The Rituals

Marriage being a social occasion and one which involves ceremony, it is comprised of various rituals and customs that form an integral part of it. Bengali marriages are no exception. Only differing culturally from that of other communities, traditional Bengali marriages are, quintessentially, a mixture of customs, religious beliefs and rituals. It consists of numerous customs, mainly traditional, performed by the women of the house for the new couple. The actual wedding ceremony, constituting of Vedic rituals, is performed with great devotion and enthusiasm.

The rituals involved in a traditional Bengali marriage.......More

The Symbolisms

Like marriages of all other communities, the Bengali marriage ceremony is also dependent upon numerous colours and symbols that signify good and evil, purity and sanctity, sexuality and fertility. For instance, the colour black is not used as it indicates triste and hopelessness, while red being considered a sign of good luck, emotion, fortune and copulation is widely used for decorative purposes.

Banana trees are used to ........More

The post-marriage story

There is basically one major ritual, as far as traditional Bengali marriages are concerned, that follows after the marriage ceremony is completed. It is popularly known as 'ashtomongala', and it takes place eight days after the wedding. It involves the bride paying a visit to her paternal house after spending a week at that of her in-laws, signifying that she has adjusted to her new family, especially her husband, and is happy and satisfied with her new life.