Monday, August 5, 2013

Choodha: The Traditional Wedding Ornament of a Punjabi Bride

Punjabi weddings are mostly grand and fun-filled. They are characterized by wedding ceremonies like the bride’s sisters stealing the groom’s footwear and pre-wedding ceremonies like the ghara gharoli ritual where bathing water for the bride is brought by the groom’s sister-in-law. But, there is one tradition that has been long going on since ages and yet not many people know of its connotation. This is the ceremony of Choodha chadhana.

The choodha ritual is one of the most crucial ceremonies in a Punjabi wedding. Simply put, it is the most significant wedding accessory for Punjabi bride. A set of red and ivory bangles, the choodha has a special meaning for a bride.

An evening before the wedding, relatives and friends flock the bride’s home for this ceremony. The bride’s maternal uncle and his wife play have to meaningful role as they gift the choodha to their beloved niece.

On the day of the ceremony, the bride’s family conducts a puja. The ritual starts with all the family members
Sisters and Cousins tie Kaliras on the Choodha
and friends touching the bangles and blessing them. They give their heartiest wishes to the bride for a happy married life. The bride is then called in and made to sit down. The oldest maternal uncle is invited first to put on the choodha in the petit hands of the young bride. Assisted by their wives, the uncles take one bangle at a time (usually spread out beautifully on a tray) and pass them to the aunts. The aunts dip the bangles in a bowl full of pure milk and hand it over to the uncles, who then put them on to the bride. The milk helps ease the process and allows the bride to comfortably wear the tight bangles without developing a rash or scratches.

After this, the bride is given something sweet to eat, mostly an Indian sweet, along with some cash. The people present sprinkle petals of flowers on the bride and then take turns to tie kaliras on to the front bangles. The bride is now ready for marriage.

Author:

Devika Arora


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