Kashmiri Wedding: Rituals and Traditions

Read to know everything about Kashmiri wedding, their rituals, traditions, and customs!

If anything else can justify the complete serenity and breathtaking views of Kashmir, it's the Kashmiri wedding! Much like its evergreen beauty, the wedding rituals of this place are a perfect blend of traditional and contemporary practices. From the delectable authentic cuisines called ‘Vazvan' to local handicrafts and Kashmiri Pandit wedding attires, there are tons of elements to seize your attention.

If matches are made in heaven, Kashmir, the heaven of Earth can only witnesses the most beautiful and purest form of marital bonds!

Keep following to get more insights on Kashmiri Pandit wedding rituals and their traditions!

Manzimyor

Manzimyor is a traditional times matchmaker who mostly has the marriage profile of all the potential bachelors in town. Manzimyor is hired for Kashmiri weddings to find a perfect match for a guy or a girl according to their backgrounds.

Kasamdry

After the horoscope matching, the respective families of Kashmiri bride and groom officially meet each other at the temple for the first time and offer puja. Later, a traditional Kashmiri meal is prepared by the bride's side of the family and is distributed amongst the both sides.

Gandun

This ritual takes place in front of their ancestry idol where the priest finalizes the date of their engagement. Later, some sweets, dry fruits, gifts, money, etc are showered by the bride's family for the groom and his side of the family.

Livun

This ceremony marks the cleaning of the entire house of both the bride and groom. A random date is picked before marriage and the rituals happen in the presence of married women of the society. The close relatives are also given money and gifts or clothes as a welcoming gesture after the ritual.

Wuri

A traditional waza of the family makes a cooking stove of brick and mud in the backyard of the house and cooks all the traditional Kashmiri meals in there. These dishes prepared by Waza usually include vegetarian items.

Wanvun

Wanvum involves a light musical session among the guests at home. They usually sing a traditional folk song with light snacks and tea at the end of the session. At some Kashmiri Pnadit weddings, they also play Tymbak, an accoustic musical instrument to set the vibe.

Krool Kharun

Krool Kharun is a ritual of decorating gates of the houses of both bride and groom. Usually the bride's paternal aunt is called to do the same. The entire family rejoice in great spirit during the ritual.

Maenziraat

Maenziraat happens on the same evening as the Krool Kharun ceremony where the Kashimiri bride takes complete bath followed by the mehndi ceremony at the Kashmiri wedding. The eldest Paternal aunt of the bride usually washes the feet of the bride and is the first person to apply henna on the bride's hand. Usually, a little bit of henna is also applied to the groom's hand with a lot of celebration and enjoyment.

Yagneopavit

Yagneopavit, also known as Yagnopavit or Janeu, is a sacred thread ceremony in Kashmiri Pandit weddings. A priest conducts the ceremony and recites Vedic mantras and prayers while performing the rituals. The Kashimiri groom has to take a ceremonial bath before the Yagneopavit ceremony. If the groom has already gone through this ritual before the wedding, he has to tie his 6-strand sacred thread before the wedding.

Divagon

This ritual is observed separately in the house of both the bride and groom. Divagon marks the significance of moving to the next phase of life as a married couple by seeking everyone's wishes and blessings. Both bride and groom and the close relative observe fast on this day and worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The groom's family also offer gifts and sweets after the ritual as a gesture of welcoming the bride in the family. Meanwhile, the bride's family gives her a significant Kashmiri jwelry known as ‘Dejaharu' to be worn in her ears. Dejaharu is made of gold tassels strung together on a sacred thread. It is supposed to pass through the middle-ear cartilage.

Kanisharan

Kanisharan ritual in Kashmiri wedding gets bride and groom to bath in holy water. This water is amix of curd, rice, milk, etc which are considered auspicious in weddings. The couple are then given a traditional Kashmiri wedding outfit to wear once the ritual is done.

Duribat

On the Kashmiri wedding day, the groom's family sends a group of people known as Duribats to escort the groom to the wedding venue. The Duribats sing traditional songs and carry decorated sticks while leading the groom.

Satraat

This ritual involves the bride's family welcoming the groom and his family to the Kashmiri Pandit wedding venue. The families exchange garlands and perform aarti to bless the groom.

Lagan

There are total 7 pheras in a Kashmiri Pandit wedding and the wedding vows are taken in front of the sacred fire while stepping a foot on a one rupee coin. Both the Kashmiri bride and groom feeds each other rice after the end of the ceremony.

Duv Koor

This is a post-wedding ritual where the bride bids farewell to her family and leaves with the groom to his home. Emotional goodbyes and blessings are exchanged during this ceremony.

These are some of the key rituals observed in Kashmiri weddings. However, the specific customs and practices may vary depending on the family's preferences and religious backgrounds.