Haldi Ceremony - The Essence of Hindu Weddings You Shouldn’t Miss

Haldi ceremony or pithi tradition is a pre-wedding function. It includes turmeric paste that is applied on the soon-to-be bride and groom separately at their homes. The yellow colour of turmeric makes it a must-have ingredient for many auspicious occasions.

Be it Kerala Hindu wedding or Maharashtrian, Gujarati, Punjabi or any other Hindu wedding, haldi custom is a must. Even our sacred texts and scriptures highlight the importance of turmeric during worshipping and marriage function.

The marriage ceremony is a potpourri of many traditions. Here we are going to highlight the wow factor of haldi ceremony in this blog. So, keep scrolling and reading!

What’s the ritual of turmeric ceremony?

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Call it ubtan, tel baan, mandha or pithi, the haldi paste has various names. But the sole purpose is to beautifying the bride and the groom. This function takes place separately at soon-to-be bride’s and groom’s place.

Back in time, haldi paste was applied a few days in advance regularly to get the desired wedding glow. At present, it is applied in the morning right before the wedding day. Different regions have different ways of conducting this tradition.

Haldi ceremony procedure

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The haldi or turmeric paste is made using various ingredients. Below is a list of ingredients people usually mix together.   

• Turmeric powder (haldi)
• A nice bowl to mix
• Water or Rose Water
• Sandalwood powder
• Mango leaves for application of the paste
• Puja thali for pooja
• Scrub to remove the paste
• A small altar or table to sit on

Once the paste is ready, it is applied on the groom’s and bride’s face, feet, neck, and hands by their family members. Married women also sing and dance along that adds to the fervor. With siblings and friends accompanying, it becomes a fun-filled tradition. The sacred haldi is also applied to unmarried siblings and friends as a harbinger of good omen. It is also believed that it helps them find the desired partner. WINK! WINK!

The WOW factors of haldi that make it an auspicious ingredient

There are various wow factors associated with haldi that makes it a must-have ingredient for the wedding ceremony. Let’s have a look at some of these factors below-

The shade of auspiciousness and prosperity

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The yellow shade of turmeric is auspicious. It stands for prosperity as well. Applying it on couples is said to bring prosperity. It also symbolizes the beginning of a new life for newly wedded couples.

This is why girls and boys who are about to get married choose special haldi outfits in the same shade. Even some choose special haldi ceremony jewellery!

Now, the market is swarmed with haldi ceremony jewellery and outfits in a variety of designs.

Wards of evil eye and evil spirits

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Applying ubtan or turmeric paste is said to keep the evil eye away and ward off evil spirits. This is why the soon-to-be bride and groom get this paste applied on their face and other parts during the ritual. Once the haldi tradition is finished, bride and groom aren’t allowed to go outside until the D-day comes.

They are also given amulets, betel nuts, iron-made folded knife and other items to protect themselves from buri nazar.

Perfect exfoliant

Turmeric has many medicinal properties. It is a natural beauty ingredient that soothes the skin, and makes it supple and glowing. Applying it a few days in advance makes the skin radiant on the D-Day!

The antiseptic property of haldi also eliminates breakouts and blemishes. It also exfoliates the skin and detoxifies it.

How can you make your haldi ceremony stand out?

Wedding card sayings already have a mentioning of haldi ceremony. But how about decoration ideas? How are you going to take care of your haldi ceremony decorations?

You want to look outstanding, don’t you? After all, who wouldn’t want Instagram the perfect bride or groom’s picture? Here are a few ideas to keep the confusion at bay.

Pick a theme

Pick an easy peasy theme for this ceremony. In case of winter weddings, pick indoor sitting, and for summer weddings, choose outdoor sitting arrangements. Pick everything from chairs to tables, props and even jhula in the shades of orange and yellow.

Ask your guests to come in yellow attire

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To match the theme, ask your guests to come in yellow attire. This will add fun to the whole function. Even ask girls to wear yellow outfits and specially made haldi ceremony jewellery! Boys can wear yellow kurta with pagdi.

Decorate the surroundings with yellow-orange flowers

Whether it’s indoor sitting or outdoor sitting, decorate it with yellow flowers to make it even more vibrant. Even you can use LED light diyas and candles for vibrancy!

Add some Bollywood numbers

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To break the monotony and set the mood, add some Bollywood numbers. Everyone wants to get most out of his/her marriage ceremony. Gather your friends and family members to groove on some popular wedding songs!

So folks, this is it, stay tuned for some more wedding stories and traditions!