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Rituals Of Parsi Marriage

 


Marriages in the Parsee community are encouraged because it is felt that a married man is always in a better position and state of mind to withstand the pressures of life!



Rupia Peravanu

Rupia Peravanu marks the unofficial engagement when both the families acknowledge the acceptance of the marriage alliance. On this day, ladies from the groom's family pay a visit to the bride's house. The bride is presented with a gift of silver coins with the usual shagun. Refreshments are served and the grooms family return home. The bride's family now adds more silver coins to those presented and go to the groom's home, where this ceremony is repeated.

Adarni
Before third day of marriage it is celebrated as a day for gift exchanging. On this day the groom's family visits the bride's home to present her with all kinds of gifts like clothes, jewelry, etc. This is ritual of gifting the bride is known as Adarni. The relatives, neighbors and friends are invited for a traditional meal of sev and dahi, boiled eggs and bananas

Supra nu Murat
Supra nu Murat is close to the Hindu mehndi-haldi ceremony and is organized a day before the wedding. Carrying out the tradition, four married women are given a supra each, containing auspicious items like paan, supari, haldi, dates and a piece of coconut. While singing ritual songs, these supras are exchanged seven times among the women cross-wise, length-wise and breadth-wise. A fifth lady sits in the middle with khalbatto and dry turmeric. After the four women finish passing the supras, all five join hands to beat the turmeric along with some milk in the pestle and this paste is applied by all to the groom and bride along with a showering of blessings.

Nahan
Nahan is the day of the lagan, on this day the staircase, doorway and gate is decorated with beautiful decorative designs of rangoli. According to the Zorastrians the time immediately after sunset or very early in the morning is considered auspicious for marriage. For the marriage ceremony the bride dresses in her madhavate the white, ornate wedding saree given by her parents, while the groom wears the traditional Parsi dagli and feta a white kurta like garment and a black cap. The Parsi lagan is called Achumichu, which takes place either at a baug or at an agiary (the fire temple). A stage is build up for the couple and before they step on it, the groom first, a ritual called achumichu is performed. The bride's mother takes a tray with a raw egg, supari, rice, coconut, dates and water and begins the ceremony with her son-in-law to be. In Ara antar ceremony the couple is made to sit facing each other with a cloth held between them, so they cannot see the other. Among the other main day rituals are Chero bandhvanu, Haath borvanu, etc

Achumichu
ThAt the wedding venue, a stage is set for the couple and before they step on it, the groom first, a ritual called achumichu is performed. Herein, the bride's mother takes a tray with a raw egg, supari, rice, coconut, dates and water and begins the ceremony with her son-in-law to be. First, she takes the coconut and circles it around the groom's head seven times before breaking it on the floor to his right. The same is done with every other item on the tray, except the water, which is thrown on either side. The bride then steps onto the stage for her future mother-in-law to perform the same ritual.

Ara Antar
During the Ara Antar ceremony the couple is made to sit facing each other. However, a cloth is held between them, so they cannot see the other. Then, each of them is given rice. With a length of thread, the priests circle the couple on opposite sides of the curtain seven times and as the seventh round ends, the couple showers each other with the rice from over the curtain. It is believed that whoever throws the rice first will dominate the other partner!

Chero Bandhvanu
At this point a ceremony called Chero Bandhvanu takes place. The couple sits besides each other with the seven strands of string binding them. The witnesses sit besides them and diyos or lighted lamps are placed on tables on either side. Priests begins an hour-long marriage prayers or aashirwaad and showering of rice and rose petals ceremony. At the end of the prayers the bride and groom exchange wedding rings. The priests now wish the couple the var and bairi. Fire from the agiary is brought to them to pay their respects.

Haath Borvanu
Fun-filled ceremonies take place on the completion of the lagan. Groom's sister-in-law begins extracting money from her new brother-in-law first haath borvanu. She makes the groom put his hand into a glass of water, which he cannot remove until he pays up. This if followed by pag dhovanu wherein the groom is threatened with milk on his shoes unless of course, he pays. Later, chero chorvanu ceremony takes place. Herein, the sister-in-law removes the seven strands of string binding the couple, again on payment. At the end of it all the newly wed couple pays a visit to the fire temple for blessings.

Ashirwaad
Both officiating priests recite what is known as the `Paevandnameh` or `ashirwaad` (blessing). This recital consists of admonitions, prayers and benedictions. Once the admonitions are over, the priests recite the `benedictions` invoking the favour of virtues from the `Yazatas` (angels). The next set of prayers in this wedding ceremony is made in honour of the dear departed souls. The idea of praying to the dead is basically to wish the couple with some of the great qualities, which the dead possessed. Another set of benedictions follow known as the `tandarusti`. These are meant to invoke the blessings of the Almighty in granting the bridal couple good health and vigor and a healthy progeny.

Reception
In the post-wedding rituals the reception is held in a grand manner with varied menu of food, drink and music. The party is a whole night affair where all the guests have a lovely time. The menu mainly comprises of traditional Parsi dishes like Parsi bhonu like sarya (crisps), achaar - rotli (pickle and rotis), patra ni macchi (steamed fish), salli margi (chicken with potato crisps), lagan nu custard, pulao-dal and ice cream. The wedding ceremony ends with the couple being accompanied home by the bride`s family and achoo meecho being performed once again by the groom`s mother for the well being of the couple.





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