Buri Nazar or Anti-oxidant Properties - What is the Significance of the Haldi Ceremony Tradition in Indian Weddings

Wedding Photography: Safarsaga Films

The dawn of the day sees a burst of yellow hues, as the bride and groom sit down under the morning sun, gleefully waiting to be smeared with a fresh paste of turmeric Ubtan. This tradition is widely known as the Haldi ceremony.  Amidst all the laughter and leg-pulling, all the ladies of the house gather to commence the ‘Haldi Ki Rasam’ tradition. While many believe that the only reason behind this ceremony is to give the couple a natural glow, traditionally, this ritual has multiple age-old reasons behind it. Exploring that and a lot more about this beautiful celebration, here’s an overview of the Haldi ceremony and much more!

In this article:

1. The Meaning and Importance of Haldi Ceremony in a Wedding
2. Haldi Ceremony Across India
3. The Concoction Of Haldi Ceremony Paste
4. Haldi Ceremony Dress For Bride And Groom
5. Background Haldi Ceremony Decoration Ideas

The Meaning and Importance of Haldi Ceremony in a Wedding

Wedding Photography: Hand In Hand Films

To commence the Haldi ceremony, all the married women of the house gather around the bride and the groom, applying turmeric paste, or Ubtan on their faces, hands and feet. The Haldi ceremony also signifies that the couple cannot step out of their homes alone, till their marriage. They are also not allowed to see each other till their union at the wedding Mandap. If you ever wondered about the reason behind following the Haldi ceremony ritual before the main wedding celebrations, then let us break it into three factors for you.

• The Beautification Factor - Applying a paste of turmeric Ubtan before a bath has been an age-old granny’s Nuskha in almost every Indian household. This blend of turmeric and gram flour is well-known to remove tan and give a natural glow almost instantly. This is why the Haldi ritual is often believed to be a ceremony of giving the couple a nice organic scrub so that they glow naturally at their wedding ceremony. 
• The Spiritual Factor - If you ask the elders, they will tell you that the application of Haldi is a way of warding off the evil eye, or Buri Nazar, from the couple. The colour yellow is also considered auspicious, especially for a to-be-married couple. When married women apply the Haldi Ubtan on the bride and the groom, it symbolises that they are extending their blessings and prosperity for the couple to lead a harmonious and fertile married life.
• The Scientific Factor - Evil eye or not, this Ayurveda-backed ritual too has a scientific reason behind it. The paste of Haldi consists of turmeric, mustard oil and gram flour as its main ingredients, which are known to remove any germs and skin diseases upon application. Turmeric has now become world-renowned for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Thus, healing and protecting the skin from impurities, providing a natural glow. The soothing factors of this paste are also well known to calm down anxiety that the bride and the groom might experience before their wedding ceremony.

As for the Haldi blend, each house and regional culture has its preparations. While some apply just a mix of turmeric and mustard oil, others do include ingredients like rose water, raw milk, curd, sandalwood, gram flour and other herbs to make the Haldi ceremony paste.

Haldi Ceremony Across India

Wedding Photography: Jodi Clickers

Haldi Ki Rasam is predominantly a Hindu wedding ritual, but thanks to Bollywood, the trend has caught the attention of other cultures too. In many north Indian households, the Haldi Ceremony in Hindi is known as Haldi Ki Rasam. In regions of Gujarat, it is known as Pithi, in Bengali culture it is called Gaye Holud, in Punjab it is called Vatna, in Bihar, it is called Haldi Kutai and in Tamil Nadu, it is known as Snanam.

The Concoction of Haldi Ceremony Paste

Wedding Photography: Eye Of Turtle

As the name suggests, Haldi or turmeric is the star ingredient of this paste. Each house and regional culture has pre-defined ingredients for the Haldi ceremony. But for a typical ceremony, turmeric is mixed with mustard oil (tel) and applied on the face, hands and feet of the couple. But nowadays, couples love getting smeared with ample paste of gram flour mixed with turmeric and curd. Instead of curd, other liquid ingredients like rose water, milk and lemon juice are also used to form a thick consistency paste for application. Sandalwood and almond powder are the newest edition to the list of ingredients that nowadays families have started adding to this concoction.

In many Hindu households, the application of Haldi is done by scooping out a good portion of the paste on the fingertips, and gently applying it on the bride and the groom. Once everyone has taken their turn applying it, the women gently start scrubbing the hands and the feet of the bride and the groom to remove the tan further. The ceremony then concludes with a water bath, marking the washing away of all impurities and Nazar.

But in many North Indian families, a ceremonial mix of turmeric with mustard oil is applied on the cheeks, knees and feet of the couple. This is done with the help of two make-shift sticks created using fresh green grass.

Haldi Ceremony Dress For Bride And Groom

The Wedding Haldi ceremony is one traditional gathering of the marriage saga, where everyone matches their dress codes in gradients of yellows and whites. This colour coordination often raises the question - How can the bride and the groom make a statement with their outfits for the ceremony? We sifted through the latest catalogues of Indian designers and have gathered a mini-gallery of outfits that will be perfect for the couple as well as the attendees. Take a look!

Dress For Haldi Ceremony For Bride

Designer: Gajra Gang

This sizzling yellow ruffled saree for haldi ceremony is perfect for the bride who wishes to wear something traditional and yet make a statement.

