what is haldi ceremony

A Haldi ceremony is a pre-wedding ritual that is common in traditional Indian weddings. It is usually celebrated on the wedding day or one day prior to the wedding day and is a close-knitted event where the closest family, relatives, and friends come together to apply turmeric paste (haldi) on the bride and grooms face and body. The paste is made by mixing turmeric, oil, and water, and in some customs, sandalwood, rose water, and gram flour are also mixed in the paste. The haldi paste is believed to have antibacterial, beautification, antiseptic, and purification properties, and it is applied to the bride and grooms body to cleanse and purify them before they enter into holy matrimony. The ceremony is viewed as a blessing to the couple before the wedding. The Haldi ceremony is also an icebreaker between both the bride and grooms family, which is celebrated with laughter, love, pomp, and color. The ceremony is filled with many light-hearted dances, traditional folk songs, and lots of laughter. The Haldi ceremony is known by different names in different regions of India, such as pithi, tel baan, gaye holud, ubtan, or mandha.