what is chooda ceremony

The Chooda ceremony is a significant ceremony in a Punjabi wedding, where the bride wears a set of traditional bangles called Chooda, which is gifted by her maternal family. The Chooda is a set of 21 red and white bangles, which are believed to bring good luck to the newlyweds. The Chooda ceremony is held on the morning of the wedding day or a day before, and the bangles are purified by milk during the ceremony. Traditionally, it is believed to be inauspicious if the bride sees her Chooda before the wedding, so she closes her eyes when the Chooda is being put on and then it is covered with a cloth until the wedding. The Chooda is accompanied by the beautiful Kaleerey, which are essentially umbrella-shaped metal hangings tied to the Chooda. These are tied by the brides sisters and friends to wish her luck and remind her of them when she leaves them post-bidaai. After the bride wears her Chooda and the Kaleerey are tied to the Chooda properly, she shakes her hands on the heads of unmarried girls present. It is believed that if any part of the Kalire falls on the unmarried girl, then shell be the next in line to get married. The Chooda ceremony can be really emotional, as it almost feels like the bride is breaking all old ties and starting a completely new life.