Bengali weddings are absolutely beautiful. If you haven’t attended one, you should really pester your Bengali friends to get married. From the delicious food to the adorable ceremonies, there are many things to see and do at Bengali weddings. However, there are a few things that make these weddings really unique.

Since weddings in every corner of India have their own distinct characteristics, Bengali weddings too stand out for their own reasons. Here are six things that happen at Bengali weddings which makes them really unique and memorable.

1. The ululation

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Thanks to Ekta Kapoor, and Indian soap operas, we have seen some version of this ceremony on television. However, experiencing it in reality and being a part of it is a whole other story. The ululation is done during shubho drishti, when the bride sets her eyes on the groom for the first time after the wedding. This is done to drive away evil spirits and bless the newlywed couple.

2. Aai Buro Bhaat

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This is supposed to be the last meal for a bride and groom before they get married. Traditionally done on the last night before the wedding, this ritual used to involve only close family. Now, extended family and close friends invite the soon-to-be bride or groom for a meal and give them gifts. The Aai Buro Bhaat plate should have rice, five fried items and a sweet dish among other traditionally Bengali food items.

3. Bengali Totto

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This tradition involves the groom’s family sending gifts to the bride’s house. The totto generally has baskets of sweets for the bride’s family, traditional clothes for the bride, and other things a bride might need as part of her trousseau. What makes this unique is that a totto is incomplete without a fresh Rohu fish decked up as a bride with jewellery and bridal clothes. Now, the totto also includes more modern items to suit the modern bride. But the fish is still an important part of this ceremony, even if it is in the form of desserts moulded into fish shapes.

4. Sankha Pola

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The traditional red and white bangles worn by married Bengali women are called Sankha and Pola. Made of conch shells and corals, these bangles are considered an auspicious, important part of Hindu Bengali weddings. The bride’s mother presents these bangles to her on the morning of the wedding. This is such a unique part of Bengali weddings that even in other parts of the country, the wearers of these bangles are immediately recognised as Bengali.

5. Gaye Holud

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This is the haldi ceremony in Bengali weddings, which takes place a day prior to the wedding or in the morning of the wedding. The groom’s family makes a large amount of haldi paste and does the haldi ceremony for the groom. Haldi is taken from that same batch and sent to the bride’s house, for her haldi ceremony.

6. Bashar Ghor

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In Bengali weddings, the bride does not leave her home immediately after the wedding. Instead, the groom is required to stay the night after the wedding at the bride’s house or at the wedding venue. This night, however, is not meant for sleeping. All the couple’s friends, cousins, aunts and uncles stay up the whole night chatting and making dirty jokes. This is a really fun part of Bengali weddings, you shouldn’t miss it.

Are you ready for the next big Bengali wedding? Tell us about your experience at Bengali weddings in the comments. And if you’re looking for wedding outfit inspiration, click here.

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