3 DAY BRISBANE HINDU WEDDING
Homya & Mukul
DAY ONE: MEHNDI & SANGEET
Even if you haven’t been to an Indian wedding before, no doubt you’ve heard of the Henna night, otherwise known as the Mehndi or Mehandi. An event dedicated to decorating the brides arms and feet in Henna, a thick paste-like dye that is applied to the skin, which then dries out and stains the skin. The remaining design is intricate, super-detailed, and unique. According to tradition, the darker the henna stain, the more love your marriage is supposed to have! And as a fun custom, the henna artist hides the groom’s name somewhere in the design, making a fun challenge for the groom to find his name hidden in the art.
The henna designs weren’t just limited to the bride though, each one of Homya’s bridesmaids received their own personal henna design, although smaller and limited to the hands (see day two for a photo!) As you can probably assume, the Mehndi/Mehandi is a lot more on the chill side, with multiple hours needed to properly apply and dry the henna art. It was a great event for Homya to sit and relax, whilst guests sat, mingled, ate and drank, and enjoyed some music.
Until after dinner, where the day transitioned from the Mehndi over to the Sangeet – where the party begins, literally. It’s essentially when the dance floor opens, and Punjabis are the wildest dancers I’ve seen. I’ve heard that back in ancient times, the Sangeet would last up to multiple days (up to 10), but I’m not sure how long people could actually last!
The Sangeet also includes a few choreographed dances from certain groups: Homya & Mukul had the bridesmaids perfrom, Mukul’s siblings, his aunties, and it ended with a dance between the bride and groom themselves. One day down!
DAY TWO: HALDI (AND HOLI)
Day two was my personal favourite day. A messy, crazy, intense day that was unique to say the least. The Haldi ceremony is iconic, with it’s bright yellow orange tones being a standout theme for this Indian wedding custom. Haldi is the Hindi name for turmeric, which is believed to bless the couple with cleansing and purification before their wedding day. Family and friends apply the Haldi in a paste over the face and arms of the bride and groom, and they then receive a shower of rose water from wedding guests again. No doubt it makes for incredible photos, and it’s not a surprise why this was my favourite day.
Then came Holi, and things got messier and crazier. You should know about Holi, or the Festival of Colours, as it’s India’s most well-known festival. It’s not actually a wedding custom, but it just so happened that Homya and Mukul’s Haldi ceremony fell on the same day as Holi anyway, so they decided to make it a part of their day! Even though it didn’t really have anything to do with the wedding, it’s definitely one of the most fun things I’ve been a part of for any wedding.
After a well deserved shower and change of outfit, we got into a short bangle ceremony for Homya, otherwise known as the Choora or Chura ceremony. A multitude of thin red and white bangles are played on Homya’s forearms, alongside two large gold bells hanging from her wrists. Traditionally, Indian brides are told to wear these bangles for 40 days, and it also means they’re allowed to take a break from all intense housework for that time. What a deal!
DAY THREE: WEDDING CEREMONIES
We made it to the final day; the day of the wedding ceremonies. Homya and Mukul wanted two wedding ceremonies, one traditional Hindu ceremony, and another for a western wedding ceremony. You probably know how a western wedding works, so I won’t go into much detail about how that went.
After getting changed again, Homya and Mukul were ready to start their Indian wedding ceremony at the mandap – the large square altar where the Hindu wedding ceremony actually happens. Mukul made his way first, with a mini-Baraat – a singing and dancing processional towards the mandap with the groom’s family. This might involve horses, bicycles, drummers and a band, but Homya and Mukul decided to keep it humble.
Homya then approached the mandap, with four brothers, brother-figures, or uncles holding a large veil by four corners. And when they finally met each other at the mandap, they exchanged flower garlands – which has huge significance in an Indian wedding, similar to the exchange of wedding rings. The priest then began the ceremony, chanting mantras in Hindi to bless the couple and their marriage, before lighting a flame in the centre of the mandap, which the Hindi ceremony revolved around.
After a quick afternoon reception and lunch, some speeches and more dancing (obviously), Homya and Mukul were ready to officially wrap things up, and take a break from their three-day Brisbane Indian wedding.
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