Bella Diva World Dance will be taking part of the upcoming Indian Wedding Festival on September 19. A South Asian wedding is the ultimate event and there are many reasons for that. These wedding are filled with ritual and celebration. Today we share with you some facts on Indian Weddings.
Things to know about Indian Weddings
Indian Tradition
Still today, many marriages in India are arranged between families. Some couples do consummate “love marriages” in which both partners decide to marry each other without family involvement. Traditionally, and Indian wedding is about two families being brought together socially. Many wedding customs combine local, religious and family traditions between Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Muslims.
3 Day Celebration
Usually, an Indian Wedding lasts on average 3 days.
Day 1: a priest performs the ganesh pooja, a ceremony that happens at home with the couple only. The bridal party takes place too with close relatives.
Day 2: This day begins with the mehndi ceremony, where the bride and all female friends and members will get intricate henna patterns on their hands and feet. Later that day, sangeet is celebrated where the couple’s families are introduced and have a meal and dances.
Day 3: The main ceremony takes place, along with the cocktail hour and reception.
Indian Ceremony
The ceremony begins with the baraat, the groom’s procession. The groom arrives on a decorated white horse, or elephant even! Guests then dance around him to the beat of a dhol, and Indian drum. The bride and her family greet the groom and the couple exchanges floral garlands that symbolize their acceptance of each other. During the ceremony, the couple and bride’s parents sit beneath a canopy like called mandap. After the couple takes the saptapadi, or seven steps where they vow to support each other and live happily together, the groom then applies red power to the center of the bride’s forehead and ties a black beaded necklace around her neck, which symbolizes that she’s a married woman.
Indian Reception
Indian Weddings are crazy parties! The Punjab folk dance, bhangra, is a frenzied dance but fairly easy to learn. Western music will most likely be played as well. The food is an important part of the reception. It’s not always all spicy and vegetarian, it depends on which state the couple’s families are from. North Indian food, most common state in the US, will include naan (flatbread), different curries, samosas (pastries with spiced meat and vegetables), pakoras (fritters) and the desserts will include cake, kulfi (Indian ice cream) and decorated sweets made from nuts. Yum!
September 19 Colorado Celebrates the Indian Wedding Festival
What: Indian Wedding Festival – the largest South Asian Festival in Colorado
Where: City and County Building, 1437 Bannock St, Denver 80202
Who: Everyone is invited, it’s FREE
What will you see: Public Baarat (Indian Wedding Procession for everyone to participate in!) performances by Bella Diva Dance, CFAA, Transition Theater and a Grand Bollywood Fashion Show
This will be the second year that this celebration of South Asian Culture takes place, at the annual Indian Wedding Festival. Starting at 11:00 am and into the night, there will be food, dance, fashion, performances, workshops and lots of yoga. Over 40 vendors, 100 entertainers and more than 500 participants are expected to join in this FREE event event is FREE in the heart of Denver at Civic Center Park, in front of Denver’s Capitol Building and City County Building.
JOIN US FOR WORLD DANCE CLASSES IN DENVER
Bella Diva Dance’s new studio is located in the Glendale Center on E. Mississippi Ave and Birch St, near Colorado Blvd. Our instructors are all highly qualified and experienced, and will grant you a thoughtful learning experience. We offer you: Belly Dance, Samba, Yoga, Bollywood, Hot Hula Fitness, Afro-Caribe and Kids’ World Dance. Contact Caitlin for more information about classes: 303.359.9414 or email us at [email protected].