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Muslim Wedding in India:
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Articles
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Muslim wedding are celebrated on a grand scale in India. The wedding custom and rituals has come
down from the Moghul rulers in the medieval India. Muslim families in India follow the traditional
way of wedding. Indian Muslims mostly follow the same customs and rituals in Nikah, as followed
by the Middle Eastern Muslims. Just like Hindu religion Muslim wedding is also divided into three
parts the pre wedding celebration, main day celebration and post wedding celebration. And each
celebration has its own significance and importance.
Pre-wedding Ceremonies:
Mehndi ceremony
The Mehndi ceremony is mainly held at the bride's place on the eve of the wedding ceremony or a
few days before the wedding. It is mainly a ladies function where female friends, family members
and relatives of the bride come together to apply turmeric paste to the bride to bring out the
glow in her complexion. A mehndiwali or a relative applies mehndi on the hands and feet of the
bride. While she applies mehndi to the bride the woman folk sings traditional song and dance to
the tune of those songs. The event gives a festive touch to the celebration. On this occasion
the bride wears light color clothes and dresses soberly. According to the custom the bride should
not step out of the house for the next few days till her marriage. On mehendi function the bride's
cousins applies a dot of mehndi on the palm of the groom. Other than the mehendi celebration there
are some other ceremonies in both the bride and groom's house.
Main Day Ceremony
The wedding is normally held in the bride's place if not than it is celebrated at a common venue.
On the main day the groom arrives with his family and friends at the wedding venue. This ritual
is known as welcoming the baraat. And his guests are called baraati. A band of musicians also
accompanies the baraati and the groom. The groom shares a drink of sherbet with the bride's
brother. The bride's sisters play pranks and slap the guests playfully with batons made of
flowers.
Nikaah
The main wedding ceremony is called Nikaah in Muslim religion. The wedding ceremony is normally
conducted at the bride's place or at any common venue. A Maulvi or priest in the presence of
close family members, friends and relatives, conducts the wedding rituals. In orthodox families
the men and women are seated separately. The 'Walis' (the father of the bride and of the
bridegroom) play a vital role in the wedding ceremony. The Maulvi reads selected verses from
the Quran and the Nikaah is complete after the Ijab-e-Qubul (proposal and acceptance). The groom's
side proposes and the bride's side conveys her consent. The mutual consent of the bride and
groom is of very importance for the marriage to be legal. The Mehar is a compulsory amount of
money given by the groom's family to the bride on the day of the wedding. It is a custom according
to the rules laid down in Islam. The Nikaahnaama is a document in which the marriage contract is
registered. It contains a set of terms and conditions that must be followed by both the families,
it also gives the bride the right to divorce her husband. The contract is legal only when the
bridegroom, the bride, the Walis, and the Maulvi duly sign it. After the wedding ceremony is over
the newly wedded bride and groom receives blessings from the elders and older women of the family
and the guests pray for their happy married life.
Dinner, Prayers and Aarsimashaf
After the wedding a dinner party is organized for the guests and relatives. After the dinner,
the newly wedded couple sits together for the first time. The Quran is placed between the couple
and they are allowed to see each other only through mirrors.
Post-wedding Ceremonies
In the post wedding rituals there are the function of Rukshat where the bride's family bids
farewell to her as she leaves her father's home and goes to her husband's house. It is a very
emotional moment for the bride's family. The bride's father gives her hand to her husband and
tells him to take care of her.
Welcoming the bride
After the bride reaches her husband's house her mother-in-law welcomes her. The groom's mother
holds the Quran above the head of her new daughter-in-law as she enters her new home for the
first time after the wedding.
Chauthi
On Chauthi the bride visits her parent's home. It is the fourth day after the wedding, when
she visits the home of her parents. She receives a grand welcome from her family members.
Valimah or Reception Ceremony
It is the reception given by the groom's family. The Valimah is a grand reception hosted by
the groom's family after the Nikaah. It is a fun and joyous occasion that brings together the
two families. It is the good time to meet the friends and relatives of both the families. It
builds a new bond and relation between the two families.
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