Ramgarhia Rishtay - The Sikh Wedding Traditions

Who are Ramgarhia People?

Ramgarhia is an ethnic tribe originated in the regions of Punjab, who got their name after Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia. He was the leader of the Ramgarhia Misl, the army of Ramgarhia people. The name Ramgarhia is a combination of “Ram” and “Garh,” which means Lord and Fort, respectively. A majority of these tribes speak Punjabi with some others speaking Hindi, and English. Jassa Singh was a carpenter turned leader, and the tribe’s main occupation is carpentry and the likes, including blacksmith works. Most of the Ramgarhia people have converted into Sikh through ages, and hence they follow the Sikh tradition of marriage. Their wedding is known as Ramgarhia Rishtey.

Let us see the Sikh wedding traditions in brief.

Sikh Pre-Wedding Rituals

·         Kurmai – It is the engagement ceremony of the Sikh and the starter of the marriage ceremony. Family members will gather and read Guru Granth Sahib and then fix the marriage date. Then the bride and the groom will exchange gifts and rings. 

·         Chunni Chadai – After Kurmai, the groom’s family will go to the bride’s house, and his mother will cover the bride’s head with a cloth named chunni. Then they will provide gifts and jewelry to the bride.

·         Mehendi and Chooda – This is the ceremony of decorating the bride’s hands and foot with beautiful Mehendi designs followed by the gift of bangles and gold ornaments from her maternal uncle.

·         Maiya – On this day, neither the bride nor the groom is allowed to get out of their houses. It is the day before the marriage.

·         Gana – The bride and groom will tie a sacred red thread on their hands.

·         Vatna and Gharoli – This is the process of applying turmeric paste to both the bride and the groom to get some glow, and then they will take a bath with holy water.

Sikh Wedding Rituals

·         Baraat – This is the ritual in which the groom will forward to the wedding venue along with his friends and family members.

·         Milni – In this ritual, the bride’s family will welcome the groom at the wedding venue with some gifts.

·         Anand Karaj – This is the actual wedding ceremony. The bride and the groom seated in the Gurudwara, the Sikh temple. Some religious songs will fill the place, and the priest will recite the holy book of Sikhs.  

·         Laavan Pheras – Laavan is a set of holy prayers. The bride and the groom will chant the prayers and take rounds around the holy book, Guru Granth Sahib. 

Sikh Post-Wedding Rituals

·         Reception – This is a family gathering after the wedding to celebrate the union of two souls and families with some fun and sweets.

·         Doli – This is the goodbye time for the bride’s family. The bride will give her mother some rice to symbolically thank her for raising her all these years. 

·         Pag Phera – The bride and the groom will visit the bride’s house after the wedding, and the bride stays there for two to three days, after which the groom will come and take her back to his home.