Anand Karaj
The Sikh wedding ceremony, held before the Guru Granth Sahib.
Also: anand kaaraj, Sikh wedding, blissful union
Anand Karaj means blissful union. It is the Sikh wedding, conducted in a gurdwara or other place where the Guru Granth Sahib is installed, usually in the morning. The couple sit before the scripture, the bride's father places one end of a scarf, the palla, in the groom's hand and the other in the bride's, and four verses called the lavan are read, with the couple walking round the scripture after each. The Anand Karaj is recognised in law in India under the Anand Marriage Act of 1909 and later rules, and in the United Kingdom and elsewhere under local registration.
Region: South Asia