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A typical Muslim wedding in India, which is a predominantly Hindu country, is celebrated on a grand scale and follows the same Islamic wedding traditions that have been handed down from the time of the Great Mughal Emperors. Interestingly, just like weddings in the Hindu religion, a Muslim wedding is also divided into three parts - the pre-wedding celebration, the main wedding day celebration and the post-wedding celebration, each of which has its own significance and importance.
Pre-Wedding Ceremony - Mehndi Ceremony
The Mehndi ceremony is held at the bride's place on the eve of the wedding 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 the rest of the women sing traditional songs and dance to the tune of those songs. According to muslim wedding customs the bride should not step out of the house for the next few days until her marriage.
Wedding Day Celebrations
The wedding is normally held at the bride's place or at some other venue with the bride's family playing hosts. On the main wedding day the groom arrives with his family and friends, called 'baraat' and 'baraatis' respectively, at the wedding venue usually accompanied by a band of musicians and a lot of dancing on the part of the grooms' friends and family members. The baraat is warmly welcomed by the bride's family and even showered by rose petals and garlanded with flowers.
Nikah Ceremony
The main wedding ceremony, where the muslim wedding vows are exchanged, is called the Nikah. A Maulvi or priest, in the presence of close family members, solemnizes the Nikah. The Maulvi reads selected verses from the Quran and the Nikaah is complete after the Ijab-e-Qubul (proposal and acceptance), i.e. after both the bride and the groom provide their consent in the presence of two witnesses. After the Nikah is over the newly wedded bride and groom receive the blessings of their elders and well-wishers and all the guests pray for their happy married life.
Dinner
The Muslim wedding cuisine is one of the major attractions of an Islamic marriage, especially for the non-Muslim guests, since on offer are the choicest non-vegetarian delicacies like Mutton Dum Biryani, Murg Musallam, Nehari, Kebabs and traditional muslim desserts like the Shahi Tukra and Sheer Khurma. While there are also vegetarian items available it is the non-veg items that are truly to-die-for.
Post-Dinner Rituals
After the dinner, the newly wedded couple sit together for the first time surrounded by their family members who perform some more rituals which finally culminates in the 'Muh-dikhai' where the groom and the bride get to see each other for the first time. In some families the couple are allowed to see each other only through mirrors and not directly. Once all the rituals are over the bride and groom are finally left alone for the night at the bride's place itself.
Post Wedding Celebrations - Rukhsati
The morning after the wedding is the 'Rukhsati' or the departure where the bride finally leaves her maternal home and is sent to her husband's house. This is both a joyous as well as a sad occasion and is usually accompanied by a lot of tears on the part of the bride and her family members. After the bride reaches her husband's house her mother-in-law welcomes her and holds the Quran over her head as she enters her new home for the first time after the wedding.
Valimah or the Reception Ceremony
Valimah is the reception given by the groom's family. It is usually a grand occassion hosted by the groom's parents where the bride's family members are the honored guests. It is a fun and joyous occasion that brings together the two families and is a good time for friends and relatives of both the families to acquaint themselves with each other.
The Valimah finally brings to an end all the festivities of a classic Muslim wedding with the bride and the groom all set to enter a new phase of their lives accompanied by the blessings of their elders and well-wishers. |
