Real Weddings: Laxmi and Satvik, Wedding Day

One thing for sure, if you didn’t know much about Indian weddings, you’ve learned a thing or two in the past few weeks with three different posts about Laxmi and Satvik’s wedding. We covered the The Matli, The Maiya and Vatna Ceremony, The Sangeet, and now the actual Ceremony (Baraat).

The Baarat is a wedding procession with the groom on a horse and technicly the groom leaves for the wedding venue riding a decorated horse or elephant. This is a very colorful and grand ceremony. The groom is dressed in a sherwani (long jacket) and churidars (fitted trousers). On his head he wears a sehra (turban). Before he departs, his relatives apply the ceremonial tilak on his forehead and his sister feeds the horse or elephant sweetened grain. The baraat (consisting of the groom seated on the horse or elephant, and relatives and friends of the groom) is headed by the dancing of the congregated folks.Upon arriving at the venue of the wedding, the groom is welcomed by a welcome song called talota. Then the groom knocks on the door with his sword and enters.

After the ceremony is over and lunch was served, The Vidaai ceremony was the last of the day and this is considered to be the most emotional ritual, (believe me its emotional) when the bride leaves her parents' home and makes her way to her husbands’. Family and friends, who also shower her with blessings and gifts, give her a tearful farewell. The male members of the bride's family bid farewell to the groom by applying the traditional tilak (vermilion) to his forehead and showering him with gifts.

Loving traditions,

Violaine Diogene

Credit
Amazing pictures captured by kate Byars Photography