Gaye holud
Bangladeshi Wedding- Pre-Wedding, Gaye Holud, Wedding, and Post-Wedding Ceremonies
In Bangladesh, marriage is not just the union of the bride and groom, but also the union of their families and extended relations. A usual Bangladeshi wedding includes several ceremonies that last for several days.
Even though religious ceremonies are distinctive for Hindu and Muslim weddings, there are some ceremonies that are common for weddings in Bangladesh. A Bangladeshi wedding lasts for 3 days, starting from engagement until bou bhaat(reception).
Ghotoks or matchmakers have an important role to perform in Bangladeshi weddings. Traditionally, families in rural and urban Bangladesh depend on Ghotoks, who will provide detailed information regarding the background of both bride and groom.
Academic qualifications, family history, employment, and other details are shared. Ghotoks are normally the relatives or friends of the bride or groom.
Bangladeshi wedding has four main parts-
- Gaye Holud of Bride
- Gaye Holud of Groom
- Wedding ceremony or Biye
- Reception or Bou Bhaat
Pachini
One of the first pre-wedding ceremonies is the engagement, where the future bride and groom exchange
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The most festive of the Bengali wedding ceremonies, the Gaye Holud is a joyous event filled with anthem, dance, laughter and a ridiculous amount of food consumption. Literally translating to “turmeric on the body,” originally, this ceremony used to be a miniature one, where family and friends of the bride and groom would be present at their respective homes a few days before the wedding, to celebrate and to apply a special paste, made largely of turmeric on their faces and bodies. Now, you may inquire, why turmeric? It was largely supposed to be a beautification process, enhanced with other ingredients such as sandalwood and rosewater, this paste is supposed to cleanse and exfoliate the skin and leave you with soft, supple glowing skin on your wedding time, when the everyone you know (or the whole town) comes to watch you. For some families, it had it even greater meaning as turmeric was supposed to ward off corrupt spirits or an evil eye before the auspicious wedding day.
Fast forward to today, and specifically to my Gaye Holud, the actual application of the turmeric paste was largely just ceremonial. The event itself gave us another reason to exchange gifts, sing, d
Shahana & Marc’s Gaye Holud | Wedding Event Pictures
The Gaye Holud ceremony is a tradition where the bride & groom are smothered in yellow turmeric paste. The paste is supposed to clean the skin and to give it a soft & beautiful glow. This coupled along with feeding the guests some sweets, music performance, and an appearance from the JMU Route Dog made for a excellent night the day before the wedding! What is usually held separately for the bride & groom was combined and both the families made their hold separate entrances in to the venue. The ENTIRE place was decked out in purple & gold representing Shahana & Marc’s love for their alma matter!
If you’re having your Gaye Holud coming up, hop on over here to get all the wedding photography information!
The bridesmaids were dressed in raspberry and were all ready to shower the bride & groom with sweets upon their entrance.
I can’t procure over his expression of seeing Shahana walk through the door!
This was the cutest moment of the night. They couldn’t prevent smiling at each other when they finally go
Gaye Holud
The Gaye Holud or gatro horidra is a fun and vibrant ceremony, similar to the Haldi ceremony in North Indian weddings. It is not a religious ceremony and is celebrated by Hindus and Muslims in West Bengal, and neighbouring states of Tripura and Assam as skillfully. One day before the wedding, seven or nine married women make turmeric powder by grinding turmeric sticks with a mortar and pestle. The gal holding the pestle is Ayo, and the rest of the women grip hands while she grinds the powder. The powder is mixed with sandalwood, milk, oils, and other holy ingredients to make a Haldi paste called Holud Kota. They also grind rice to make Dhan Kota, or rice powder. Traditionally, the women are required to chew on betel leaf or betel nuts so that they last quiet and assure that no spit falls into the paste. This is followed by the Holud Kota ceremony, which is the Haldi ceremony for the groom. His family members utilize turmeric paste to his face and body. The turmeric paste is believed to exfoliate and brighten the skin as well as bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. After the ceremony is over, the alike turmeric paste is sent to the bride’s home fo