Sikh wedding traditions

The Sikh wedding is the anand karaj, the ceremony of bliss, held in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib, usually in a gurdwara. It is simple in form and recognised in law in the UK, India and elsewhere. It is open to the community, and the meal is the free community kitchen, langar.

The lavan

The central act is the lavan, four hymns composed by Guru Ram Das. The couple walk around the Guru Granth Sahib four times while each hymn is sung, with the groom leading, and the bride's father or brother passes a scarf, the palla, between them. The ceremony begins with the milni, the meeting of the two families, and an ardas, prayer, and ends with the Anand Sahib and the distribution of karah prashad.

Before and after

Before the wedding families hold a roka, a vatna with turmeric, a mehndi and a jaggo, a night procession of song with lighted pots. After the ceremony comes the doli, the farewell, and the reception. Sikh guidance asks that the marriage be between Sikhs, and some gurdwaras refuse to hold interfaith ceremonies, while others differ. Dowry is discouraged.

Equality and debate

The lavan treats both partners equally, and many gurdwaras ask that the couple walk side by side or that both lead in turn. The question of who leads has been raised by modern couples. Tension over interfaith weddings in gurdwaras, and over the Anand Marriage Act of 1909 and its registration in India from 2012, remain current topics.