WeddingGujarati wedding: rituals in order
A Gujarati wedding is lively and full of small playful rituals, with garba the night before. The ceremony has four pheras, called the mangal phera.
| Ritual | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Chandlo matli and gol dhana | Before the wedding | The families accept the match. At the gol dhana (engagement), coriander seeds and jaggery are shared. |
| Mandap mahurat and Ganesh puja | A day or two before | Prayers at each home to begin the wedding. |
| Pithi | A day or two before | A paste of turmeric and sandalwood is applied to the bride and the groom. |
| Garba and sangeet | The night before | Everyone dances garba and dandiya. |
| Jaan and ponkhvu | Wedding day | The groom's procession arrives. The bride's mother welcomes him and playfully tries to catch his nose. |
| Jaimala | Start of the ceremony | The couple exchange garlands. |
| Kanyadaan and hasta melap | In the mandap | The bride's parents give her hand to the groom, and the couple's hands and scarves are tied together. |
| Mangal phera | In the mandap | The couple walk four times around the fire, standing for dharma, artha, kama and moksha. |
| Saptapadi | In the mandap | The couple take seven steps and seven vows. |
| Saubhagyavati bhava and vidaai | End of the wedding | Married women bless the bride, and she takes leave of her family. |
Customs differ from family to family and from place to place. This is a general guide for guests and for couples learning about each other's traditions, not a rule book. Reviewed on 11 November 2026.
If you are a guest
- Bring energy for the garba night, and comfortable shoes.
- During the wedding the bride's sisters steal the groom's shoes and return them for a ransom. Guests enjoy the bargaining.
- The food is vegetarian.
- Bright bandhani and patola colours are at home here.
Planning notes for the two families
The garba night
The garba or sangeet evening needs a floor large enough for circles, a sound system or live singers, dandiya sticks for guests and drinking water close at hand. Tell outstation guests the dress code in advance, because many will want to wear chaniya choli and kediyu.
The jaan and the ponkhvu
Agree on when the jaan, the groom's procession, will arrive, and who from the bride's family will perform the ponkhvu, the welcome of the groom at the entrance.
The mandap
The priest (maharaj) will give the list for the Ganesh puja and the mandap mahurat. The hasta melap is held at the chosen time, so the photographer and both families should know that hour. Keep a place for the couple's shoes that the bride's sisters do not know about, or accept the ransom with good humour.
Food
The meal is vegetarian and many families ask for dishes without onion and garlic, or a separate Jain counter. Confirm this in writing with the caterer.
For the hour-by-hour plan of the day, see the wedding day timeline, and for jobs to hand out, who does what.
Questions people ask
How many pheras in a Gujarati wedding?
Four, called the mangal phera, followed by the seven steps of the saptapadi.
What is gol dhana?
The Gujarati engagement. The name means jaggery and coriander seeds, which are shared at the ceremony.
Other traditions
More wedding help
- Planning checklistEvery task from a year before to the week after, with dates.
- Budget plannerPlan and track spending head by head. Your figures stay on your phone.
- Guest listCount families and people for each side and track who is coming.
- Questions for vendorsWhat to ask the venue, caterer, photographer and others before paying.
- Wedding day timelineSample hour-by-hour plans for evening and morning weddings.
- Wedding day bagThe emergency kit and papers to carry on the day.
- Rituals explainedThe ceremonies of eight Indian wedding traditions, in order.
- Marriage registrationHow registration and court marriage work in India.
- Wedding wordingSave-the-date, announcement and thank-you messages to copy.
- Haldi, mehndi, sangeetPlanning the functions before the wedding day.
- Small weddingA simple wedding with fewer guests, planned well.
- Who does whatSharing the work between two families and the cousins.
- Outstation guestsRooms, pick-ups, welcome notes and a help desk.
- Menu planningBuilding the menu and briefing the caterer, without waste.
- Family photo listThe group photographs to plan, and how to get them quickly.
- After the weddingThank-yous, payments, returns, photographs and paperwork.