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A good thing about a Kashmiri wedding is that there is no restriction of time. The marriage can either be solemnized in day or in night. This leaves full room for creativity in decorations .
Kashmiri weddings are well known for their distinctive and detailed wedding ceremonies. The wedding is well divided into pre-wedding functions, the wedding day, post-wedding ceremonies.
Each ceremony sees rich and traditional rooting of Kashmiri people.
The match for the wedding are decided on basis of Horoscope matching. Social and financial status also play role in deciding the match. Once over with this step, the marriage date is proposed by bride’s parents to groom’s parents. The date is finalized as told by the Hindu priest.
The wedding preparations start and pre-wedding rituals are performed. Livun is cleaning of both the houses. Waza, or the family cook arrive and they put up an oven called as War which is made up of mud and brick. All the traditional Kashmiri meals are cooked in it. Wanwun is name given to the Sangeet and is performed by both the houses. Rests of the rituals are like any other Hindu marriage.
The wedding day sees exchange of nutmeg or Jaiphal between the groom and the father of the bride to epitomize the marriage between the bride and the groom. The eldest female member of the family escorts the bride. The bride and the groom stand upon a place that has been specially created for this purpose. It is called Vyog. The eldest female then feeds them both Nabad (Mishri) and two pots full of rice are donated to someone poor. The purohit performs some simple Puja at the entrance that leads to The Mandap where the wedding rituals will be performed. Seven pheras are performed just as a Hindu marriage.
Characteristic post-wedding ceremonies in a Kashmiri wedding include Satraat – the bride accompanied by her husband and some kids from his side visits her parents. The second visit to bride’s parents is called Philath.
Rothkhabar is a 2.5 meter wide and 1 meter long cake garnished with nuts which is sent to bride by her parents.
A Kashmiri wedding has extremely intricate wedding rituals and customs.
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