Rajput community members mostly hail from the state of Rajasthan in India. The Rajput community, believed to be the descendants of rulers of Rajasthan. They belong to the royal family of the state; give a royal touch to every ceremony or festivals they celebrate. Wedding celebrations of Rajputs are a grand affair. The Rajput Matrimony functions witness the presence of family relatives, close friends and acquaintances. Indian weddings usually are held for three to five days. The rituals of wedding starts several days and like other Indian weddings can be divided into three stages.
The pre-wedding rituals begin with match making and is followed by engagement function. In some cases of match making, family members fix the alliances. However, with the changing times, the boy and the girl find their match. Both the ways of match making is functional in the Rajput community. Once the alliance is fixed, engagement ceremony takes place. Both the girl and boy exchange rings and engaged to become man and wife soon. One of the traditional Rajput practices, the groom is gifted with a sword. Other engagement gifts include clothing, jewelry, sweets etc.
Another Rajput Matrimony Ritual is applying of turmeric paste to the bride and groom. In both the families, a paste of turmeric is made and applied to skin before taking a ritual bath. Once the paste is applied, the bride and groom are not allowed to go out to avoid bad omen.
Mehendi ritual hold special place in Rajput matrimony functions. The bride’s hands and feet are painted with henna paste, usually a day before the wedding. Other female members also apply mehendi. A function of song and dance makes the mehendi function lively.
The wedding rituals start in the evening. Guests and family members gather around the bridegroom and bride. The priest conducts the wedding ceremony and elders shower their blessings. In Rajput matrimony, the bride and groom encircles the holy fire and takes vows of marriage.
Author: Shipra Sinha
Author: Shipra Sinha
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