Homage To Haldi

Indian weddings are known for their vibrant and vivacious rituals, with each ritual having its own significance. People who are a part of it can’t help getting affected by its infectious energy and positivity. The rituals like mehendi, sangeet and haldi take place before the actual wedding. One of the most interesting and engaging pre-wedding rituals is the haldi ceremony, which takes place a day before the wedding. According to the norms of the two families, the ceremony is either conducted individually or jointly by the two families.

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The haldi for the bride is sent by the groom’s family along with her wedding attire and jewellery. In some traditions, the paste used by the bride is the same one used by the groom or touched by him. Customarily, the colour yellow is preferred for the outfits of the couple. The bride is draped in a soft yellow cotton or silk saree with minimal or no accessories. At times, she also adorns ornaments made out of flowers. This is done to promote a more natural look of the bride. Even the family, friends and relatives of the bride and groom dress in a simple way and colours of their outfits are generally limited to various hues of yellow with specks of red and green.

The most important component of the ceremony is the haldi paste. It is basically a concoction of turmeric, sandalwood powder, milk and rose water which forms a fragrant mixture that is applied on the bodies of both the bride as well as the groom. It is applied to bless the soon-to-be-wedded couple with immense happiness, fortune and prosperity. In some parts of India, flour and rice are also added to the paste. The haldi paste is applied on the bride using fresh mango leaves. The family members, friends and relatives of the bride apply the paste on the bride. The same is done by the groom’s family too. After applying haldi, the paste is allowed to dry before taking a shower. This ceremony is awash with music, fun and frolic. Ladies gather to sing numerous folk songs to celebrate the occasion. In many cultures, the bride and the groom also apply this sacred paste on their unmarried friends and siblings. It is said that whosoever has the paste applied on them will soon find an eligible partner. Alternatively known as ubtan, gaye holud, pithi, mandha and tel baan in different regions, this ritual has a deep-rooted significance and meaning.

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