Select your community to find out about wedding rites and rituals.

An Assamese Wedding
 
A traditional Assamese marriage ceremony goes on for 3 days. However, nowadays 90% people perform the whole marriage ceremony in just one or two days. Dowry is not practised in Assamese society and the groom does not ask for anything from the bride and her family. But the bride's father, may of his own free will, provide necessary household items which are required in married life. The elders are helped by Ghataks or matchmakers in selecting a suitable match. Horoscopes are checked. In case of the Arbeg tribe of Assam, marriageable girl tells about her fiancé to her maternal uncle, his sons. If the boy gets a chance, he can run away. If caught, he is imprisoned in a room. The marriage is settled if the boy is caught three times after running away, but he does not run away the fourth time.

Pre-Wedding Rituals
 
Juran Diya 
Juran diya is the first day of the wedding. From the groom's side, a group of men and women (excluding the groom) go to the bride's place. The groom's party carries bridal dresses, ornaments, make-up box and some essential items for the bride. . The items are usually in odd numbers as these are seen as lucky. Along with these items, sweets, fish, betel-nuts and betel leaves are also taken to the bride's house. (Betel-nuts and betel leaves are an essential part of any Assamese religious function.)  At the bride's house, the groom's mother presents the bride with sets of bridal dresses (mekhela-sadar), ornaments, a make-up box and some other essential items and puts on vermilion (sindoor). The groom's mother also gives one set of mekhela-sadar to the bride's mother. Then the bride seeks the blessings of the elders (including her in-laws) one by one and also gives them gifts. In return they too give money to the bride.

Nowani
Once the juran diya is over, then the bride and the groom have to take nowani (ceremonial baths) for the next two days till the wedding. For nowani, water is specially drawn (pani-tola) from a river or a tank by a group of women, while singing marriage songs.

Marol puja
In her house , the bride is made to sit on a mandap made of banana or mango leaves. She is asked to look into a mirror. Only this mirror may be used till the wedding day.

Adhivasa
Adhivasa is the night of the second day or the night before the wedding day. On this day both the bride and the groom and their respective mothers keep a fast. The priest performs a puja, offering gram and pulses to God. These are later distributed as prasad. The bride and groom can eat a vegetarian meal only after eating the prasad.

Gathiyan khunda
Gathiya Khunda is the purification ceremony. In this ceremony women pound an aromatic root to pulp inside a cloth enclosure, add oil and then apply it on the heads of the bride and the groom. This is done separately in both houses. The bride, bridegroom and their respective parents, do not take any meal after that night till the marriage is over.

Daiyan diya
The third day of ceremonies is the wedding day. The ceremony of daiyan diya takes place in early morning of the wedding day. A party from the groom's house carries curd to the bride's house. The bride touches the curd, keeps half for herself and returns half for the groom. The bride and the groom (separately in their houses) are seated on the threshold of their bedrooms. An elderly woman relative, takes 2 betel leaves in her 2 hands, dips them in the bowl of curd and touches the bride's/groom's cheeks, arms and feet with the leaves. Then the bride and the groom (separately in their houses) take a ceremonial bath with turmeric and mati kalai paste. The women throw rice on the girl. The shraddha for 9 past generations is performed in both the houses. In the evening the groom and his party leave for the bride's house.

Welcoming the Groom
 
At the bride's place, the groom gets a ceremonial welcome at the gateposts of the wedding hall. The posts are made of banana plants with festoons of mango leaves. The groom arrives with his best man who protects him symbolically with an umbrella. They are greeted by a shower of rice to drive off any evil spirit accompanying them. The groom is welcomed by the bride's mother. The bride's younger sister washes the groom's feet with water and wipes them with a new gamocha (towel). The groom in return gives her a cash gift. Then the groom is led to the place under the pandal where the hom jagya is to be performed.

The Wedding Ceremony

In Assamese society, agni is considered to be the mightiest power and the greatest purifier and is deemed to be the witness to the marriage.  At the start of the auspicious hour (lagna), the priest starts the vedic rites in front of the fire (agni). Later, The priest calls the bride near the agni while chanting mantras. One end of the bride's cloth (anchal) is tied to the groom's cloth and the knot is called the logoon gathi. The whole marriage ceremony is performed in front of agni and 101 mango stems are burnt in this agni and this is also called hom pura. The most crucial part of the wedding is the homage paid by the couple to agni devata. The priest chants mantras and both bride and groom follow him and offer popcorn and ghee to the fire. Then the bride's father places her hand in the groom's hand. The priest chants mantras and the bride's father follows him. This is called the Kanyadaan.

Post-Wedding Rituals

Playing Games
After the marriage ceremony the bride and the groom are led to a room. They are made to sit in the centre surrounded by relatives and friends. The game: A ring is put into a vessel containing rice and the couple have to put their hands in and search for the ring. Whoever finds the ring first is the winner and it is said, will dominate over the other. Then food is served to both the bride and the groom.

Departure of the Bride
All the ceremonies are over before dawn. The bride and groom touch the feet of their parents to take their blessings. Then the bride goes to the groom's house. 

Ceremonies in the Groom's House
At the gate of the groom's house, the groom's younger sister washes the feet of both the bride and the groom and wipes them with a gamocha and in return the bride gives a cash gift to her. The bride and the groom stay separately and are not allowed to see each other till the next day. On the evening of the fifth day (since the start of the marriage ceremonies), a priest performs the ceremony of khuba-khubuni. Offerings are made to 2 imaginary demons named khuba and khubani for smoothening the path of married life. This day symbolises the start of the new life for the bride and the groom.

Ath Mangala
On the 8th day, the bride goes to her parents' house with her husband and in-laws. She gives gifts to all the family members. The bride's mother prepares 8 different dishes for the guests. The bride's family also presents the newly wed couple with gifts. The same day the bride (along with her husband and in-laws) returns to her husband's house.

Unusual Features of Assamese Weddings 

An unusual feature of an Assamese wedding is that the bride and the groom are kept away from each other a few days after the wedding itself. Another strange custom among many tribes in Assam, is that, so long as a woman remains unmarried chastity is not usually expected of her and she may dispense her favours, to whom she pleases, but once when she is married, this freedom is no longer tolerated and adultery is very severely punished.