RUPIA PERAVANU

This is the unofficial engagement, when both the families acknowledge the acceptance of the marriage. On this day, ladies from the grooms family go to the brides house. The bride is presented with a gift of silver coins with the usual sagan. Refreshments are served and the grooms family return home. The brides family now add more silver coins to those presented, and go to the grooms home, where this ceremony is repeated.
 

ADRAVANU

This ceremony may be performed at any time after both sides have given their consent, or may be combined with the ADERNI Ceremony, which is performed 4 days before the wedding.On this day, the grooms mother and other ladies of his family go to the brides home, where they are greeted with songs. The brides mother does the achumichu to ward off the evil eye before they enter the home.
 

When they enter, the ceremony of devo is performed. A devo is kept burning in the room and the grooms mother puts a silver coin in it. The grooms mother then gives the bride to be a set of clothes, which she changes into. The new sari is supposed to be sprinkled with rose water to protect the bride from harm. The bride is also adorned with red bangles as a symbol of her engagement.

The actual ceremony now begins. Sagan is done to both of them by each mother in turn. The couple exchange rings, and then the relatives and friends greet them and give them gifts. All the members of the brides family are also given gifts by the grooms family.Traditional refreshments are served, and th e grooms family then leave, taking the bride with them. The brides family now add more cash to what was presented to the ladies of the family and go the grooms home where the entire process is repeated.
 

Four days before the lagan, the Parsis perform the Mandav Saro. The ceremony is performed by close women relatives who have children, of both . On this day, the families of the bride and groom each plant a young mango tree in their lawn or a pot. Curd is poured into the hole made for the sapling alongwith a few grains of rice and wheat. A handkerchief with gold and silver is tied to a branch and a garland is put on it. The mother then does the achumichu over the tree, wishing the couple prosperity and healthy children. The plant is watered every morning till the eighth day after the wedding and then transplanted elsewhere.
 

The next day, which is the third day before the lagan, is a day for gift exchanging. Though the Zoroastrian do not believe in the concept of dowry, on this day, the groom's family visits the bride's home and vice versa to present her with all the gifts - clothes, jewellery etc. - and vice-versa. This is known as Adarni. Apart from the clothes and the usual gifts, they also carry trays of fish, and saker and a bowl of curd. However, while the bride herself may also go over to the groom's home for this tradition, the groom cannot do the same. All relatives, neighbours and friends are invited to a traditional meal of sev and dahi (vermicelli and curd), boiled eggs and bananas.
 

On the day of the lagan, chalk or rangoli is used to decorate every staircase, doorway and even the gates of the wedding venue or baug are decorated with large, colorful designs. The Zoroastrian consider the period immediately after sunset or very early in the mornings auspicious for marriage. Thus, most weddings generally take place at about 6.40 pm. Before the actual marriage ceremony, the bride and groom go through the Nahan ritual - purification of the body and soul - wherein the family dastur (priest) symbolically bathes and purifies the man or woman. After the Nahan, the bride and groom cannot touch any person outside the family or caste. The bride then dresses in her madhavate - the white, ornate wedding saree given by her parents, while the groom wears the traditional Parsi dagli and feta - a white kurta-like garment and a black cap.
 

The Parsi lagan takes place either at a baug or at an agiary (the fire temple). A stage is set for the couple and before they step on it, the groom first, a ritual called achumichu is performed. Here, the bride's mother takes a tray with a raw egg, supari, rice, coconut, dates and water and begins the ceremony with her son-in-law to be. First, she takes the coconut and circles it around the groom's head seven times before breaking it on the floor to his right. The same is done with every other item on the tray, except the water, which is thrown on either side. The bride then steps onto the stage for her future mother-in-law to perform the same ritual.
 

CHERO BANDHVANU

The couple now sits besides each other, with the seven strands of string binding them (this ceremony being called chero bandhvanu) and witnesses beside them, and diyas or lighted lamps kept on tables on either side. The marriage prayers or aashirwaad and showering of rice and rose petals by the priests begin. This takes about an hour, after which the bride and groom exchange wedding rings. The priest bless the couple and fire from the agiary is brought to them to pay their respects.
 

After the actual wedding ceremony is over, the fun and exuberance comes to the fore. The groom's saali (sister-in-law) begins extracting money from her new brother-in-law - first, haath borvanu, he is made to put his hand into a glass of water which he cannot remove until he pays up; then pag dhovanu, the groom is threatened with milk on his shoes unless he pays; and chero chorvanu, wherein the seven strands of string binding the couple are removed by the saali, again, on payment. The couple then pay a visit to the fire temple.

THE RECEPTION

Parsi weddings are renowned for their enormous receptions. The abundance of food, drinks and music are part of their hospitality traditions. The traditional dinner sittings with lavish four-course (at the least!) meals comprising of delicious Parsi dishes like sarya (crisps), achaar - rotli (pickle and rotis), patra ni macchi (steamed fish), salli margi (chicken with potato crisps), lagan nu custard, pulao - dal and ice cream. The wedding day finally ends with the couple being escorted home by the bride's family and the achumichu being performed once again by the groom's mother - this time for the couple together, thus blessing them and leading them into a beautiful new life as man and wife.