After an awesome sangeet the night before, Ashmita and Kevin’s guests had big expectations for the second day of their four-day Northern Virginia Indian wedding. And Day 2 didn’t disappoint in the slightest! The couple’s traditional haldi ceremony was more intimate than the grand event that kicked off their celebrations. It definitely included tender more expressions of love from their families and friends. But it was every bit as festive and celebratory as the sangeet. Even in the relatively cozy confines of Ashmita’s parents’ basement, the guests found a way to dance and party in honor of the soon-to-be newlyweds. And the haldi ceremony photos that we took were vibrant, fun, touching and above all, unforgettable!
Haldi Ceremony Photos from Punjabi Wedding in Northern Virginia
Before we talk about why this part of Ashmita and Kevin’s wedding was so special, allow us a word about the custom itself. In Indian traditions, the haldi ceremony is a very important step in a couple’s journey towards marriage. It takes place before the wedding ceremony. In some Indian cultures, it happens on the morning of; in others, the day before.
The ceremony begins with the couple sitting at the front of the room. A Hindu priest then leads them in a puja (ritual prayer). Once that finishes, the couple’s extended families approach them one by one and smear bright yellow turmeric paste on their faces, arms and legs. The goal of this ritual is to bring good fortune and protect the soon-to-be newlyweds from the “evil eye.” Many also believe that turmeric freshens and cleans the skin, and reduces stress levels. The distinctive yellow color is also significant. That hue is traditionally auspicious – only red is luckier in Hindu culture. So coating the couple in paste of that hue should bring them good fortune on their wedding day.
As we mentioned above, we were struck by the tenderness and love with which the couple’s families applied the paste. You could see in their faces how happy they were for both Kevin and Ashmita. The bride’s father, in particular, hugged and kissed both throughout the ceremony.
Though sacred and touching, the ritual is far from serious. It is almost always fun and lighthearted, with lots of laughter, singing and dancing. Ashmita and Kevin’s certainly no exception! We got tons of haldi ceremony photos with both the bride and groom grinning from ear to ear as their loved ones “painted” them yellow. The whole affair set the stage perfectly for their Punjabi wedding ceremony the following day.
Chura Ceremony Before Northern Virginia Indian Wedding
There was one more event, though, before the couple retired to rest up for their Northern Virginia Indian wedding ceremony. The official portion of this relatively brief day concluded with another common Punjabi wedding ritual – the choora ceremony. It is customary for the bride’s maternal uncle to place ornate red-and-white matrimonial bangles on his niece’s arm before the wedding. Traditionally, a new bride would wear them for a year after her wedding to signal that she is a married woman. Brides today typically wear them for shorter periods of time.
Ashmita’s uncle was on hand to do the honors for her. His presence was significant, as he had come all the way from Delhi for the wedding. (No small feat in the COVID era!) As the bride covered her eyes, he bathed the bangles in milk and then slid them one by one onto her wrist. Once all of them were in place, there was a big reveal that delighted the entire crowd.
Ashmita’s female relatives then took turns affixing little gold charms to her new accoutrements. They put on so many that we wondered if the bride would be able to lift her arms! Then all the unmarried women present came to sit at the front of the room. The bride then held her hands above the head of each one and shook them vigorously. If a charm fell onto the woman, it meant that she herself would marry soon. One of our favorite pictures from the day captured the look of surprised delight on the bride’s sister’s face when one landed on her.
The celebration slowly wound a close, but you could tell that the guests were more than ready for Kevin and Ashmita’s Northern Virginia Hindu wedding ceremony. Click here to read more about that.
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