Assamese wedding

An Assamese marriage or a Biya is the grand wedding ceremony between Assamese people. Just like other Indian weddings, an Assamese wedding also has pre wedding and post wedding rituals. It is simple and yet very elegant. One of the unique and indispensable characteristic of Assamese weddings are the native 'biya naam' songs, the traditional marriage songs in Assamese language.

Pre Wedding Rituals

The pre wedding rituals include Juran ceremony, Tel Diya custom, Pani Tola & Nuani tradition. In Juran ceremony, the groom's mother along with other people of the locality,relatives and kin ,visits the house of the bride. The bride's mother welcomes the groom's mother and exchanges xorai, brass plate with a stem. 
Then gradually other customs follow where the Groom's mother showers the bride with gifts .

In Tel Diya custom, the groom's mother puts a ring and betel on her daughter-in-law's hair parting. Over this she pours oil thrice. After this, she applies her sindoor and gives the wedding dress for the bride. It includes mekhla chadar, the traditional Assamese dress for women; ornaments and makeup kit. 

The Pani Tola tradition is a sacred tradition where the mother of the bride and the groom gather holy water for the ceremonial bath of the bride and the groom respectively. According to Nuani tradition, the bride is given a bath to prepare her for the wedding.

Wedding Rituals

The wedding rituals begin with the ceremonial bath of the bride and the groom. For this their respective mothers visit the nearby river and collect holy water. There is a custom of shraddha which happens at both the bride and the groom's place , which is carried out by the priest in the presence of the father and respective bride and groom. This tradition is followed to show respect to the souls of the forefathers  After this in the evening,wedding reception takes place, wherein sumptuous food is served to the guests, with fish and meat as the highlights. This is followed by the procession of the groom. When he finally reaches the venue, the bride's family indulges in fun activities.

The groom's procession is given entry into the bride's home only after they pay a heavy price. Subsequently, the bride's mother welcomes him while the bride's sister washes his feet. Next, the brother of the bride lifts him to take him to the wedding hall. The groom is usually dressed in dhoti, kurta and silk shawl. The bride is given panch - amrit, before going to the hall. It is a mixture of ghee, curd, honey, sugar and raw milk. 

This is followed by a remarkable entry of the bride on the shoulders of her maternal uncle. Here, the wedding ceremony takes place in front of the sacred fire. The couple exchange garlands and takes vows amidst chanting mantras. After this, conch shells are blown and the groom puts vermillion in bride's forehead. Friends and relatives then step forward to bless the newly wed couple. After the wedding ceremony is over the couple moves to groom's house where they are welcomed by the bridegroom's mother with traditional aarti.