A Maharashtrian wedding takes place in a simple and elegant way and by following all the traditional rituals. A Maharashtrian bride looks resplendent with solah shringar from head to toe. On her wedding day the bride looks like a mesmerising goddess and her enchanting beauty is difficult to capture through lens.
A Maharashtrian wedding is filled with beautiful moments that will steal anyone's heart who loves Indian wedding, just like us. So, we decided to feature some of our beautiful Maharashtrian brides and their mesmerising wedding journey.
The ceremonies start
A Maharashtrian wedding takes place on an auspicious day, decided by the priest and it takes place usually in the day time. A lot of importance is given to matching the horoscopes and their suitability for the bride and the groom. Once an auspicious date is finalised after the horoscopes are consulted, the wedding rituals take place with enthusiasm and fervour.
Sakhar puda or ring exchange
The first and the foremost ritual which takes place in a Maharashtrian wedding is the sakhar puda. It is similar to an engagement ceremony which formalises the marriage. In this ceremony the couple exchange rings and their family exchange sugar packets as a beginning of a lifelong relation. Just like sugar, they expect the would-be-bride and groom will savour a sweet relationship.
If you want to know about all the Maharashtrian wedding rituals and their significance
Wedding saree of a Maharashtrian bride
A Maharashtrian bride prefers a traditional Paithani saree for her wedding day. It is a beautiful silk saree with thick golden border and fine-looking motifs embedded into it.
Draping a saree in the Maharashtrian way is also unique. In this style you pull the saree out between your legs. This fashion of wearing saree is also called as Kashta or Navri.
Want to learn how to drape a saree in stylish ways
The vibrant colours
In other Hindu weddings, red or maroon colour is considered as auspicious, and become a part of a bride's wedding day look. For Maharashtrian brides, there are four main colours which dominate their look. Yellow, green, red and purple, are considered sacred for Maharashtrian brides and they prefer to wear these colours on their wedding day.
Maharashtrian bride’s chooda
Bangles or chooda are an important part of bride’s ornaments. But a Maharashtrian bride prefers only green coloured bangles. It is accompanied with solid gold bangles that are gifted to the bride by the groom’s family.
Her chooda and its significance
The glass bangles in green are a symbol of fertility, new life and creativity. According to the rituals, for a Maharashtrian bride, it is considered inauspicious if you wear even number of bangles in your hands, and also the number of bangles in both hands should not be the same! Many Maharashtrian women wear these bangles even after marriage and it is considered as a symbol of their marital status.
Maharashtrian bride’s solah sringar
The typical Maharashtrian nose ring is also a must wear for Maharashtrian bride. It is called as a nath and it is usually made from pearls or diamond.
If you observe all Maharashtrian brides closely then you will observe that most of them wear a similar shaped bindi. It is a crescent moon with a dot below it. It is a simple and elegant way of depicting the marital status of a woman.
A Maharashtrian bride is incomplete with her head piece which is called as mundavalya. It is usually made up of pearls and flowers and looks beautiful on the bride.
In fact this head piece is worn by both the bride and the groom and makes them look unique and different from any other couple.
Mangalsutra moment
Another important ceremony in a Maharashtrian wedding is when the groom puts a necklace around the bride’s neck. This necklace called as the mangalsutra is made from gold and black colour beads. It is this thread which is a symbol of their union.
Saath pheras- the seven vows
A couple takes the saat pheras or the seven wows of marriage when they unite into one. They accept each other as their soul mates for the next seven births.
Entering the new life
Lastly, when the couple is initiated into the Grihasthashram, they exchange solemn promises with each other. The bride asks groom to always respect her and never violate her maryada, while the groom asks the bride to remain loyal and devoted to him.
The vivacious bride and the effervescent groom are the epitome of simplicity and purity of the rich Maharashtrian traditions. And, a colourful Maharashtrian wedding with its heart-warming customs and rituals can definitely steal hearts.
A Maharashtrian wedding is filled with beautiful moments that will steal anyone's heart who loves Indian wedding, just like us. So, we decided to feature some of our beautiful Maharashtrian brides and their mesmerising wedding journey.
The ceremonies start
A Maharashtrian wedding takes place on an auspicious day, decided by the priest and it takes place usually in the day time. A lot of importance is given to matching the horoscopes and their suitability for the bride and the groom. Once an auspicious date is finalised after the horoscopes are consulted, the wedding rituals take place with enthusiasm and fervour.
Sakhar puda or ring exchange
The first and the foremost ritual which takes place in a Maharashtrian wedding is the sakhar puda. It is similar to an engagement ceremony which formalises the marriage. In this ceremony the couple exchange rings and their family exchange sugar packets as a beginning of a lifelong relation. Just like sugar, they expect the would-be-bride and groom will savour a sweet relationship.
If you want to know about all the Maharashtrian wedding rituals and their significance
Wedding saree of a Maharashtrian bride
A Maharashtrian bride prefers a traditional Paithani saree for her wedding day. It is a beautiful silk saree with thick golden border and fine-looking motifs embedded into it.
Draping a saree in the Maharashtrian way is also unique. In this style you pull the saree out between your legs. This fashion of wearing saree is also called as Kashta or Navri.
Want to learn how to drape a saree in stylish ways
The vibrant colours
In other Hindu weddings, red or maroon colour is considered as auspicious, and become a part of a bride's wedding day look. For Maharashtrian brides, there are four main colours which dominate their look. Yellow, green, red and purple, are considered sacred for Maharashtrian brides and they prefer to wear these colours on their wedding day.
Maharashtrian bride’s chooda
Bangles or chooda are an important part of bride’s ornaments. But a Maharashtrian bride prefers only green coloured bangles. It is accompanied with solid gold bangles that are gifted to the bride by the groom’s family.
Her chooda and its significance
The glass bangles in green are a symbol of fertility, new life and creativity. According to the rituals, for a Maharashtrian bride, it is considered inauspicious if you wear even number of bangles in your hands, and also the number of bangles in both hands should not be the same! Many Maharashtrian women wear these bangles even after marriage and it is considered as a symbol of their marital status.
Maharashtrian bride’s solah sringar
The typical Maharashtrian nose ring is also a must wear for Maharashtrian bride. It is called as a nath and it is usually made from pearls or diamond.
If you observe all Maharashtrian brides closely then you will observe that most of them wear a similar shaped bindi. It is a crescent moon with a dot below it. It is a simple and elegant way of depicting the marital status of a woman.
A Maharashtrian bride is incomplete with her head piece which is called as mundavalya. It is usually made up of pearls and flowers and looks beautiful on the bride.
In fact this head piece is worn by both the bride and the groom and makes them look unique and different from any other couple.
Mangalsutra moment
Another important ceremony in a Maharashtrian wedding is when the groom puts a necklace around the bride’s neck. This necklace called as the mangalsutra is made from gold and black colour beads. It is this thread which is a symbol of their union.
Saath pheras- the seven vows
A couple takes the saat pheras or the seven wows of marriage when they unite into one. They accept each other as their soul mates for the next seven births.
Entering the new life
Lastly, when the couple is initiated into the Grihasthashram, they exchange solemn promises with each other. The bride asks groom to always respect her and never violate her maryada, while the groom asks the bride to remain loyal and devoted to him.
The vivacious bride and the effervescent groom are the epitome of simplicity and purity of the rich Maharashtrian traditions. And, a colourful Maharashtrian wedding with its heart-warming customs and rituals can definitely steal hearts.