Important Rituals In Digambar Jain Marriage

Balakrishnan David
4 min readMar 9, 2021

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In India, marriage ceremonies take place in different ways. We get to see a wide array of customs and rituals that are followed by different community people. We all know that the traditions and rituals of some communities are quite extensive, some often stay behind the curtains. In this article, we will be learning about the Digambar Jain matrimony rituals.

One of the oldest followers of the Sramana traditions in India is the Jain community. This is the following which was led by the 24 Tirthankara. This community is business-oriented and they thrive all around the country and in more than 110 sub-cultural sects. These people have a strong presence even in other parts of the world. This community is known for its strong family ties and closely-knit families. They have a simple approach to life. They like to marry within their community which is why the Jain matrimonial sites are of great help.

Jain marriages ceremonies are a strong celebration of friends and family. Following are some of the wedding traditions that are followed still today.

Khol Barana And Tikka
This is a pre-wedding ceremony that Jain people follow. This is the inauguration of the ceremonies that are going to be followed next. As a part of the tradition, the family of the groom gives the bride a silver plate along with an auspicious coconut and some cash as a Shagun. This is all about Khol Barana. Tikka on the other hand is the tradition which is followed by the bride’s family in which they visit the groom’s house with gifts. This is called the Tilak ceremony.

Lagna Lekha
After the matchmaking and Tikka, the next thing that is followed by the Jain community people is Lagna Lekha. This is the day on which the marriage date is decided after a puja conducted at the house of the bride. The precise time and date on which the wedding will take place are decided on this day.

Sagai
We all are well aware of what Sagai means. This is the engagement ceremony that brings you closer to your life partner. In this the couple exchange rings which are found in many other communities as well. In the Jain community, Jain marriage is announced through this ceremony. The family of the bride visit the groom and his family with gifts and sweets.

Mehndi
While the timing and intent of the Mehndi ceremony during the Jain marriage are similar to the one across the country, we do see subtle differences here. The function of Mehndi here is more of the homely affair. The women come together to apply different Mehndi designs on the hands of the bride and also dab some of them on the hands of the groom as well.

There are some distinct and unique designs of Jain mehndi which are extremely high in demand. The mehndi ceremony is the same as the other ceremonies that are followed in India. The Digambar Jain brides look pretty with the mehndi and have a different glow.

Bana Betai
This is the Jain version of what we call the Haldi ceremony. In this instead of common turmeric paste, the bride and the groom get the dab of Besan or chickpea paste followed by a ritualistic bath.

Mada Madap
This is the ritual of sanctifying the Madap where the wedding will be taking place. This is one of the first rituals which is performed on the Jain marriage day.

Ghudchadi
This is the ceremony in which the groom initiates with Barat on his horse. The headgear is lightened by the females and they apply tilak on the groom’s forehead.

Barat
Now is the time when the groom finally goes to marry the partner who he has found through the matrimonial sites. The Barati is welcomed by the family of the bride. The bride’s brother also gives a welcome gift to the bride that contains sweets, coconuts, clothes and other such things.

Kanyavaran
In this ritual, the bride’s parent presents the bride and announces that their daughter is getting married to the groom. The groom then takes the hand of the bride and the Pandit chants mantras.

Pheras
Both Bride and groom move in circles around the holy fire and exchanges vow for staying together for life.

Bidaai
This is the time when the Bride leaves her family. The relatives and her parents say goodbye. This is the most emotional time for the family.
All excited about your marriage. Create a matrimony profile on the wedding sites and choose your partner.

The Digambar Jain matrimonial websites are trusted and reliable sites.

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Balakrishnan David
Balakrishnan David

Written by Balakrishnan David

Balakrishnan writes on behalf of Matrimonials India, which is among the fastest-growing matrimonial site of India.

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