The Wedding Procession

"The groom sat an elephant with body guards, policeman, infantry, band, jagirdars on horseback and dancing girls. Money was thrown on him throughout the four mile procession which took two to three hours to reach the palace." This description conjures up images of colour and opulence. But it is not only the royals who indulged in elaborate processions.

Processions of different types form an important part of the wedding. It must be remembered that Indian marriages are not merely religious functions, but social events too. In olden times, communities were small and everyone was known to everyone else. The procession was an opportunity to involve all in the community in a colourful pageant. often, weddings were fixed between the bride of one village and the groom of another. In cases such as these, the whole village would turn out excorting the bridal couple to the wedding hall.

To the Indian mind, marriage is more than the union of a man with a women. It is the coming together of families, communities and even villages. It provides an opportunity to meet new people and form new relationships. At this time the bride ceases to be an individual or just the child of her parents but a part of a larger family or community. So too the groom. The communities thus feel a personal rapport and responsibility to the bridal couple, and the act of escorting them becomes a fulfillment of this responsibility. The procession is also believed to give those too old or frail to move about an opportunity to bless the couple. As the procession winds past houses, wishes and blessings would be called out to them.

Another angle to the procession is the almost royal feel it gives the bride and groom. It is their chance to be in the limelight, the centre of all attention. It must be remembered that child marriage was common in earlier times, and the procession would have delighted any child. At the planning of these marriages, the children themselves had no role. All delicioius were taken by the adults. The children merely followed where they were lead. But during the wedding, the attention focused on the child. The child was carried through the streets in a burst of colour and pageantry that would enthrall and captivate him. There is yet another subtle but critical reason for this procession. The belief is that when the bride and groom are led in an open procession, anyone remembering anything untoward or unsavoury about them would raise the issue. It is a subtle request, as in the Christian wedding, to raise any objections about the union at this stage or never at all.

This is one of the reasons for the open and community style celebration of the wedding itself. It is believed that with the entire community watching issues that have to be raised will be raised and others that do not matter will for ever be swept away. Another modern day belief is that making the marriage vows with all near and dear ones watching puts pressure on the bride and groom to make the marriage work.

Another perhaps more obvious reason for the precession was safety. In earlier times, processions were not limited to safe city roads, but often wound their way cross country. The noise and lights and sheer numbers were probably an effective detterent to predatory or even unsavoury elements. The processions also gave the wedding parties a chance to reveal their status, their financial position and their importance-a subtle reminder to the other side!

But no matter what the reasons, the processions are a colourful and vibrantelement of many Indian wedding. During the Sikh wedding the groom sets out for the bride's place wearing a turban, Serra and carrying a sword. His sister ties the Serra and he is accompanied by a younger brother or friend. The belief is that the tying of the Serra confers on him the status of God. The groom usually rides a mare. The slow journey is accompanied by a display of fireworks and a vibrant and enthusiastic bhangra to the beat of the dholak. At the milni or meeting point, they are met by the bride's family. Gifts and gurlands are exchanged as the families come together symbolically for the first time. It is only then, that the groom dismounts from the mare. The Rajput baraar or procession is a bit different. The bdidegroom is dressed in a gold achkan with a churidhar or jodhpurs. His sports an orange turban and jootis. he also wears a cummerbund around his waist. The baraat is entirely male and the procession is regal rather than lively. There is no dancing and all the members carry swords. Although the groom sometimes rides an elephant, the horse is usually considered important.

The Punjabi groom, during his baraat, wears a turban tied with flowers(Serra). The tying of this Serra is a caremony by itself. It takes place in the late noon or early evening. The priest does a pooja and then the pagri (turban) and Serra are purified and blessed. Elders also bless a silver mukut. The priest then ties the pagri and the silver mukut is tied over it. The groom's sister then ties the Serra. Surma is put on the groom's eye to ward off evil. The groom then mounts the horse. A gold thread is tied to the reins of the horse before the groom sets off.

The Bengali groom and his relatives arrive at the bride's house to the ringing of bells and the blowing of conches. Here he is received by the family of the bride.

In the Maharastrian wedding, the bride's relatives escort the groom and his relatives to the wedding hall.

The Assamese groom arrives at the wedding hall with his friend or brother who projects him symbolically holding an umbrella. They are greeted by a shower of rice to ward off evil spirits. In a peculiar Bengali custom, the bride is carried to the mandap on a silver tray. Her feet do not touch the ground on the wedding day. In a similar custom the Telugu bride is carried in a basket by her maternal uncle.

In the South Indian janavasam the groom visits the temple and prays to the Lord. He returns in a slow procession accompanied by the family and friends. In olden days, a horse drawn chariot was used, but today an open top car subtitutes. In many northern states like Bihar the groomused to be carried in a palki. Here too the car is often substituted.