Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Punjabi Wedding Rocks!

Punjabi wedding is famous for its pomp and show. It is the perfect example of zeal and enthusiasm that is usually expected in Indian weddings.

The Punjabi matrimony involves various ceremonies before the final wedding. Each ritual has a distinctive significance and charm.Punjabi wedding is a lively, well organized and a flamboyant occasion. The various rituals include:

Roka- Being the first ceremony of the Punjabi marriage, roka ceremony is celebrated with full enthusiasm. This ritual indicates that a new relationship is built between the girl and boy. This is a simple occasion in which family members and friends exchange few gifts as a sign of respect for each other and celebrate with sweets.

Sagai- Before few days of wedding, sagai or ring ceremony is performed. In this occasion boy and girl exchange rings.

Sagan- On this occasion, the girl’s family visit groom’s house and performs ‘havan’, which is a sacred fire ceremony. After havan, girl’s family gives blessings to groom along with gifts and cash for groom’s family.

ChunniChadana- Chunnichadana ceremony is performed by boy’s side for bride. On this event, boy’s sister gifts a red chunnito girl. After dressing her in clothes gifted by boy’s family, the girl is taken for ceremony where boy’s mother gifts her some more gifts. 

Sangeet-A lot of music and celebrations is a part of Punjabi matrimony. A Punjabi wedding is incomplete without loud beats of dholand bhangra. This occasion is celebrated with dance and music.

Mehandi- As per Punjabi rituals, bride has to apply mehandi sent by boy’s family on her hands and feet before the day of wedding. Mehandi makes bride even more elegant.

Wedding- On the final day of wedding, girl is asked to wear chuda, which is a set of Punjabi bangles.Thechuda ceremony is followed by haldioccasion in which haldi is applied to bride as well as groom.

Attending a Punjabi marriage is one of the best places to experience the charm of an Indian Wedding.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Traditional Indian Bridal Saris

Sari is the national dress of Indian women. Women of all shapes and sizes, short or tall look elegant and graceful in a sari. Such is the beauty of the attire.  From everyday wear to bridal attire, saris are favorites among Indian women. Wearing saris is common in most of the communities in India. During functions like weddings, women dress up in exquisite Saris. Indian brides, be it from the Tamil Nadu or Kerala in the south or West Bengal in the East, wears saris of their wedding day. Even in other matrimonial rituals, the bride and other women in the family wear saris. As such there is vast collection of bridal saris to offer in the India market.

The most common of the Bridal Saris is the beautiful Banarasi Sari. From the city of Varanasi, this sari speaks of the rich tradition of the place. Weaved by skilled persons, Banarasi saris are nothing short of masterpiece of art weaved in cloth. Usually weaved in silk, bridal banarasi saris are available in rich shaded of red, pink, green, orange and blue. Motifs of flowers in gold and silver make these saris attractive. The attractive part of this sari is the pallu, which has intricate weaving of patterns. These saris are available in the saris shops across India.

Another favorite bridal sari is the Kanjeevaram from South India. This sari is popular among the brides of south India. From the small town of Kanjipuram near Chennai, these saris take months to complete. Use of fine silk, each piece completed is a work of detail.  Brides prefer shades of orange, pink, blue or magenta whereas other women members wear lighter colors. Shops in chennai offers a vast collection of Bridal Kanjevaram sari and the price can reach up to 50K depending upon the work and silk used.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Wedding Feast in Tamil Communities

http://www.jeevansathi.com/matrimonials/tamil-matrimonial/
Tamil Weddings Functions, besides other significant things, also gives much importance on feeding people. No wedding is complete in Tamil Nadu without a marvelous spread of local delicacies. The Tamil Nadu people are known for their hospitality. The population belief that feeding people is a service  to humanity. The wedding food of Tamil Nadu depends on the family’s preference of vegetarian or non-vegetarian food. Mostly in the state of Tamil Nadu, vegetarian food is served in weddings. The guests in Tamil Matrimony functions mostly include family members and close friends. In the small towns of Tamil Nadu, especially in rural areas, the entire village attends the wedding feast.

Tamilain, as people from this region is mostly called offers a rich base of cuisine
and people attending any Tamil Matrimony will love the assortment of food served. Most of the recipes in the state make use of rice and lentils. The food is distinguished by its distinctive addition of spices and flavorings. The Tamil Nadu cuisine makes liberal use of curry leaves, mustard powder and coconut. These ingredients make this region’s cuisine different from others.

In the Tamil Matrimonial function, the large amounts of food is cooked in a traditional way. There are recipes that require advanced preparations. Guests are served in a customary way, typically in a banana leaf. The guests are seated on the floor, usually in a line and the meal is served in a banana leaf. The food is enjoyed with hands and not with spoon and fork. After the wedding feast is finished, the banana leaf is folded and it becomes the fare of the cows. With urbanization and change of living pattern, the Tamil wedding feast is also changing. Weddings were earlier organized in open grounds and now are hosted in AC hotels. The ambiance has changed, but the love for food is still the same. The specialty of Tamil food retains its unique magic.