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INDIAN WEDDING GLOSSARY

Ek Jot Doe Murti
A traditional saying which can be literally translated to one spirit in two bodies

Eswar
God

Gae Halud Tattava
A traditional Bengali ceremony in which gifts are sent to the bride's house on the morning of the
wedding

Galsedi
A ceremony to welcome the bride in her new home

Ganesh Pooja
A ceremony in which homage is paid to Lord Ganesha

Garhi - Bukhi
A special ceremony which offers prayers to the groom's and the bride's mothers

Ghidhari
A prayer ceremony through which the dead ancestors of the family are invited to the wedding

Grahapravesam
The ceremony which marks the bride entering her new home

Grihasta
A term which indicates married status

Gurdwara
A Sikh place of worship

Guru Granth Sahib
The holy book of the Sikhs

Haldi Ceremony
A ceremony to beautify the bride

Haligandun
A typically Kashmiri belt worn during the wedding ceremony

Halwa
A celebratory sweet dish

Havan kund
A vessel in which fire is lit for a sacrifice

Henna
A greenish paste made of natural herbs which is applied on parts of the human body

Homam
A sacred fire for worship and sacrifice

 

Jaathakam
Horoscope in Malayalam

Jaggo
A Sikh wedding ceremony that takes place on the eve of the wedding

Janampatri
Horoscope, a must for most Indian weddings

Kalayana Mandapam
The marriage hall

Kaleechairs
Special rings given to the bride's sisters by the groom

Kaleva
The brother of the bride invites the bride to her maternal home

Kaliras
Ornaments generally made of silver and gold, worn by brides from North India

Kalyanamau
A word which means marriage in Malayalam

Kangna
Bracelet

Kangna Bandhana
A ceremony in which bracelets are put on the married couple

Kangna Kholna
A ceremony in which the bracelets are taken off

Kanishran
A ceremony in which the bride is bathed in milk, while prayers are chanted

Kankana Shastra
A prayer to ask for divine blessings

Kanya Daan
A ceremony in which the bride is given off by her father or a member of her paternal clan

Karva Chauth
A festival in which wives pry for the long lives of their husbands

Kashi Yatra
A mock pilgrimage undertaken during weddings in southern India

Kohvar
The wedding bed

Kumar pet ka bhaat
A traditional ceremony in which the mother of the to be bride feeds her daughter

Kuvardhoti
A ceremonial gift given to the new bride by her in laws

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