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Maiyan, also known as Maiyun, Haldi, or Ubtan, is the term used for the preparation ceremony one day before Punjabi weddings of
Maiyan, also known as Maiyun, Haldi, or Ubtan, is the term used for the preparation ceremony one day before Punjabi weddings of India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
and Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. This ceremony is a late afternoon or early evening festival,{{Cite news, url=http://www.browngirlmagazine.com/2013/03/wedding-season-wedding-wear/, title=Wedding Season: Wedding Wear, date=2013-03-31, work=Brown Girl Magazine, access-date=2017-11-06, language=en-US at the couple's parental homes. It consists of many rites, including the ''Batna'', ''Choora
A ''choora'' (or ''chura''; plural ''chooriyan'') is a set of bangles traditionally worn by a bride on her wedding day and for a period after, especially in Punjabi weddings.
Materials and appearance
The ''choora'' is usually red and white; s ...
'', ''Jaggo'' fireworks and sometimes the ladies '' Sangeet'' and ''mehndi
Mehndi () is a form of body art and temporary skin decoration from the Indian subcontinent usually drawn on hands or legs. They are decorative designs that are created on a person's body, using a paste, created from the powdered dry leaves ...
''. In South Indian weddings a similar ceremony takes place called the "Pithi" ceremony.
The Ceremony
One day before the wedding, the ceremony of mayian is performed at the couple's respective homes. The prospective bride or groom is seated on a wooden plank called a ''patri'', and a red cloth is held above by four female relatives, while married women of the household and '' biradari'', led by the mother, rub a paste of turmeric, flour andmustard oil
Mustard oil can mean either the pressed oil used for cooking, or a pungent essential oil also known as volatile oil of mustard. The essential oil results from grinding mustard seed, mixing the grounds with water, and extracting the resulting vol ...
on his or her face, arms and legs. During the ritual women sing traditional songs and those of the biradari receive the ritual gift of ''gogley'' (Punjabi sweets specially cooked for weddings) at the end of the ceremony.
Choora
On the morning before the wedding, a ritual of ''choora'' or ''chura'' is performed at the bride-to-be's residence, involving a set of ivory and red bangles. Her maternal uncle makes a gift of clothes, jewellery and some cash called ''nankey-shak''. He puts the bangles on his niece while the women sing traditional songs depicting the role of maternal uncles. Before the wedding ceremony, the bride-to-be takes a ritual bath and dresses in the clothes in which she will be wed, provided by her maternal uncles. Similarly, the bridegroom-to-be also receives a set of clothes called ''sherwani'' from his maternal uncles which he, too, wears at the wedding ceremony. It signifies the importance of the role of the mother's natal family at the wedding rituals, and reinforces the alliance established at the mother's own wedding.Batna
In the ''Batna'' rite, the couple's families rub yellowturmeric
Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast ...
paste upon their legs, face, and arms while sitting on a ''patri'' (a special red board with embroidery) below a red cloth held by four women. This is done to cleanse and balance the body for married life.
Jaggo
In the ''Jaggo'' ceremony, the family dances and sings on the road in front and around the beautifully decorated wedding home. Jaggo is held in the last hours of the night. Copper vessels called "gaffers" are decorated withdivas
Diva (; ) is the Latin word for a goddess. It has often been used to refer to a celebrated woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, theatre, cinema, fashion and popular music. If referring to an actress, the meaning of ''diva'' is cl ...
(clay lamps), filled with mustard oil
Mustard oil can mean either the pressed oil used for cooking, or a pungent essential oil also known as volatile oil of mustard. The essential oil results from grinding mustard seed, mixing the grounds with water, and extracting the resulting vol ...
, and lit. The bride/bridegroom's maternal aunt (''mammi'') carries it on her head, and another lady carries a long stick with bells, which she shakes. The ladies then go into other friends' and families' homes to be welcomed with sweets and drinks. They dance there and move on. It is a solemn ceremony filled with joy, dancing, fireworks, and food. The Ladies ''Sangeet'' (Ladies' Night of Singing) and ''mehndi
Mehndi () is a form of body art and temporary skin decoration from the Indian subcontinent usually drawn on hands or legs. They are decorative designs that are created on a person's body, using a paste, created from the powdered dry leaves ...
'' might follow the ''mayian'' and dinner.
References