The Sindhis are mainly Sanatani Hindus who do not follow Hindu rituals and rites very strictly.  Vedic rites are mainly followed during their marriage. The Sindhis mainly reflect a blend of Sufism and Hinduism. The marriage ceremony is mainly conducted on holy days like Satyanarayana Chandsi or the day of new moon. There are a number of pre wedding rituals and ceremonies that are followed by the Sindhis similar to the Hindus. The mark of beginning with Misri–Among the pre wedding ceremonies the first and foremost is the Kachi Misri and Pakki Misri. The Kachi Misri is a pre engagement sort and is performed after mutual agreement of both the families upon the marriage. A small puja is conducted and Mithai is exchanged between family members as a mark of the beginning of a new life and ceremony.

Mehndi- signifying the strength of love. The bride during this ceremony has her feet and hands intricate with paste of henna, mehndi leaves, lemon juice and some water. The paste is left overnight for drying and the bride doesn’t wash her hands unless dried completely  Sagri- In this ceremony the groom’s sister comes to the bride’s home and she is adorned with gifts, jewelries and other expensive gifts. Flowers are twined into garlands and the bride gifts her with cosmetics, misri, coconut and variety of gifts and fruits. The guests are respected and adorned with lot of gifts and gratitude. Now-a-days many families combine the mehndi, sagri and pakki misri into one called the Sangeet.  Ladas –the sindhi wedding songs, are sung throughout the day during the festive occasion and all people enjoy having fun and singing.

Navgrai Puja– As the name implies it suggests about the prayers being offered to the nine planets of the Solar System. The Hindus and ancient studies reveal that celestial bodies greatly influence lives and destiny of individual people. The puja seeks blessings from the Gods of nine planets. The puja is performed initially in the bride’s home and then by the groom’s house. It is said that the bride’s maternal brother needs to be present in the ceremony and puja. Suhaginis, the married women are need to be present wearing silk dupattas of various motifs and seven colors are to be present. After the puja, the turmeric paste is applied on the bride as a symbol of blending and happiness. , The pujas include Ganesh Puja, Kalash Puja, Omkar Puja, Lakshmi Puja and the puja of the Navagrahi. Vanwas – the ceremony to keep away from worldly luxuries-In this ceremony the couple is dressed in old clothes and a red dahga is tied around the each one’s wrist and their parents. The couple is restricted to eat meat and alcohol until completion of marriage. Family members pour oil on top of their head and body and then they break the clay pot. The old clothes are then abandoned and new items are worn soon after the ceremony. It marks the fresh beginning of new day with new clothing and all puja and old items are immersed in the ocean or Ganga water.

Ghari Bukhi– the final custom of pre ritual ceremony–This is the most important pre marriage ceremony that is performed with a special puja for the parents as well as the bride and the groom. It is usually performed on the day of the marriage. The priest performs the prayers with sheer faith and belief in God. Rice, wheat grains, flowers, oil, betel nuts, coconut, turmeric and a number of species are offered in the pujas. The groom offers some grains to the priest as a symbol of charity. It indicates a promise to look after the house and need of the people who are unwanted.

Wedding and post wedding rituals are conducted with great pomp and show as well. We give you a brief idea about the various rituals that are followed among the Sindhis after the marriage.

Weddings are the greatest time that makes people come close to each other. The colorful and vibrant wedding scenarios make sindhi rituals livelier. Just like other marriages among other communities of the country, the marriage of sindhis also extend for several days after the marriage. The post sindhi rituals are mostly concentrated around the bride, to make her comfortable in the new house and environment and make herself acquainted with the family members. With these rituals she blends herself with the new family. The three main customs of post ritual ceremonies are

1.The datar ceremony

2.The chhanar tradition

3.The sataurah custom

You can get an idea about the various ceremonies from our site and plan accordingly. We help you with a brief overview about the customs and practices of such rituals.

The datar ceremony

It is a welcome ceremony performed in the groom’s house to welcome the newlywed bride. Drums are beat to announce such welcome. The groom’s parents wash the feet of the bride at the entrance. Milk is sprinkled throughout the house during this time. While this is happening the in laws cover the heads of the bride. Salt is given on the bride’s hand and she gives to her husband. The groom should return back without sprinkling any salt. The process is repeated thrice. This salt when blend in food adds taste to it and so will the new bride blend with the family soon. She would soon become an integral part of the family and bring about wealth and prosperity in the new home.

The Chhanar tradition

This is also known as the Dev Uthana. This ritual marks the proper end of the wedding process. Devs that were kept as deities are now removed and the wedding ritual now stands fulfilled with all customs done properly.

The sataurah custom

In this ritual the new couple visits bride’s house on a day decided by the priest. The day should be an auspicious one as well as the time. They come for a visit to the bride’s house for the first time after marriage and huge gifts are showered upon the couple. Jewelry, clothing, sweets are huge along with wrapped presents. The family members enjoy a lot and lot of fun making moments are relived.

All these rituals have a special significance among the sindhis as they all aim at providing a friendly nature to the bride and make her comfortable.

Raja Kumar