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Wedding traditions

Marathi Wedding Rituals: Sakhar Puda to Griha Pravesh

Marathi weddings are typically held in the daytime and are relatively brisk, with the mangalashtak verses sung as the couple face each other across the antarpat, a cloth held between them.

By TrueSaath · published 2026-10-22

An overview

A Maharashtrian Hindu wedding (lagna) is usually a daytime affair, with the muhurat often in the late morning or afternoon. The bride typically wears a nauvari (nine-yard) or paithani sari, green glass bangles and a nath (nose ring), and both bride and groom wear the mundavalya — strings of pearls or flowers tied across the forehead. Customs differ between regions such as Konkan, Desh, Vidarbha and Marathwada, and between communities, including Deshastha, Chitpavan and Saraswat Brahmin, Maratha, CKP and others. This guide describes the common sequence.

Before the wedding

Sakhar puda The engagement. "Sakhar" means sugar and "puda" means packet: the groom's family, often his mother, gives the bride a packet of sugar or a box of sweets along with a sari and jewellery, and the bride's family returns gifts to the groom. The couple often exchange rings. See sagai.

Kelvan In the weeks before the wedding, relatives and friends of each family host kelvan — meals in honour of the bride or groom and their family. It is a warm custom that lets the extended family celebrate before the busy wedding days.

Halad chadavne The haldi ceremony. In many families, turmeric is applied first to the groom, and the remainder is sent to the bride's home to be applied to her. Married women of the family lead it, often while singing. See haldi.

Devdevak and ghana bharne The family invokes its kuldevata (family deity) and installs it at the venue or home, asking for blessings on the wedding. Some families also hold ghana bharne, in which married women grind turmeric and grain together while singing, as a sign that the household is preparing for the wedding.

Seemant pujan When the groom and his family arrive at the venue — often the evening before or the morning of the wedding — the bride's mother welcomes the groom, washing his feet and performing aarti, and the bride's family honours his relatives with gifts.

The wedding day

Gaurihar puja The bride, dressed in a yellow sari traditionally gifted by her maternal uncle, worships an idol of Gauri (Parvati) or Annapurna, placed on a heap of rice, praying for a happy married life. She may continue this prayer quietly until the muhurat.

Antarpat and mangalashtak The groom stands on one side and the bride on the other, separated by an antarpat — a silk or cotton cloth often marked with a swastik — held by the priests. Priests and relatives sing the mangalashtak, eight auspicious verses (often more, as relatives add their own), and guests shower akshata (rice mixed with turmeric or kumkum). At the muhurat, the antarpat is lowered and the couple see each other and exchange garlands — the Marathi jaimala.

Kanyadaan and sutra bandhan The bride's parents give her in marriage, placing her hand in the groom's — see kanyadaan. The couple tie a sacred thread around each other's wrists or necks.

Mangalsutra The groom puts the mangalsutra, with its two small gold vatis on black beads, around the bride's neck. Read more on mangalsutra.

Laja homa and saptapadi The couple offer puffed rice to the sacred fire, often with the bride's brother placing it in her hands, and then take the seven steps of the saptapadi, walking over small heaps of rice. In many Marathi families, the marriage is considered complete after the seventh step.

Karmasampati and ukhane The ceremony concludes with a prayer and the removal of the kankan (protective threads). During the rites and celebrations that follow, the bride and groom are asked to say an ukhana — a short rhyming couplet that includes their spouse's name — a light-hearted Marathi custom.

After the wedding

Paathavani The bride's farewell from her parents, the Marathi equivalent of the vidaai.

Varat and griha pravesh The couple travel to the groom's home, where the bride is welcomed by her mother-in-law. She tips over a kalash of rice and steps in, and many families perform a Lakshmi pujan.

Naav ghene In some families, the husband gives the bride a new first name, often written on a plate of rice. Many brides today keep their own first name and use the ceremony only symbolically, or skip it.

Reception and visits A reception may be held at the groom's home or a hall, followed by visits between the two families.

Practical tips

• Daytime muhurats mean guests can leave early; plan lunch timing around the ceremony.
• Order mundavalya and the nauvari or paithani early; draping a nauvari takes practice.
• Print the mangalashtak if you want relatives to sing along.
• Encourage the couple to prepare an ukhana or two — they will be asked!

Questions people ask

What is the antarpat in a Marathi wedding?

It is a cloth held between the bride and groom during the mangalashtak. It is lowered at the muhurat, when the couple see each other and exchange garlands.

What are mangalashtak?

They are auspicious verses sung by priests and relatives before the antarpat is lowered, while guests shower the couple with akshata.

What is gaurihar puja?

The bride, wearing a yellow sari from her maternal uncle, worships an idol of Gauri or Annapurna, praying for a happy married life.

What is an ukhana?

An ukhana is a short rhyming couplet that includes the spouse's name, which newly-weds are playfully asked to recite.

What is a mundavalya?

It is a string of pearls or flowers tied across the forehead of the Marathi bride and groom during the wedding.

Other traditions

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