Rural Punjabi Marriages Get Merrier with Sidhu Moosewala Songs
A Punjabi NRI Wedding. Image credit Bhawna Malik
Punjab, Punjabi & Punjabiyat on Display in Rural Marriages
By Bhawna Malik
Chandigarh, December 9: NRI weddings in Punjab come with a perfect blend of spirituality, tradition, and modernity. The Diljit Dosanjh’s saying ‘Punjabi A Gaye’ is not just a slogan but a sentiment witnessed at the wedding.
In the backdrop of blue and pink flowers, hundreds of bowed heads with folded hands chant ‘Wahe Guru’ in unison for the wedding ceremony of an NRI groom Shubham Sabharwal with Shweta Saini.
“First the blessings of the almighty are taken and also a gratitude for his blessings is expressed with a Sukhmani Sahib path, and then the formal ceremonies begin for the weddings,” says Swarna Sabharwal, mother of the groom.
Sheikhupur, a village in Chamkaur Sahib district in Punjab, remains untouched from the drug abuse and the much-hyped concern of the locals flying abroad. “We don’t have financial crisis. We are well placed. But there is no harm in settling abroad for better opportunities,” says Rohit Sabharwal, the elder brother of the groom, who is also the newly-elected Sarpanch of Sheikhupur.
The completion of the Sukhmani Sahib Path was followed by a well-spread buffet. The entire décor was set in the backdrop of blue and sea green theme. The décor was planned meticulously by keeping in mind the mood of the event.
“The sacred Gurubani had pink as its theme as it’s soft while being a colour of love and happiness and the lunch will be informal as relatives, friends and other guests can enjoy the meals without being formal,” shares Rajni Sabharwal, sister-in-law of the groom.
Sheikhupur village is less populated and all the residents are well-connected with each other. The bonhomie is infectious as friends and cousins tease the groom.
The Punjabi wedding for the boys has fewest of traditional rituals. ‘Jago’ is a prominent ceremony that takes place a day before the wedding. This is followed by the groom leaving his house and refusing to get married.
‘Jago’ is a mock display of anger. The groom seeks a large sum of money when family members come to persuade him to return. It’s held in a jovial mood.
‘Jago’ stands for a night of celebrations, dominated by women carrying an earthen pot with lit diyas and a huge wooden stick carried to knock on neighbours’ doors to disrupt their sleep.
The DJ night is a must in such weddings which sets up the backdrop for feasts and fun. Elaborate meals consisting of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food whet appetites of guests. Sidhu Moosewala’s songs still top the wish list of the guests during the DJ night.
This was not the usual wedding as portrayed in Punjabi films. Bollywood themes rule the wedding. The groom’s sisters, cousins and friends are all dressed in flowy gowns and the make-up artists were all over the place applying last minute make-up to women.
The wedding procession is covered with drone cameras. Amid dazzling lights, the groom rides a horse and also mounts on a chariot along with his friends and cousins.
The Punjabi marriage displays the blend of modern and traditions. Komal Bhasin and Yukti Kamal Chadha, the mother-daughter duo from Delhi, took selfies to savour the fun-filled moments.
“We don’t get to see such ceremony in Delhi where marriages mostly have DJs,” says Yukti Chadha.
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