WeddingSikh wedding (Anand Karaj): rituals in order
The Sikh wedding ceremony is the Anand Karaj, which means "blissful union". It is held in the morning in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib, usually in a gurdwara, and is simple and short. The functions around it are full of Punjabi music and colour.
| Ritual | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Roka or thaka, and kurmai | Before the wedding | The families confirm the match. At the kurmai (engagement), gifts and often rings are exchanged. |
| Chunni ceremony | Before the wedding | The groom's family presents the bride with a red chunni and gifts. |
| Maiyan or vatna | A day or two before | A turmeric paste is applied to the bride and the groom at their own homes. |
| Mehndi and sangeet | A day or two before | Henna, folk songs with the dholki, giddha and bhangra. |
| Jaggo | The night before | Relatives carry decorated pots with lamps on their heads and go singing through the neighbourhood. |
| Chooda and kalire | Wedding morning | The bride's maternal uncle gives her the red and white bangles (chooda). Golden kalire are tied to them. |
| Sehra bandi, baraat and milni | Wedding morning | The groom is dressed, the baraat reaches the gurdwara, and the families greet each other. |
| Anand Karaj and the laavan | In the gurdwara | The couple sit before the Guru Granth Sahib. The four laavan, hymns composed by Guru Ram Das, are read and sung one by one, and the couple walk around the Guru Granth Sahib once during each. |
| Ardas, hukamnama and karah prashad | End of the ceremony | The congregation stands for the prayer, a verse is read from the Guru Granth Sahib, and karah prashad is shared. |
| Langar and doli | After the ceremony | Everyone eats together in the langar. The bride then leaves her parents' home. |
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
- Cover your head inside the gurdwara, men and women alike. Scarves are usually kept at the entrance.
- Remove shoes and wash hands before entering the hall.
- Sit on the floor facing the Guru Granth Sahib. Do not point your feet towards it.
- The ceremony is in the morning. Arrive on time, because it is not long.
Planning notes for the two families
The gurdwara
Book the gurdwara for the Anand Karaj well ahead and ask the granthi about the starting time, how long the kirtan will last and what the families should bring, such as the rumala sahib. The ceremony is held in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib, so the gurdwara's own customs come first.
Head coverings and seating
Keep scarves and rumals ready at the door for guests who arrive without one. Elderly guests who cannot sit on the floor can usually be seated at the back or the side: ask the gurdwara in advance.
The morning timetable
Because the laavan take place in the morning, the baraat, milni and tea must run to time. Plan the make-up, the turban tying and the photographs backwards from the hour the ceremony begins.
Langar and the party
Decide whether guests will eat langar at the gurdwara, a lunch at a separate venue, or both. If there is an evening reception with music and dancing, it is held away from the gurdwara.
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 laavan are there?
Four. The couple walk around the Guru Granth Sahib once during each laav.
What does Anand Karaj mean?
It means "blissful union" or "ceremony of joy". Sikh marriages can be registered under the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, where the state has made rules for it.
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.