Wishesh December Magazine 2015

the ceremony. The bua or pof
(father’s sister) of the bride
and groom prepare var and
distributes everyone. They are
given cash by the respective
parents of the bride and the
groom as a token of love. This
is also the day when the waza
(family cook) arrives and puts
together a mud-and-brick oven
called wuri in the backyard of
the house. This is where the
traditional meals will be cooked
for the wedding ceremonies.
Wanvun
A sangeet session would be
conducted in both bride and
groom’s houses. The guests
are served a salted pink tea
(called noon or sheer chai),
at the end of the sangeet
sessions.
Maenziraat
A week prior to the wedding,
the maenziraat ceremony will
be held. It begins with krool
khaarun, a ceremony which
involves door decorating by
their respective aunts (father’s
sister). In the evening, the
bride-to-be follows an elaborate
bathing ritual, during which
her feet are washed by her
maternal aunt. After the bath,
her eldest aunt decorates her
hands and feet with maenz
(henna).
Thread Ceremony
(yagneopavit)
The Janayu or thread ceremony
will be conducted for the groom,
a few days before the wedding,
if at all it was not conducted
before.
Divagone
The divagone will witness
the transition of the bride
and the groom from
brahmacharya ashram
to grihastha ashram.
The bride and the
groom worship God
Shiva and Goddess
Parvati. The ceremony
is observed separately
by the girl’s family
and the boy’s family
in their respective
homes.
The Wedding
attires
The traditional
wedding attire for
Kshmirir pandits
is Pheran. The
groom wears a
tweed pheran with a sword
in his waistband and jootis in
his feet. His headgear has a
turban (gordastar), to which
a peacock feather will be tied
with a golden thread.
The bride’s pheran is usually
made of raffle, with ari or
hook embroidery at the
neck, cuff and edges. Over
the kalpush, a long piece of
starched and ironed snowwhite
cloth.
A white scarf (called zoojh)
will be wrapped over the
kalpush, which covers 50%
head from behind. The scarf
is left hanging on the back
of the head, over the braid,
till it reaches, just below the
shoulders.
Ceremony at the
groom’s house
While the groom’s turban
is being tied, a plate of rice
containing some money
(zung) is touched to his
right shoulder. Before
marriage procession leaves
for the bride’s house, the
groom must stand on a
vyoog (rangoli, a decorative
pattern made of rice flour
and colours). Groom is given
nabad to eat, to announce
his departure, a conch shell
is sounded. Two rice pots
containing money, are given
away to the poor, as a good
will gesture. The groom and
his party (baraat) leave for
the bride’s house in car.
DECEMBER 2015 | WWW.WISHESH.COM