Sikh Weddings: What to Wear and Expect

If you’re planning a Sikh wedding or have the pleasure of attending one, we’ve got the scoop on Sikh traditions and what to expect at one. A Sikh is a person who follows Sikhism, an Indian religion. Although Sikh weddings and Indian weddings share many similarities like a baraat, sangeet, and mandap, they have distinctive qualities which set them apart. Sikh weddings, are also known as “Anand Karaj” or “blissful union” and usually take place at the Sikh temple or anywhere else the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh holy bible) is present.

Dress Code

All guests and those a part of the bride and groom’s families are required to cover their heads at the wedding. Men wear turbans or bandannas, while women wear shawls or bandannas to cover their heads as a sign of respect for the holy place.

Here you can see everyone’s heads are covered in respect for the holy temple.

The Ceremony Setting

[Taken at a Thomas Bui Lifestyle Sikh wedding event]

No chairs! Yes everyone sits on the ground. Even within the mandap, everyone must sit on the ground but they’re allowed to sit upon small pillows as long as the cushions are touching the ground. There is a special mandap for the holy book. Once at the ceremony, everyone walks in a line to put some money into a box next to the holy bible then bows down to the holy bible or kneels in prayer.

The Wedding Day

The groom and his baraat arrives to the bride’s house in style. Whether by a decorated elephant or horse, the groom rides into the ceremony flanked by a “sarvala” who protects the groom. At the bride’s house, the “milini” ceremony is held where the bride and groom’s respective families embrace as a symbol of the two families joining into one.

During the wedding ceremony, the lavan from the Guru Granth Sahib will take place. After the reading of each verse, the couple walk around the guru granth Sahib in a clockwise direction, the groom leading the bride. This is repeated 4x.

You’ll notice the groom has a sword on him at all times and it’s a nod to Sikh history. Years before, Sikh warriors were often targeted by assassins, so they carried the sword for protection. Now a days, the sword is more of a decoration aspect.

Doli Muklava or Vidai

The Doli ceremony marks the end of the wedding celebration. It’s an emotional time for the bride’s family. As the bride departs from her beloved parent’s house, she throws back handfuls of rice over her shoulder, thereby wishing prosperity for her parents and family, which she leaves behind to start a new life with new dreams and aspirations.

Since the bride wears many gold bracelets on her wrists, she can shake them over the heads of her closest female friends as a sign of good luck. If a coin comes loose, the single female friend can take the coin as a symbol of marital luck; much like the Western tradition of tossing the bride’s bouquet. The one with the biggest coin will get married first!

If you’d like more detailed information on Sikh weddings or advice on how to plan one, contact Nahid Farhoud at [email protected]!

Photos:

About.com, Serendipity Photography

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