Parsi Weddings
The Marriage Ceremony of The Parsis
Parsi marriage is known as 'Lagan' and is conducted with great zeal and fervor. The customs and traditions observed in the Parsi marriage are quite different from the traditional Hindu marriage. This makes them a lot more fun and interesting. The rituals performed during the wedding are quite simple otherwise and provide full opportunity for enjoyment. However, like other regional marriages, Parsi marriages also have a number of rituals which extend over a week.
Pre Wedding Rituals
Parsi wedding rituals begin with a Rupia Peravanu ceremony. This is the unofficial engagement between both the families. Ladies from groom's family visit the bride's house and gift her silver coins and shagun. This ceremony is repeated at the groom's house as the bride's family visits them. After this, Madhavsaro is observed. According to this, the families of the bride and the groom plant a tree in a pot individually. This pot is kept at the entrance of the houses and watered everyday till the eighth day after marriage and then planted somewhere else.
This is followed by the ritual of Adarni, wherein the groom's family visits the bride's place and gives her gifts like clothing and jewelry. The guests are treated with sev and dahi, boiled eggs and bananas. Just a day before the wedding Supra nu Murat ritual is performed. This ritual is similar to the haldi ceremony organized in Hindus. The groom and the bride are applied turmeric paste by five married women. Next is Nahan, in which the couple takes purifying bath after which they get ready for the wedding ceremony.
Wedding Rituals
It is difficult to determine how many, and which Parsi marriage customs are originally Zoroastrian and how many, and which, are taken from other communities in India.
For a Parsi wedding, a stage is set in a baug or agiary, the Fire Temple. Here, before the groom steps on the stage, the bride's mother performs a ritual called Achumichu. She holds a tray containing a raw egg, supari, rice, coconut, dates and water. She circles all these items, except water, seven times around the groom's head and throws on the floor. The water is thrown on either side. This is repeated by the groom's mother for the bride. This is followed by Ara Antar, in which the bride and the groom are seated facing each other, with a cloth in between.
The bride's principal ceremonial dress is the Jama-pichori, or sayah, which is a loose flowing dress full of folds and curls and always white in color. The upper garment (sari) of the bride also is a loose dress full of folds and curls. The bridegroom holds in his hand a shawl, which is considered to be, in India, an emblem of respect and greatness. They have marks of kunkun (red pigment) on their foreheads. The mark on the forehead of the bridegroom is always long and vertical and that on the bride round.
The groom and the bride have garlands of flowers on their necks. The groom is called var-raja, i.e., a husband king (lit. the loving king) and the bride is called Kanya.
After this, the priest circles the couple with a string, seven times. On the seventh round the couple is supposed to throw rice at each other from over the curtain. Whoever does it first, is supposed to rule the household. Now, the couple sits besides each other with the seven strands of string binding them. Oil lamps are lighted on each side and the priest begins prayer ceremony. This is followed by shower of rice and rose petals, after which the couple exchanges rings. This is called Chero Bandhvanu. Next is Haath Borvanu, in which the bride's sister puts groom's hand in a water glass, throws milk on his shoes and removes the seven strands binding the couple, in lieu of token money.
Now follows the religious part of the ceremony, which is performed by two priests. This consists of preliminary blessings, Questions to the witnesses and to the marrying couple, Joint address by the two priests
Post Wedding Ritual
Parsi weddings are renowned for their grand Reception party. It is an ideal opportunity to experience the culture, dance, music and food of the community, at its best.
The dinner is lavish four course meal, comprising of all Parsi delicacies. The wedding comes to an end with the couple leaving for their home and the groom's mother once again performs the achumichu ceremony at their arrival.