Price 4,499

Simple Haldi Ceremony Dress For Girls

Designer: Kalki Fashion

Sharara suit sets are a great option as haldi ceremony dress for girls who wish to wear something comfortable, fuss-free and trendy.

Price INR 11,990

Groom Haldi Ceremony #OOTD

Designer: Bohame

A Chamkila Chikankari Kurta is ideal for the groom to bling in under the glowing sun. Folded sleeves, a wristwatch, black sunglasses and loafers or Kolhapuri chappals will be the perfect accessories to complete this look.

Price INR 37,500

Haldi Ceremony Dress For Men

Designer: Tasva

There's no match for how hot men look in kurta sets! So ditch those shirts and khaki pants and instead opt for such Jacquard kurta sets for men to match with the groom's haldi wear.

Price INR 6,999

Apart from the yellow dress for haldi ceremony, another style element to be taken care of for this ritual is the jewellery of the bride-to-be. In the last decade, the use of real or artificial flowers as jewellery has become quite popular. This style is still in trend and we continue to stay in love with it, even today. There are so many wedding vendors selling artificial floral jewellery sets, consisting of the Maang Tikka, Haath Phool, Necklace and Earrings. But if you want to keep your Haldi ceremony 100% natural, then you can ask your florist to arrange a set of floral jewellery on the morning of your Haldi ceremony for the freshest look. Orchids, marigolds, carnations and roses are the most sought-after flower choices for natural floral Haldi function jewellery. Footwear is the least thought-of accessory when it comes to the Haldi ritual. After all, who will need it, right? But brides often forget that to reach the Haldi function venue, they will need a pair of shoes whether they plan on making a choreographed entrance or not. Juttis or Kolhapuri chappals are the most ideal footwear to match the Haldi ensembles for the bride as well.

Read More: 40 Latest Haldi Dress Ideas

Background Haldi Ceremony Decoration Ideas

In earlier times, the Haldi ceremony was a very intimate affair which was done in the backyard of the paternal homes of the bride and the groom, respectively. Under an open sky, the bride or the groom would sit on a simple chair or a wooden stool, with each married woman in the house taking turns applying the Haldi paste from head to toe. In many households, another round of haldi application is done, but this time, from toe to head to ward off the evil eye. 

But now, with the ever-growing big fat Indian weddings, people engage in hosting celebrations for even the smallest of wedding rituals. And with Haldi being one of the main wedding events, no one settles for anything less than an extravaganza. This morning ritual also gives the families a chance to have a rather fun-filled party for all the guests, with many opting to host poolside haldi parties with sunnies and an open bar. 

With everyone flaunting their best yellow outfits, more vibrant haldi decoration is a must. Not just for the visual treat, but also for the cameras! Wedding videographers love capturing intimate moments of the couple and their families when the haldi ceremony background pops out complimenting the occasion and the yellow ensembles. 

So if you are wondering what theme to add to the haldi ceremony invitation, then we have got just the haldi ceremony background ideas for you. Browse through!

Floral Haldi Decorations

Wedding Decorators: Shaddi Ka Ladoo

For the love of spring blooms, if you are getting married in the early summer breeze of the year, then going for a floral theme can be a great haldi decoration option to consider. White and hues of yellow with brass decor will light up the entire wedding venue. While the couple will be busy playing the game of 'who will apply the most haldi on each other', such floral backdrop will come out beautifully in the photographs captured during the celebrations.

Floral Ring of Infinity

Wedding Decorators: Classique Events

If you are looking for ideas on replacing square and rectangle haldi ceremony haldi background with something unique, then go for a circular ring of flower bouquets to give your wedding haldi ceremony pics an infinity illusion. For those who have booked wedding lawns for the haldi ceremony, such backgrounds stand out more with greener laws complimenting them.

Geometric Garden Haldi Decorations

Wedding Decorators: VRJ Eventz

Ask your wedding decorator to give you a Hatke decor for the Haldi ceremony. Take a look at such geometric Haldi ceremony decor designs, that will look unique and will add an interesting charm to all of your Haldi ceremony photos and videos. While getting such decor done for your Haldi ceremony, make sure that you pick the greenest and simplest corner of your wedding venue, so that such decoration won’t get camouflaged against an otherwise busy backdrop.

Tassled Rainbow Haldi Decorations

Wedding Decorators: Chirag Events & Entertainment

Yellow is always mellow when blended with any colour. So a multi-coloured haldi decoration comes as a welcome change against the regular yellow and white decor that we often get to see otherwise. Tassled embellishments look beautiful on bridal ensembles as well as a part of the wedding decor. So a tassled rainbow haldi theme can be your go-to for your haldi ceremony decor.

Read More: Unique Haldi Decor Ideas for Home and Outdoor Setup

Haldi ceremony can be crowned as the most fun-filled function among other wedding rituals. It is when everyone gets candid, has lots of laughs and enjoys smearing haldi on each other. And with the Bollywood influence, we all have dreamt of attending our very own Aditi's, from the movie Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Haldi ceremony; listening to Kabira by Arijit on loop and having lots of fun. So go ahead, and plan that convivial Haldi ceremony that people will remember for a long time. Don't forget to book your favourite wedding photographers to capture the moments for a lifetime. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to check out our list of the latest Haldi and Sangeet songs that will bring life to the Haldi ceremony.

If you are still looking for more Haldi ceremony ideas, then check out a wedding planner and wedding decorator near you, who will come with a plethora of Haldi ceremony ideas that you can finalize instead.