Where is Bangladesh
Posted by tdrrockwrd5 on Thursday, January 12, 2012
There is something very special about a Hindu Bangladeshi marriage. The
event is elaborate and the rituals and ceremonies generally begin with
the engagement that takes place a few days before the wedding.
Bangladeshi marriage is referred to as bibaha in the local language. The
celebrations of the bibaha or the Bangladeshi marriage do not end with
the wedding as the rituals continue post marriage as well. Every wedding
in the family is a joyous occasion with relatives coming in from far
and near to participate in the celebrations. If you want to know more
about this, check out Where is Bangladesh. The
rituals begin with Adan Pradan which is way of checking the lineage of
the individuals to be married to ensure there is no direct blood
relationship between the couple and that they belong to the same caste.
The engagement ceremony takes place once the priest who is referred to
as the purohit confirms their lineage. The engagement is known as
Aashirwad and is a formal agreement that the alliance has been fixed.
All ceremonies that are a part of the Bangladeshi marriage are performed
with the blessings of deities and elders in the family. The idol of
Bhagwan Narayan presides over the engagement ceremony. The couple
exchange rings and seek the blessings of the elders by touching their
feet. As per custom there is exchange of gifts which also include
heirloom jewelry.The next ritual known as vridhi is performed a day
prior to the wedding. In this, the bride and groom pray to their
forefathers and ask for their blessing.The day of the wedding starts
with a ceremony called dodhi mangal.
This ritual is held before the sun comes up at the side of a water
body. Married women separately accompany the bride and the groom to the
water body and invoke the blessings of Goddess Ganga and invite her to
preside over the wedding. Water from the site is carried home in earthen
pots and the couple is bathed with it water.The bibaha ceremony is not
complete without the groom sending gifts called gaehalud tattva to the
bride. The gifts include clothes, cosmetics, sweets and fruits. The
bride's family in turn sends gifts for the groom, called adhibas
tattva.The Bangladeshi marriage has a lot of rituals on the wedding day,
before the actual ceremony. Each ritual has to be performed in a
specific order. As part of the wedding day rituals, a special ceremony
called kubbi patta is held in the homes of the couple where Sant Kuber
is worshipped.The Bangladeshi marriage rituals are incomplete without
the traditional snan or bath. The bride and groom are smeared with
turmeric and oil before they can bathe, after which the couple is
adorned in their wedding finery. The bride is dressed in shimmering
clothes and her face covered in a veil.The groom arrives at the bride's
home in a procession accompanied by family. The group is welcomed by the
bride's family amidst sounds of bells, ululation and conch shells, all
of which are symbol of good tidings. As the groom crosses the threshold,
the women in the family pour water on the doorstep. For more info,
visit Where is Bangladesh.