Oriya wedding is as beautiful as all other wedding affairs in India. Most of the rituals and traditions are similar to any other Indian marriage. The only difference in case of Oriya wedding is that the mother of the groom does not participate in the marriage. The marriage involves various pre and post wedding ceremonies which are being held since ages. In Oriya matrimonial after the family of the bride/groom finds a suitable alliance, some money (shagun) along with sweets is given to the groom so that further search is stopped. She is also given some clothes by the family of the groom. Then, both the families decide an auspicious date for the wedding. Horoscopes of both the bride and the groom are matched to decide the best day for the ceremony. Pre wedding rituals of Oriya Wedding The wedding ceremonies begin with Jayee Anukolo. In this ritual, firstly an invitation card is place before Lord Jagannath and after that these cards are distributed among friends and relatives. Usually, the second card is sent to the maternal uncles of the both bride and the groom. After the distribution of invitation cards, Nirbandh, engagement ceremony takes place. The fathers of the bride and the groom take an oath to tie their children into the nuptial bond. Then, Jairagodo Anukolo is performed. It is a ceremony which marks the stoking of the fire. After that, a paste made of turmeric and sandalwood is applied to the body of the bride, which gives her the perfect glow. It is done to get a perfect radiance on the skin of the bride. The bride’s relatives apply anointed turmeric on her and bathe her in the traditional ritual 'Mangano'. Water is fetched from some holy place or temple by the women folk who make a gathering and carry a large pot and went to the place singing traditional songs. The Oriyan bride wears a sari or a lehenga in rich colors like red, orange or magenta. She is ornamented with fine gold jewelry. She is mainly dressed up by her female relatives and her friends who dress her amid much joviality and joy. The groom adorns formal attire which is either traditional or western. The actual Oriya Wedding The matrimonial ceremony commences with the Diya Mangala Puja. These prayers are offered to the deity of a temple. To invoke the blessings of Gods, the bridal saree, toe rings and sindoor are placed before the Lord by a barber for a long and happy married life. Borojatri is the ceremonial procession when the groom and his family members and friends arrive at the wedding venue with great pomp and splendor. They dance, sing and enter the venue with immense happiness and enthusiasm. On the arrival of the baraat, the groom is welcomed with aarti/tilak and rice. The main wedding ritual begins with Kanyadan ceremony, which is held at the venue specially laid for the wedding. This area is decorated with lots of flowers and leaves. This is the conventional ritual of handing the daughter to the groom. During this ceremony, the customary fire is lit and the priests chant and recite the mantras. Seven heaps of rice grains that symbolize the seven hills and the saptakulaparwata are worshipped during the saptapadi rite. Both the bride and the groom take seven rounds around the fire representing the sacred fire as the witness for the marriage. After the Kanyadaan and Saptapadi rite, the ritual of Haatho Ghanthi takes place. â€Laja’ is puffed rice and a symbol of prosperity, which is offered to the fire. During Haatho Ghanthi, the bride's brother stands behind the couple while they face each other. Then, the bride places her hands on the groom’s and her brother puts the puffed rice into them. Both of them offer this Laja as an 'ahuti' or sacrifice into the fire amidst the reciting of mantras. In Orissa, brides are considered as a representation of Goddess Laxmi bringing abundance of wealth to the new home. Rice is spread on the path of the newly wed; the new bride tilts a vessel of rice with her foot to spill the grains on the threshold of her new home. The wedding ceremony concludes after the couple visits the bride's house on the eighth day after the wedding known as Astha Mangala. The bride’s family prepares delicious for the newly married couple.
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