96 Kuli Maratha Wedding: An auspicious event

The 96 kuli maratha people are indigenous to the state of Maharashtra and are very simple in their way of life which is reflected in their marriages. They follow many traditions in their wedding ceremonies, which show the beauty of their wedding. Martha's wedding is scheduled for the morning. Like any other community, the people of Maharashtra believe in astrology and pay close attention to this phenomenon. The comparison of the stars and the planets is of great interest, because they strongly believe that the future life of the couple's marriage depends on the matching of stars.

To mark the engagement of a boy and a girl, both families exchange sugar and the event is known as Sakhar Puda. The event is informal and the next event known as Wang Nischay is an official participation event. Here they seek the blessings of family gods or "kuldevtas" and the event is held in the homes of a boy and a girl. After the ceremony, both families meet with a priest to conclude the wedding day.

A day before the wedding in Maratha Matrimony, the "Haldi Chadawat" festival is seen where mango leaves are added to haldi or turmeric paste. This is applied from the feet and gradually up to the entire body of both the bride and groom in their places. The wedding day begins with a prayer to Lord Ganesha and sweets are also offered. It is a common belief in many Indians, that before any good work, one should seek blessings from God.

This is done before all the rituals and customs of marriage are to be performed successfully without interruption. As the wedding in Maratha takes place in the morning, the groom arrives at the wedding venue during the day with his team. The groom's family members, his closest friends and relatives, and all those who regularly go with him. A lot of dancing and music is happening. To welcome the bridegroom and his family members, a puja is known as the "seeman puja" is arranged. After welcoming them, the bride's father washes the bridegroom's feet as a sign of respect. The groom also gives her gifts and blessings for her wonderful future life.

The parents of the bride offer a delicious and excellent breakfast for the whole family. Along with breakfast, the bride makes a "Gowrihar Puja".

The whole ceremony symbolizes a state of joy and happiness, which is enjoyed by the bride and groom and their families.

The bride is brought to the wedding feast as soon as the occasion comes. While the "antarpat" ceremony took place, the bride and groom were forbidden to watch each other. In this ceremony, a separation made of silk is placed between the bride and groom. The priest sings the repetitive rituals after the antarpat has been removed and the couple look at each other. During the ceremony, guests glean unbroken rice on top of the couple as a sign of blessings.

The next event at the 96 kuli Maratha wedding is the "kanyadaan" and "saptapadi" where the father of the bride gives his daughter to the groom and the couple surrounds the holy fire seven times and the shouts of the various mantras of the priests. This festival is also known as the saat phere, which is, in fact, the most important part of the Hindu religion.

After the ceremony, the wedding is over followed by a reception where guests are given sweets by the newlyweds. The bridegroom's family eats first and then the bride's. This is one of the distinguishing features of Martha's marriage.

After the end of the reception, the bride leaves her father's house and heads for her new home. The ceremony is also known as 'grihapravesha' when the mother of the bridegroom welcomes the bride, which adds something new to the family.

Anandmaratha.com helps users to find relevant similarities in their communities such as Maratha marriage, Marathi marriage from their online marriage and matching services.