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EveryShaadi

Wedding traditions of South Asia

Saptapadi and the sacred fire, mehndi and haldi, baraat and nikah: the longest, loudest weddings anywhere. 119 traditions on EveryShaadi so far.

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreAlpanaআলপনা (Bengali) Rice flour floor paintings that bless homes and mark wedding celebrations in Bengal.Adornment · The weeks before

🇮🇳 IndiaOppanaഒപ്പന A circle dance and song tradition of the Mappila Muslim community in Kerala weddingsPerformance · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 IndiaChaklong wedding The traditional Ahom marriage system involving rice powder mandalas and ancestral rituals.Rite · Finding a match

🇮🇳 IndiaMehndi The henna body art applied to brides and guests before a South Asian wedding ceremony.Adornment · The weeks before

🇮🇳 IndiaOdia Hindu weddingBahaghara (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ବାହାଘର) The traditional Hindu marriage ceremony of the Odia people in Odisha, India.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreBengali Muslim weddingবাঙালি মুসলিম বিয়ে A multi-day Bengali Muslim marriage blending Islamic rites with local folk traditions.Rite · The weeks before 🇮🇳 IndiaZoroastrian wedding A Zoroastrian marriage ceremony featuring hand-fastening, rice sprinkling, and shared meals.Rite · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇳 IndiaTelugu Hindu weddingతెలుగు వివాహ వేడుక A multi-day Telugu Hindu marriage marked by seven vows around fire and family rituals.Rite · Finding a match

🇮🇳 Madurai, IndiaGoluBommai kolu (Tamil), Bommala Koluvu (Telugu), Gombe Habba (Kannada) A tiered display of dolls and figurines arranged in South Indian homes during the Navaratri festival.Feast custom · The weeks before

🇮🇳 Ahmedabad, India and 1 moreGarba A circle dance from Gujarat performed around a sacred flame during the Navaratri festival.Performance · The weeks before

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Mehndi: AKS.9955, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Chaklong wedding: Chiring chandan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Garba: anurag agnihotri, CC BY 2.0, source
Odia Hindu wedding: Aditya Mahar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Alpana: Tripan123, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Oppana: Shagil Kannur, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Bengali Muslim wedding: NahidSultan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Golu: Ksiva21, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

The weekly EveryShaadi

Every week: one wedding tradition from somewhere new, the wedding days coming up around the world, and one idea explained.