Parsee Wedding rituals

 The decor for the engagement ceremonies was yellow. For the wedding, it's red.


The groom's party enter first, the register is signed and they process to the stage.

Each have a sacred tray with a coconut, sacred thread, grains of rice and various other bits and pieces.

With the groom on the stage, hidden behind a sheet, the bride's party enter, 
with her sacred tray.

The bride is welcomed by her mother-in-law. Everyone on stage has a head covering.

Bride & groom sit facing each other with the sheet between, but they hold hands while prayers are intoned.

The sacred thread is passed round the whole group, 7 times. 7 must be a special number, as many actions are performed 7 times.

The sheet is removed, rings exchanged and bride and groom sit together.

A lot more intoning of prayers with much rice thrown at the couple and at the married women, who collect as much as they can in their saris - seems almost a competition!

Similar to our tradition of the bride throwing her bouquet, the rice is given to any unmarried lady who wishes to find a husband.

The cake is cut,

 fed to each other,


and then fed to respective in-laws.


The couple head off to the fire temple for a Parsee/Zoroastrian blessing. 
On their return, the bride signs the register and finally the feasting begins.


































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