23 Most Important Bengali Wedding Rituals and Traditions

09 Oct 2020

Bengal is the land of myriad cultural diversities where the people are obsessed with sports, arts and various traditional festivities like Durga Pooja. Among their lovable obsessions, Bengali wedding ceremonies also tops the list with its vibrant rituals and traditions.

Bengali weddings are similar to other Hindu wedding ceremonies with similar rituals and customs practiced over the years. The traditional Bengali weddings are a feast to the eyes as they are the most extravagant ceremonies that you can hardly witness. You can expect much more than what you expect from other community wedding ceremonies.

It’s the time for a family celebration

Bengali weddings are not just the union of two souls, but it is more than that where the families create a perfect bonding.

You can see the fervor and the excitement that each and every person carry on their faces, disseminating positive vibes.

The rituals and customs associated with Bengali weddings have their own meanings. If you are the one who is looking for a Bengali partner, just read the blog to know what all happens during Bengali wedding ceremonies.

The Bengali wedding rituals are as follows

Pre-wedding rituals

(1) Adan Pradan

This is the very first ritual performed as part of Bengali weddings. During this ritual, both the families give consent for the marriage in the presence of the priest. The wedding date is also fixed during this time. As times goes by, such rituals bear no significance as people started doing all these over the phone.

(2) Ashirvad

Two to three days before the actual wedding date, the groom and the party visit the bride’s house carrying valuable gifts including clothes, jewels, sweets, and more. The family members accept them as the bride and the groom after this ritual is done.

(3) Aai Budo Bhaat

This is the bachelor party of the groom in which he enjoys with his friends. The bride too celebrate this ritual with lots of fun-filled activities arranged by the family and friends. The bridde and the groom separately enjoy the party where sumptuous dishes are served as m per their choice.

(4) Vridhi

In this ritual, the elders from the family conduct a special prayer session where they worship the ancestors to seek their blessings. Since Bengali weddings are religiously more connected, most of the families prefer to have such rituals.

(5) Gaye Holud

Bengali brides celebrate this ritual with much gaiety. Turmeric (Holud in Bengal) plays a key role in this ritual. The groom touches the paste prepared with turmeric and later sent it to the bride to be applied on her face and body. The women folks in bride’s place helps the bride to get smeared with turmeric paste and they enjoy this ritual with lots of laughter and fun. The bride will then have a bath, concluding this ritual.

(6) Sankha Pola Porano

A special pooja is performed as part of this ritual where the chief priest chants mantras while the bride’s hands are well adorned with accessories by the married women in her family. ‘Sankha’ represents moon and ‘Pola’ represents good health and fertility.

(7) Adhibas Tatva

During this ritual, the bride’s family carry gifts to the groom, especially in a copper vessel decorated with color papers. The gifts include clothes, sweets, and other exclusive items.

(8) Kubi Patta

This ritual is performed by both the bride and the groom. The ritual happens at their residences where the God of Gold ‘Kubera’ is worshipped. The ritual mostly happens on the wedding day.

Wedding Rituals

(9) Bor Jatri

This is the first wedding ritual in which the groom and the party dress up for the wedding. The groom and the team begin the journey to the bride’s house or the venue where the wedding is going to happen.

(10) Bor Boron

Once the groom’s party reaches the bride’s place, the bride’s mother and her family members welcome the groom. This welcome session is done by performing Aarti with the holy lamp. The guests are then served sweets and drinks.

(11) Potto Bastra

Here, the groom is seated at the mandap, decorated at the venue.  He is then offered a set of new clothes by an elder person from the bride’s family, mostly the bride’s father or uncle.

(12) Saat Paak

In this Bengali wedding ritual, the bride will be seated in a wooden table which her brothers lift to take her around the groom in seven circles.

(13) Subho Drishti

During this ritual, the bride removes the betel leaves covered in front of her face. The bride makes eye contact with the groom only after this ritual.

Also Read: Kerala Wedding – Interesting Rituals and Traditions

(14) Mala Badal

This Bengali wedding ritual lets the bride and groom exchange the garlands. The couple exchanges the garlands three times as the very first step to accept each other.

(15) Sampradan

It is a sacred ritual where the bride’s father hand over their daughter to the groom. This ritual is performed inside the mandap.

(16) Yagna

This is the most important Bengali wedding ritual in which the bride and the groom sit in front of the sacred fire chanting mantras

(17) Saptapadi

During this ritual, the couple circles the sacred fire set on the mandap seven times. This is to solemnize the marriage.

(18) Anjali

During this Bengali wedding ritual, the couple offer puffed rice into the yagna (sacred fire). It is the bride’s brother who will be giving the rice to the bride. Simultaneously, the groom holds the bride’s hand to pour the offering.

(19) Sindoor Daan

This is the final Bengali wedding ritual where the groom applies sindoor (vermilion) on the forehead of the bride. Right from this moment the bride is considered a married woman.

Post-wedding Rituals

(20) Bashor Ghar

Once the marriage rituals are over, the couple will be seated together at the mandap where the guests sing, dance, and enjoy to the fullest.

(21) Bidai

In this ritual, the elder people in the family throng at the bride’s place to bestow their blessings to the newlywed. The bride then leaves to her husband’s place.

(22) Bou Boron

This is the ritual where the couple is welcomed at the groom’s place. The bride places her feet on a platter full of dye and milk. She then walks into the house indicating she is all set to begin her new life.

Also Read: How to make a perfect marriage biodata?

(23) Bou Bhat

This is one interesting post-wedding ritual in Bengali weddings. A grand celebration is organized by the groom’s family to introduce the bride. The bride prepares tasty dishes for the entire family.