Engagement Ceremony

Indian Wedding culture celebrates marriage as a Sanskar, a rite enabling two individuals to start their journey in life together.  In Hindu wedding, the multiplicity of creation becomes possible when man unites with woman.  Hindu wedding lays emphasis on three essential values:

• Happiness
• Harmony and
• Growth.

In earlier days, institution of marriage should be held in day time, but now a days it is held in the evening.  Engagement ceremony is also known as Mangni.  This is to bless the couple, who are then given gifts, jewelry and clothing by their new family.

On this day, the groom’s family (Brother, sisters, sister-in-laws, brother-in-laws and all close relatives) go to brides home taking with them on a silver plate puja items for the Tilak i.e. roli, haldi, rice, sweets, dry fruits, ring and sometimes a garland.  They also take outfits / sarees and sweet boxes and other gifts for the bride and their families.  

The groom's sister on this occasion brings a platter full of clothes, toys, cosmetics, dry fruits etc and place it into the lap of thebride.  The toys in the platter is believed to a secret wish from the groom's family to have a fertile bride who will bear the future progeny of the family.  This is also called God Bharai.

The bride is dressed grandly in tradition lengha or saree which is given to bride by her mother in law.  Now a days, it’s a practice to send that saree before a day, so that girl can dress up in the same saree and reach to the destined place.  The bride sits on a silver chowki or any designer chowki surrounded by all the ladies who had come to perform thetikka and members of her own family.  They all sing the traditional wedding songs to the bride (now-a days, it is sung by a naeen). Their groom’s sister / bhabhi puts tikka on her forehead and bride worn all jewelry like necklace, kangani, bangles, payal, etc. there itself brought by her inlaws by her sister-in-laws. The doll / baby boy toy bears a special significance as they are presented to the bride with a wish that she may bear many children in the future.  All the gifts signs of marital bliss and are considered shubh.  Now a day’s flowers jewelry is also in fashion. The groom’s sister feed her some sweet.

After this mother in law of the girl do minsai.  (Minsai is a collection of 9 items in a small pack like 7 kaju, 7 badam…….and so on of your choice with 11 rupees of whatever you wish inside.  You can also take a small pouch in which you can put these items.  In this tradition girl touch these items and then given to seven little girls in ceremony if they are not available than it can be given outside also.)  And one green color gota saree is also to be get touched by the hands of the girl and then given to some pandit or panditayan.

The bride’s family in turn also gives gifts of cash, silver and gold jewelry, clothes to the groom and his relatives.

Then Milni is done and gifts are distributed.   

Then both the families performs geet, Sangeet, dance programs.

Traditionally an Agarwal Sangeet involved ladies of the families getting together and singing wedding songs to bless the bride.  Today, the modern sangeet is a spectacular event consisting of performances by family and friends, most of the time organised in the form of skit.  The skit tells the story of the bride and the groom in interesting commentary, music and dance.  Later in the evening, the dance floor is opened up to all the guest to celebrate.

Tentative list of items, I have mentioned in my earlier post.

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