
Many of the traditions we uphold today were passed down from our ancestors. One such tradition is the Hindu wedding.
The religious aspects of the wedding are intriguing, and originated from those who came as indentured servants from India. Although the Hindu wedding ceremony became elaborated as time went by, the basic structure has remained the same.
It was the parents of the parties concerned who first decided that their children should be married to each other. A pandit(or priest) was then consulted as to an auspicious day for the celebration of the nuptials. A few days before the wedding, the bride and groom each organize a haldi ceremony (sometimes called pithi ceremony) at their respected homes where the lagan (date) is fixed.
On the day of the wedding, the bridegroom was taken in procession to the bride’s parents’ house and conducted to a tent specially erected for the wedding. In due time, the bride, “being shrouded in thick folds of muslin or variegated hues and patterns”, joined the groom and the ceremony commenced in the presence of the bride’s relatives, invited guests and the bridegroom’s baraat (a bridegroom’s wedding procession made up of relatives and friends).
