A Mayian Ceremony [also referred to as Haldi, Batna or Vatna], is a traditional ceremony taking place a few days prior to your wedding. This ceremony consists of friends and family rubbing a paste on the bride and groom; the traditional meaning of Maiyan is to cleanse the skin and create a glow!

Jaggo is a time for singing and dancing where the bride's female relatives will dance with matkas (pots) on their heads decorated with lights and oil candles. We are spicing it up by combining both the bride's and groom's families together. Jaggo literally translates to “wake-up” and this event would have historically happened by alerting the village at night about the upcoming wedding.

Have you wondered why some Indian brides are wearing a set of red and white bangles on their wedding day or seen a bride wearing beautiful red and white bangles a few days after the wedding? This set of bangles is called a Choora and is traditionally worn by the bride on the wedding day and for a period after the wedding. This tradition is mostly prevalent in Punjabi families. The tradition is mostly followed in northern parts of India. This signifies her status as a newly married woman. The choora is believed to bring prosperity and fertility to the married couple. This custom is now being adopted from brides across Indian communities as the choora not only looks amazing and beautiful but also lays emphasis on their newly married status like sindoor and mangalsutra.

Anand Karaj or the “Blissful Union” is the main event of the entire wedding ceremony and takes place during the daytime at the Gurudwara. Both families enter the Gurudwara to participate in the Kirtan. The Kirtan is a ritual of singing a collection of religious songs. The Guru Granth Sahib or the holy book of Sikhism is brought out as the Gurudwara priest recites ardas or a set of prayers before the bride and groom.

Main Hall or Darbar
The entire congregation sits on the floor facing the Guru Granth Sahib (holy book), men and women on separate sides of the aisle. At the end of the walkway is a grand structure that houses the Guru Granth Sahib. In front of the Guru Granth Sahib, there is a large donation box. It is customary to donate a small offering then kneel on the ground and touch your forehead to the floor as a sign of respect (just follow the person in front of you). You are now ready to be seated.

Sagan

It is tradition to gift the bride and groom a small amount of money (with/without an envelope) after the wedding ceremony. In many North Indian communities, it is known as Sagan or Shagun. Many couples end up depositing the cash for their future use. 

This is a religious ceremony and you will be sitting on the floor for the duration of it so please dress accordingly. For women that are not wearing Indian outfits, please dress conservatively (no spaghetti straps or bare legs), and for men, no hats. Before entering the main prayer hall inside the temple, everyone must take off their shoes and cover their heads. Men and Women have separate rooms in which to leave their shoes during the ceremony. They are located on either side of the Gurdwara’s foyer.

Ladies use the headscarf that comes with an Indian suit (or any other) to cover their heads.

Men use a ramal (bandana) to cover their head and tie it at the base of their head. The families will have specific wedding ramals before the ceremony; however, if you do not get one, there are extras provided by the Gurdwara. You are welcome to bring your own ramal as well. Please make sure to return these before you leave.

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One of the most recognizable moments of a Hindu-Sikh marriage ceremony is the Vidaai, when the Bride’s family bids farewell to their daughter as she rides away with her new Husband. Also known as the Bidaai, based on which region is celebrating the ritual, this ritual is one of the most emotional stages of the wedding day for both the Bride and her parents.

The Sisters Guard the door

The bridegroom and his family will head to the bride’s home for the vadaai ceremony after the wedding. They’ll be received at the front door by the sisters and female relatives of the bride. They will not let the groom and his family into the home without meeting their financial demands.

The groom will have to pay his way into the bride’s home. Once he pays up, the family will be allowed inside and offered refreshments. It’s fun to see how the groom and his entourage are blocked at the front door by the bride’s female relatives and dared to enter.

Kanyadaan ceremony

During the Kanyadaan ceremony the father of the Bride accepts the union of the Bride and Groom, however, the Vidaai is the official sendoff for his daughter.

It’s always fun to see the bride and groom enter a few rounds of traditional Punjabi wedding games that will determine who’ll have that upper hand in their Punjabi marriage. These traditional Indian wedding games can be played during the wedding or post-wedding on the vidaai day.