The Top 5 Major Rituals Of A Marriage In Bangladesh

Bangladesh is famous for its customs and rituals and especially the Rabindra Sangeet that is always an integral part of the marriage ceremony. Though there are various cultures with various rituals and customs of marriage one cannot resist the richness of a Bangladeshi marriage when it comes to the traditional customs, the music and the lavish food. Unlike the normal marriage, a Marriage In Bangladesh continues for a minimum of 3-5 days which starts with a engagement and ends in a post marriage union of the two.

The entire process of a Marriage In Bangladesh starts with a match finding, a job undertaken by the friends and relatives of the girl and the boy who act as the mediators to finalize a marriage. Once a candidate is chosen, the kundalis (Horoscopes) are first matched and also they ensure that they do not belong to the same ancestors / descendants, in which case they become prior relatives and hence marriage cannot be done. Once this is cleared off, the formal introduction of the boy and the girl is done and when they agree for each other, the elders with the help of a priest fix a date for engagement which is normally a day or two prior to the marriage date.

The engagement is completed by priest after doing certain poojas and the would-be bride and groom exchange rings and take the blessings of elders from both sides by touching their feet. On the day before the marriage the Mehendi Shondha ceremony is done in which the bride and her family and relatives' palms are decorated with designs using henna.

This is followed by the Gaye Holud in which the groom's family, leaving behind the groom, comes to the bride's house with gifts, jewels, dresses and turmeric paste. They make the bride sit dais and the turmeric paste is applied all over the body followed by feeding the bride with sweets. Similarly it is done with the groom too.

On the day of the wedding, the bride and the groom are taken in separate procession to the nearby pond by married elderly ladies and pray to Goddess Ganga to witness the marriage and bless the couple. As a mark of Goddess attending the marriage a pitcher of water is fetched from that pond and brought to the marriage venue. When the bride and groom take a bath on the marriage day, this water is poured on them and it is believed that Goddess Ganga is blessing the couple.

The groom then arrives fully dressed in traditional Sherwani. The bride's siblings and their relatives block the entry of the groom and demand a sum of money in return for giving entry into the Mandap. After a little bit of cajoling the groom pays the amount and proceeds to the mandap, where the rituals are conducted by a priest. With the Fire (Agni Devta) as the witness the marriage is performed by the priest by chanting mantras and the bride and groom do 7 rounds of the ceremonial fire and tie the nuptial knot.

This is followed by a grant feast at the brides and then when they reach the grooms' house there again a reception is conducted with a similar return treatment with a grand feast. Such is the interesting Marriage In Bangladesh.