Pitthi is an auspicious ritual performed for good luck. Pitthi is a paste made mainly of turmeric, chickpea flour and rose water. Family members and well-wishers of the bride and groom apply the paste on the bride/groom’s skin. This yellow paste is thought to brighten and even the skin tone and is applied one of the days prior to the wedding ceremony.
The Mehndi event is a colorful and fun celebration held the night before the wedding, which is traditionally celebrated by the women on the bride’s side of the family. Generally, a professional mehndi artist or relative will apply henna in intricate designs to the hands and feet of the bride and other women in the family. These intricate designs symbolize joy, beauty, spiritual awakening and offering. The bride’s mehendi sometimes goes half way to her knees. There is music, dance and full “Bollywood tamasha!”
The Wedding ceremony:
Indian weddings not only unite Bride and Groom but also their families. Family plays a key role in making life decisions. India is a collectivist culture to the core. The ceremony begins with arrival of Groom.
Baraat (The groom’s procession): Accompanied by his family and friends in a festive procession known as the baraat, the groom arrives at the entrance of the wedding venue on a horse. The procession consists of his family and friends singing and dancing around him to music generally played by a professional dhol (large bass drum) player. The baraat is met by the bride’s family at the entrance to the wedding venue. It symbolizes the pleasure and happiness of the Groom’s family in accepting the bride as a part of their family; as their very own.