11 Key Rituals to Shoot During a Bengali Wedding
What are the 11 Key Rituals to Shoot During a Bengali Wedding?
Weddings are happy times, and they’re meant to be fun. But they can also be stressful and exhausting, especially if you must become more familiar with the culture and customs. A little knowledge goes a long way since you can avoid many problems by understanding what to expect and what is expected of you in a Bengali wedding. Durga is a benevolent, omnipotent goddess. She is the perfect mother and wife. For most of us, Durga is a symbol of supreme power.
You can study, but you need to be born into a family of Bengalis to understand the importance of rituals in the life of Bengalis. This piece will look at some of the important ways of a Bengali wedding. We will examine the culture surrounding a Bengali wedding and the intention behind wearing Bangles. These are the important rituals of a Bengali Wedding.
Here are the rituals and events you must cover regarding making the best snaps of a Bengali wedding.
• Ashirbad – The event kicks off with the ritual, namely Ashirbad. Trefoil plants and rice husks are sprinkled by the elders on the head of the bride at her house and also on the groom at his house. This auspicious event is a part of pre-wedding rituals. Nowadays, the day is not celebrated separately on different days at both bride’s and groom’s houses. Instead, the couples, and their families, meet at a commonplace and enjoy candid moments of the casual ceremony. It might be considered to be the engagement ceremony. The couples bestow rings on each other’s fingers. This is an excellent opportunity for a photographer to take candid snaps of the people participating in the event, along with the bride and the groom.
• Jolsoya – This is the occasion where a married couple of the family goes to the nearest waterbody along with a couple of married women and fills the brass pitcher. The water is then used for bathing during the Gaye Holud event.
• Gaye Holud – Also known as the Haldi ceremony among the non-Bengali community. An odd number of married women crush turmeric and smear it on the groom at his place and the bride at her place. While the relatives remain engrossed in applying haldi to the would-be bride or groom, this morning show must be captured well.
• Totto – Before the Gaye Holud event starts at the bride’s place, extravagant endowments called Totto to come from the groom’s house. The Totto usually includes sarees, other attires, cosmetics, bags, shoes, sweets, and toiletries. Don’t miss the chance to capture each item and the decorated rohu fish the groom’s family sends.
• Sajsojya – This is the unavoidable part of a wedding where the bride prepares for the biggest day of her life. Bengali brides compulsorily wear Sakha, Pola, and Loha. All of these are the signs of a married woman. The brides keep holding a Gachhkouto filled with Sindoor or vermilion and a Kajal Lata throughout the day. Now it comes to getting ready with red lips, kohled eyes, and red Bindi on the forehead. Gold ornaments are a must for a Bengali wedding. The ornaments may include a necklace,Jhumko,Tikli, Bala, Chur, Ratanchur, Kanpasha, etc. It would be best if you took snaps of the bride while she gets ready.
• Boragaman – The next is the groom’s arrival with his family and friends. They are welcomed with the blowing of Shankha. The bride’s mother receives the would-be son-in-law with a Borondala containing rice, betel nuts, turmeric, bananas, and a lighted Diya. She welcomes the groom by feeding him sweets and water.
• Saatpaak and Shubhodrishti – The groom is then taken to the Chhadnatola, where puja is performed with the person going to do the ritual of kanyasampradan. The bride comes sitting on a wooden plank carried by her brothers and brothers-in-law. She keeps her face covered with betel leaves. The bride then takes 7 rounds around the groom. This is Saat-Paak. After this, the bride comes before the groom and removes the betel leaves to see her husband. This is subhodristi. As a wedding photographer, you should never miss capturing any of the candid moments of these rituals.
• Mala bodol – The couple exchanges their flower coronets, called Mala Bodol. Capture this lifetime moment.
• Sampradaan – After Mala Bodol, the bride sits in the Chhadna-tola opposite the groom. Usually, the bride’s father ties their hands with a pious thread while the priest chants mantras. This is the occasion through which the father gives away his daughter to the groom or Jamai. If you love to add a bit of drama, capture the ritual from a cinematographer’s perspective.
• Saptapadi– Now, the leading female member of the groom’s family toes a loop between the Joor/Shawl of the groom and the bride’s saree. And then, the couple walks around the auspicious fire seven times while articulating seven vows.
• Sindoordaan – Finally it comes to Sindoordaan. The groom applies vermilion or Sindoor onto the parting or Sinthi of the bride’s hair. And then her head is covered with Lojjabostro. This is the most sacred and precious moment in the bride’s life as she turns into a wife from a daughter. Seize the moment in your camera.
So now as you know the unique rituals of a Bengali wedding, you can better do your homework on capturing each of these events. You may make short videos of them as a cinematographer and take snaps as a photographer. Each should be done outstandingly. This is a lifetime event for the life of a couple. The moments you will capture will be nourished by them for the rest of their life.
