Marriage?!

Now that I have your attention I wanted to talk about what an ideal wedding for me would look like. No, I am not getting married BUT weddings are fun, especially Punjabi Weddings!

(Yes, this is a random photo I found on the internet)

In a Punjabi wedding typically the ceremony is called Anand Karaj if the bride and groom belong to Sikhi. I am Punjabi and I belong to Sikhi so my wedding ceremony will be Anand Karaj. Some of the really exciting things happened the week before the wedding. So, let me break down to you.

1. Maia

• You ask what us Maia? Maia is basically when your relatives give you the spa treatment right before your wedding. You basically get a haldi (turmeric) mask on your face and arms and feet. Not really a spa day but I guess it gets the job done. lol

2. Jaggo

• "Jatta jaag bhayyi oye hunh jaggo aayi aah Sawa bhayyi hunh jaggo aayi aah" Jaggo literally mean wake up or stay awake cause we here bitch! In India and in Punjab we go out at night take a walk around the neighborhood with music and dhol. While the groom or bride hold a plate with divas and oil. While others carry a jug on their head that decorated with lights and patterns. Here is a picture of the what I am talking about below.

3. Chuda ceremony

• The chuda ceremony is when your uncle on your moms side (mamaji) and uncle on your dads side (chachaji) put bangles (chuda) on the arms of the bride. Below is a picture to show you what I mean.

4. Nanake Arrive

• This is when your moms side of the family arrive at your house and give a nanaki shak (gifts). Let's be honest this is the time where the family on your moms side of the family can flex and show off. I don't quite have a picture for it.

5. Mehndi ceremony

• This is when the bride gets mehndi put on her. Mehndi is henna. Mehndi is amazing and something that we as Indians get comments of why did you draw on your hands with orange marker (eye roll). BUT this is one of my favorite things and I love it. The bride gets it out on her hands and part of her arms and feet. Below is a pic of the mehndi.

I hope you enjoyed this post and are intrigued and want to attend a Punjabi wedding. In future posts I will go over what Anand Karaj is and what it means. Thanks for tuning in!

xoxo,

Harp