Mala badal
Encyclopedia
Mala badalis part of the traditional Bengali
wedding ceremony
that involves the exchange of flower garland
s between the bride
and bridegroom, and is supposed to mark the first time when the bride and the bridegroom set eyes on each other. It is a ritual
that is carried forward from the past, as the practice of not seeing each other before is hardly practised these days. Nevertheless, the mala badal marks the first time during the wedding that the bride and the groom are allowed to see each other.
(headwear) and a Bengali-style dhoti
and kurta
, and is greeted, usually by the bride's mother along with other members of the family. After the bridegoom is seated at the canopied wedding altar (chadnatolla), he is offered new clothes as a gift from the bride.
As the auspicious time approaches, 4-5 male members of the bride's family take her, seated on a low stool (pidi), circling round the groom seven times to symbolize that the bride and bridegroom are now "winded up securely to each other". Finally, the bride and bridegroom come face to face, and removing the two betel leaves covering her face all this while, make their first eye-contact, called Shubha Drishti. The two then exchange garlands, a ritual called "mala badal", amidst the blowing of conch shells
and the sounding of "uloo dhani", while the purohit
chants his mantra
s. The bride's paternal or maternal uncle then give her away in a ceremony is called Sampradhan.
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
wedding ceremony
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
that involves the exchange of flower garland
Garland
A garland is a class of decoration, of which there are many types.Garland may also refer to:-Places:*Garland, Arkansas, a town in Miller County*Garland County, Arkansas*Garland, Maine, a town in Penobscot County...
s between the bride
Bride
A bride is a woman about to be married or newlywed.The word may come from the Proto-Germanic verb root *brū-, meaning 'to cook, brew, or make a broth' which was the role of the daughter-in-law in primitive families...
and bridegroom, and is supposed to mark the first time when the bride and the bridegroom set eyes on each other. It is a ritual
Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
that is carried forward from the past, as the practice of not seeing each other before is hardly practised these days. Nevertheless, the mala badal marks the first time during the wedding that the bride and the groom are allowed to see each other.
The ceremony
In traditional Bengali wedding, the bridegroom comes to the girl's house to marry her, wearing a toporTopor
Topor can refer to:* Topór Coat of Arms* Topór, Mińsk County in Masovian Voivodeship * Topór, Węgrów County in Masovian Voivodeship * Topór, Polish for axe* Topor , Bengali wedding headwear...
(headwear) and a Bengali-style dhoti
Dhoti
The dhoti or pancha is the traditional men's garment in the in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. A similar garment is worn in some rural areas of Punjab province in Pakistan, but the use is fast declining...
and kurta
Kurta
A kurta is a traditional item of clothing worn in Afghanistan, Pakistan , Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. It is a loose shirt falling either just above or somewhere below the knees of the wearer, and is worn by both men and women...
, and is greeted, usually by the bride's mother along with other members of the family. After the bridegoom is seated at the canopied wedding altar (chadnatolla), he is offered new clothes as a gift from the bride.
As the auspicious time approaches, 4-5 male members of the bride's family take her, seated on a low stool (pidi), circling round the groom seven times to symbolize that the bride and bridegroom are now "winded up securely to each other". Finally, the bride and bridegroom come face to face, and removing the two betel leaves covering her face all this while, make their first eye-contact, called Shubha Drishti. The two then exchange garlands, a ritual called "mala badal", amidst the blowing of conch shells
Conch
A conch is a common name which is applied to a number of different species of medium-sized to large sea snails or their shells, generally those which are large and have a high spire and a siphonal canal....
and the sounding of "uloo dhani", while the purohit
Purohit
Purohit in Indian religious context means a family priest, from Sanskrit , translated as: one placed foremost, from Puras meaning front, and hita, placed. Rajpurohit is a term used to denote a priest for a royal family or a king who was the authorized person that carried out rituals for the...
chants his mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
s. The bride's paternal or maternal uncle then give her away in a ceremony is called Sampradhan.