WeddingMarathi wedding: rituals in order
A Maharashtrian wedding is simple, punctual and held in the morning. Its best-known moment is the antarpat, the cloth held between the bride and groom while the mangalashtaka verses are sung.
| Ritual | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Sakhar puda | Before the wedding | The engagement. The groom's family gives the bride a sari and a packet of sugar. |
| Kelvan | Days before | Relatives invite the bride or the groom and their family for a meal. |
| Halad chadavane | The day before | Turmeric paste is applied to the bride and the groom with mango leaves. |
| Seemant puja | On arrival | The bride's parents welcome the groom and his family at the venue. |
| Antarpat and mangalashtaka | At the muhurta | A cloth is held between the bride and the groom while the priest and guests sing the mangalashtaka. At the last verse the cloth is removed, guests shower akshata, and the couple exchange garlands. |
| Kanyadaan | After the garlands | The bride's parents give their daughter to the groom. |
| Lajahoma and saptapadi | In the mandap | The bride offers puffed rice to the fire, and the couple take the seven steps. |
| Mangalsutra and sindoor | In the mandap | The groom ties the mangalsutra and applies sindoor. |
| Varat and griha pravesh | After the wedding | The bride leaves for the groom's home, where she enters by gently tipping over a measure of rice at the door. |
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
- Be seated before the muhurta. Guests are given akshata (coloured rice) to shower on the couple when the antarpat is removed.
- The bride often wears a yellow or green sari in the nauvari style, with green bangles and the mundavalya, a string of pearls across the forehead that the groom also wears.
- The meal is vegetarian in many families and is served soon after the ceremony.
Planning notes for the two families
The muhurta
A Marathi wedding runs to the minute. The antarpat is removed and the garlands exchanged exactly at the muhurta, usually in the morning. Print the time on the invitation and ask guests to be seated before it.
Akshata and the mangalashtaka
Arrange enough akshata, the coloured rice, for every guest, and people to hand it out as guests enter. Decide who will sing the mangalashtaka: the priest, a family member or relatives who have written a verse for the couple.
Things to arrange
The antarpat cloth, the mundavalya for both bride and groom, the green bangles, the items the guruji lists for the lajahoma, and the gifts for the seemant puja, when the bride's family welcomes the groom.
The meal
Lunch follows soon after the ceremony. With a morning muhurta, many families also serve breakfast to early guests, so tell the caterer the true arrival time, not only the muhurta.
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
What is the antarpat?
A cloth held between the bride and the groom so that they do not see each other until the auspicious moment, when it is removed.
What are mangalashtaka?
Eight verses of blessing sung at the wedding. Guests join in the last words and shower rice on the couple.
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.