What Can You Expect from East Indian Weddings?

The Indian weddings can be considered as the ritualistic feasts filled with symbolic rituals, customs and traditions. The Indian subcontinent is diverse when it comes to language, food, culture and lifestyle, yet one finds common rituals in the Hindu wedding ceremonies across the country.

In the East Indian states like Bengal, Orissa and seven sisters of Northeast India, the traditions might be different, but everywhere marriage is considered as a lifelong commitment. In India, we believe that marriages are made in heaven and it is not just the coming together of two people but two families. Thus, consent and happiness of the families are given due importance.

Preference Given to Same Community

In almost all Indian weddings, people prefer to find the respective brides and grooms from their own community. This is because the customs and traditions and the language differ and they feel finding one from their own community will be easy to gel with.Thus, you will find that Bengalis will be searching in Bengali Matrimony and those from Orissa would prefer looking into Oriya matrimony. These preferences are, however, getting diluted as the young people today are more open to marrying a person of their choice irrespective of that person belonging to the same caste or community.

Interesting Wedding Traditions

If you witness a Bengali wedding, then you will find many interesting traditions and customs that enable friends and relatives to share joyous moments and celebrate the union of two souls. This is the same across cultures whether you witness an Oriya, Assamese or any other wedding. In most of the weddings, there is an exchange of garlands, giving away ceremony of the bride to the groom by her parents and the couple taking rounds around the holy fire and bidai. The only exception in the eastern states is that of Meghalaya, which follows a matriarchal system and the groom comes to stay at the bride’s home after marriage.

There are some marriage rituals and customs that are very peculiar of north-eastern states. In Tripura, if a boy wants to marry a particular girl, he needs to prove his worth to the girl’s family. For that, he moves to the girl’s house for some time and works. Only if he manages to impress the girl’s family, he is allowed to marry the girl.

Unlike other Indian states where the bride’s side gives money or gifts to the groom’s side, in Mizoram, the groom has to pay money to the girl’s family. The bride gifts a rug to the groom after marriage. The same rug is then used to wrap the husband’s body once he dies. Such customs can be seen as strange by many, but all the rituals and customs that are followed in various cultures have deep profound meanings and logic behind them.

The elaborate food spread is an integral part of almost every Indian wedding. You will find all the traditional dishes of the region or culture along with the famous dishes in the marriages. The distant family members and friends are treated to the best culinary experience and East Indian weddings are no different.