and enjoy a lavish feast after the ceremony which lets the guests indulge in a delicious wedding fare.

While people at Assamese weddings tend to stay away from fancy parties, the couple needs to do their bit. They face a lot of scrutiny and pressure from older family members later as their cooking and hosting skills are put to the test.

Reading about these wedding traditions, you must've realised witnessing one or two odd traditions at one of the weddings you have attended. Well, our country's full of them. Owing to our rich cultural heritage, these traditions and customs are revered even today. That's the real reason why we get to hear about them. And admit it, some of them are fun too, like the Juta Churai. Do you feel like including some of these in your wedding? You can witness a mix of them at intercultural weddings today.  

Do you know of more such unique wedding traditions in India? Share them with us in the comments below.