Sindhi weddings

The Sindhi settlement in the northern part of the country is one of the most lively and adventurous group of people. They like to make every occasion a grand one. Their celebrations are worth watching out for. The grandeur and mere royalty of the celebrations are a treat to the eye. Sindhi weddings are especially beautiful to witness. Like every other Indian wedding, the rituals begin right from the time the two families come together to fix the alliance. The ceremonies that follow last up to a few days after the marriage celebrations.

Sindhi wedding attire

Sindhi weddings are known for their colorful and vibrant nature. Each of the ceremonies requires the bride and the groom to adorn new clothing. Red being the most popular color, it makes the entire process of rituals look even beautiful. The wedding day attire for the Sindhi bride is like most other Indian weddings. She is made to wear a lehenga-choli for the ceremonies.

Sindhi bridal wear

Also known as ghagra choli, this is one of the most traditional and ethnic Indian wear. The Sindhi bride is made to wear this traditional outfit, consisting of a lehenga, a tight choli and a dupatta. This is a typical Indian wear and is seen popularly in many Indian occasions. A lehenga choli is the most common bridal costume in India. The other common outfit is the sari, which is worn in Bengali weddings, South Indian weddings and the likes. Let us talk a little more about this popular outfit.

The first component of this attire is the choli. In the simplest terms, it is a midriff-baring blouse that is worn by the Sindhi bride. It is cut in such a manner so that it sits tightly on the bride’s body. It has short decorated sleeves and a low neck. It is a typical Indian wear. The choli is usually cropped near the waist, exposing the navel. Moreover, there are buttons in front and the outfit comes with cut-out backs.

Next is the lehenga. This is a traditional long skirt. This is also known as ghagra. It is worn along with the choli, well below the waist. The design leaves the lower back and the midriff region bare. This is especially suitable for the south Asian climate. The skirt is secured at the waist. This outfit can be seen in various occasions in India. The ghagra is known to have been evolved from Bhairnivasani, which is the oldest Indian skirt. This was clumsily stitched and was secured at the waist by a string. The ghagra indeed is a more evolved form of this traditional skirt.

The dupatta is another popular piece of clothing in Indian cultures. It is worn, not only with ghagra choli, but with many other outfits, like a salwaar kameez. It is a long piece of cloth, spread across the chest. This is also a traditional style. A dupatta is now taken across the shoulder along with the ghagra choli.

The combination of the ghagra, the choli and the dupatta form the bridal wear for Sindhi weddings. There are various designs and embroidery crafted on this outfit. Some of these designs include zardozi, shisha, kundan and others. Most of these embroideries is hand-made and paints a beautiful picture of Indian customs and rituals. The most popular color on these lehenga choli is red. The bride accessorizes with a lot of gold ornaments, starting from long necklaces, to ear rings and bangles. This is also typical of an Indian bride. The bride’s hands also adorn the mehendi that is applied before the wedding.

Attire of a Sindhi groom

The Indian grooms, unlike the brides, have fewer choices when it comes to wedding outfits. They are usually seen in kurta pajama, or a dhoti. Sometimes they prefer to wear western outfits now. However, in Sindhi weddings, men are usually seen wearing a sherwani and a pajama. Just like how the lehenga choli is the traditional attire for the brides, a sherwani, embroidered, is the traditional outfit for the grooms.

The sherwani is a long coat, which is made with heavy material and different designs are seen on it. It is a mixture of the shalwaar kameez and the British frock coat. It was symbolic of Muslim aristocracy in the Northern region during the period of British rule. It was then adopted by the Rajputs.  Now it is the wedding attire for so many cultures across India.

The standout quality of the sherwani is the heavy fabric that goes behind making it. It is also accompanied by beautiful and intricate designs and handmade embroidery. It extends up to the knee and comes in colors like golden and other bright colors. The Sindhi groom prefers to wear the sherwani with a pajama instead of a dhoti. The pajama is a simple cotton pant and its color is selected such that it goes well with the embroidered sherwani.

Along with this, the groom is made to wear a string of flowers on his forehead, such that the flowers hang down and cover his face during the wedding rituals. The groom also accessorizes his attire with jodhpuri or kolhapuri footwear.

A Sindhi wedding has a number of rituals and ceremonies that lead up to the actual wedding celebrations. So, new outfits are required not only for the wedding day, but for many other occasions before that. In one of the rituals, the bride and the groom are made to wear old clothes during the ceremony. Sometimes the clothes are even torn. Later, after the ceremony, the clothes are packed up and thrown into the sea, to ward off evil spirits. There are various other ceremonies where the bride is expected to wear a ghagra choli or a salwaar kameez, as the groom sticks to his choice of sherwani. As the bride highlights her attire with jewels, ornament and bridal make-up, the groom has accessories like a wrist watch to accompany his attire. The colors and vibrant nature of the wedding costumes brighten up the Sindhi weddings.

Raja Kumar