Specially prepared plain or embroidered cloth that separates the bride and
groom
Ardas
Sikh prayers
Baraat
Bridegroom's wedding procession
barat swagat
The formal reception of the groom’s party at either the bride’s
home or the wedding venue
Bichhua
Toe ring
Bindi
A bright red dot worn on the forehead by Indian women
‘Bollywood’
A nickname for the Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) based Indian popular film industry – the largest
in the world
Castes
Hindu social groups
Chania
Skirt petticoat
Choli
Tight-fitting blouse
Chuda
A set of bangles worn by married Sikh women
Chunni
Red scarf
Cufni suit (or Punjabi)
A long white jacket with a stand-up collar over white trousers
Dana
Spiritual gift
Dharma
Sacred law
Dhoti
An uncut cloth tied around the waist
Dupatta
Shawl
Ganesh
The Hindu god of good fortune, also known as the remover of obstacles
Garland
A necklace made of flowers
Gathabandhan
The tying of the knot of the wedding scarves
Granthi
A Sikh priest
Gurdwara
A Sikh temple
Haathphul
A hand ornament with strands of chain, which link finger rings to a bracelet.
Ijaab
A verbal proposal made during the Muslim wedding ceremony by the groom to the
bride
Jodphur suits
Jodphur trousers with a long jacket and a ‘Nehru’ stand-up collar
Kada
Steel or iron bangle given to a Sikh groom by his bride’s father
Kalirei
Thin pieces of silver or gold tied onto the iron bangle of a Sikh bride
Kameez
A three-quarter-length embroidered tunic
Kangan bandhan (or shaitak in Gujarati)
A pre-marriage ceremony held in order to ward off evil spirits
Kanyadan
The giving away of the bride by her parents
Karah Prasad
A special sweet food served at Sikh weddings
Keski
Turban
Kirpan
A small dagger, and one of the five symbols of the Sikh brotherhood
Koran
The Holy Book of Islam
Kurta
A loose-fitting cotton shirt
Lac
A natural resin secreted from an insect (Tachardia lacca)
Lahanga
A full gathered skirt
Lakshmi
The Hindu goddess of prosperity
Lawan
Four sacred marriage vows, sung as hymns at the wedding, which form a crucial
part of the Sikh marriage ceremony
Mahr
In Muslim weddings a marriage gift to the bride from the groom’s family,
often consisting
of money or jewellery
Mandap
A temporary structure, comprising four posts and a canopy, decorated with flowers
and garlands, where a Hindu wedding takes place
Mangal
Auspicious
Mangal phera
A ceremony where the bride and the groom circle the Agni (wedding fire)
Mangalsutra
Necklace worn by a Hindu bride, consisting of small black beads with a central
gold unit (thaali)
Mehandi (or henna)
A green paste made from the crushed leaves of the mehandi tree that forms an
orange-red mark when applied to the skin
Milni
Ceremony involving male relatives of bride and groom, where they embrace each
other and hang garlands around each other’s necks
Mohra
A necklace made from gold coins, and worn by married Sikh women
Nath
Nose ring
Navagraha
The ‘nine celestial bodies’ that Hindus believe influence a person’s
life
Nikah
Muslim wedding ceremony
Odhani
Long scarf
Panigrahan
The acceptance of the bride’s hands by the groom
Pithi (or haldi)
A specially prepared paste applied to the bride and groom before their wedding
Pyjama
Soft, loose-fitting trousers
Qazi
Muslim religious official who carries out the wedding ceremony
Qobul
An Arabic word meaning ‘I accept’ said three times by a Muslim
bride on
acceptance of marriage
Sagai
Formal engagement ceremony
Salwar
Trousers gathered at the ankle
Salwar kameez
Trousers gathered at the ankle, and a three-quarter-length embroidered tunic
with a dupatta (scarf) of red and gold.
Saptapadi (‘rite of seven steps’)
A ceremony where the bride and groom take seven steps together, while the groom
recites, to each step, requests for the future happiness and prosperity of the
couple
Sari
A length of uncut and unsewn cloth that is draped around the body
Sehra
Curtain worn over the face, and made from tinsel or flowers
Sindoor
Red powder placed by a Hindu groom at the parting of his bride’s hair
Sri Guru Granth Sahib
The Sikh holy book, which Sikhs revere as a living teacher
Suhagini
A woman whose husband is alive
Sutra
Thread
Takhat
Throne
Thaali
Gold marriage pendant often worn in southern India
Tika
An ornament worn on the forehead
Tilak
A mark of ground sandalwood and saffron paste worn on the forehead
