Decoding Bihari Wedding: The Unique Sacred Rituals & Traditions

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Have you ever attended a Bihari wedding? If yes, then you already know how colourful and vibrant it is! Biharis love their weddings rustic and traditional. There are a plethora of rituals that have to be observed by the soon to be married couple. The families of both the bride and the groom take part in several colourful ceremonies that testify the true spirit of a traditional Indian wedding.

In this article:

1. Bihari Pre-wedding Ceremonies
2. Bihari Wedding Day Rituals
3. Post-wedding Bihari Rituals

A typical Bihari wedding includes three categories, namely pre-wedding rituals, wedding day rituals, and post-wedding rituals and customs. Scroll up to read in detail about these rituals that are very interesting and quite unusual!

Bihari Pre-wedding Ceremonies

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Satya Narayan Katha

Any Bihari wedding kick-starts with Satyanarayan Katha. This Katha is organised by the parents of the bride. The prayer service or pooja is elaborate and all the friends and relatives of the groom’s side take part in it. The Katha is narrated by the priest and a haven is lit. It remains lit for the whole duration of the marriage.

Cheka

This ceremony is the official engagement that takes place at the bride’s house. The groom’s parents along with him visit the bride’s house for exchanging rings. They carry lots of gifts or shaguns like jewellery, clothes, dry fruits, and sweets with them on this visit. Once both the families have settled down, the groom and the bride exchange their rings. The next day, the bride’s family along with her make a visit to the groom’s house with shagun and rings. They exchange rings on this day and this ritual is known as Cheka.

Haldi Kutai

The Haldi ceremony follows after the engagement. All the married women of the groom’s side along with his mother make a paste of ground turmeric, and then send it to the bride’s house. This Haldi is then applied on the bride’s body. While applying Haldi, all the women sing folk songs of Bihar.

Tilak

The brother of the bride makes a visit to the groom’s house with a Tilak Thaal or plate. This is done to show that the bride’s family has accepted the alliance. The brother of the bride applies tilak on the groom’s forehead, after which he gifts him jewellery, clothes, sweets to celebrate the alliance. He also gifts him the Haldi paste and groom’s marriage day clothes that he would wear on his wedding. The groom’s parents offer gold Nath, bridal clothes and Maang Tikka for the bride and send off her brother after a grand dinner.

Mandappachadan

This Bihari wedding ritual sees the setting of the mandap or the wedding altar. For a Bihari wedding, a traditional mandap is set up with bamboos and decorated with banana trees and mango leaves.

Haldi Ritual

The groom’s parents and relatives apply the paste made by the bride’s mother, while the bride’s friends and family spear Haldi made by the groom’s mother. Married ladies take part in this ritual.

Dhritdhaari and Matripooja

The parents of both the bride and the groom take part in this ritual that is observed to seek blessings of the departed ancestors and the elders of the family. On this auspicious day, the parents (both sides) offer money or clothes called Paunpooji to ask for forgiveness from the ancestors. Paunpooji is also offered to the elders of the family.

Silpoha and Imli Ghutai

Silpoha ceremony is otherwise known as rice grinding ritual that is done soon as the sun comes out on the marriage day. The mother of the groom wraps the rice in a chunni and then grinds it on a Silbatta.

Imli Ghutai is done to ward off the evil eye or Burinazar. During this Bihari wedding ritual, the groom’s mama or maternal uncle gives him the advice to refrain from common vices land habits. He offers a betel nut to the groom. The groom then holds the nut between his teeth. The mother eats the nut thereafter.

Bihari Wedding Day Rituals

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Paricchavan Ritual

On the day of the Bihari wedding, the mother of the groom performs Paricchavan or aarti. The whole ritual is conducted before the Baratis leave for the wedding. During aarti, the mother also applies tilak on the groom’s forehead and prays for a trouble-free wedding and a happy married life for the couple.

Baraat Prasthaan

In Baraat Prasthan, the groom and his family leave for the wedding venue. The groom’s car is decorated elaborately with flowers. The car with the groom and his younger brother leaves first and is followed by the rest of his family and relatives. Once the Baraat reaches the venue, they are welcomed by the bride’s parents and family with garlands.

Jaimalaand Galsedi

The exchange of garlands between the bride and the groom is called Jaimala, and it takes place at the mandap. Once the garlands are exchanged, a Galsedi ritual is conducted by the bride’s mother and other married women. The women heat up the betel leaves in a lamp and burn it to ashes. This ash is then smeared on the groom’s face. Then, cow dung is thrown behind the groom. This is done in a sequence.

Kangnabandhana and Kanyadaan

In this ritual, the pujari presiding over the wedding ties bracelets on both the bride and the groom’s right hand. This is made up of cotton thread, mango leaves, colourful rice, Haldi and money. There is a barber who cuts the toenails and fingernails of the couple at the mandap. After this ceremony, Kanyadaan is done where the bride’s parents give her to the groom.

Bhaisur Nirakshan, Kuldevta Puja & Pheras

In bhaisur nirakshan ritual, the bride is gifted saris, jewellery and lehengas by her father in law and her husband’s elder brother or bhaisur. The bride is gifted the family jewellery in this ceremony. After this, the couple prays to the family deity or Kuldevta at the altar. Pheras are done around the sacred fire. Roasted rice with husk is thrown in the fire.

Post-wedding Bihari Rituals

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Kohwar Parikshan, Salami and Vidai

The couple takes an early bath the next morning and dresses up for Kohwar Parikshan in which the married ladies of the family check for blood spots on the bedsheet. This is done to check if the couple consummated their marriage. In Salami ritual, the elders of the family shower cash and gifts on the groom and then he leaves with his bride to her house. This is Vidaai. The bride’s brother escorts the couple to the decorated car and takes them home.

Swagataarti, Mooh Dikhai & Chauthari

Swagat or welcome ritual is done to welcome the newly wedded couple at the groom’s house. Aarti is done and parents shower rice and flowers on them. A Kalash or copper vessel filled with rice along with a plate of Alta and two cane baskets are placed at the entrance.

The bride pushes this with her right foot and then steps on the Alta plate. Then, she places her feet in the cane baskets. In mooh dikhai, the bride is given money, a pair of gold bangles and other gifts from her in-laws. After Mooh Dikhai, Chauthari or Satyanarayan puja is performed to thank god for a successful Bihari wedding.

Chauka Cchulai Ritual

This is a ceremony of handing over the keys of the household to the bride. This marks the handing of responsibility to her by her mother in law. The bride is also asked to cook five dishes. Once the meal is over, the elders shower the bride with loads of gifts.
Overall, a Bihari wedding is considered to be one of the most elaborate affairs of the country. A host of colourful rituals seeped in traditions and culture are performed during this period.

Planning for your own dreamy wedding soon? Get in touch with the experts on board to make it all a seamless yet unforgettable affair.

- With valuable inputs from bride Ranee Yadav.