The Reference Library
Every Sikh wedding ceremony, explained.
From the first 'yes' at a Roka to the last farewell at Vidaai — 27 deep guides covering every pre-wedding, wedding-day and post-wedding function of a Sikh Anand Karaj, from Kurmai to Muklawa.
Sikh · Punjabi
Roka
The first 'yes' — when two families officially stop looking.
Sikh · Punjabi
Chunni Chadhai
The moment a Punjabi bride is welcomed into her groom's family.
Sikh · Punjabi
Save-the-Date Film
A 60-second cinematic to announce the date.
Sikh · Punjabi · British Sikh
Kurmai
The formal Sikh engagement — a kara, a kirpan and a family's word.
Sikh · Punjabi
Mehndi
Six hours of stillness, a thousand secrets hidden in the leaves.
Sikh · Punjabi
Sangeet
Both families on one stage, taking each other on.
Sikh · Punjabi
Jaago
The night the aunts wake the village with a pot of fire on their heads.
Sikh · Punjabi
Chooda & Kalire
Red and ivory bangles she'll wear for a year, with silver kalire that fall over her unmarried friends.
Sikh · Punjabi
Cocktail Night
The modern Sikh wedding's Western twin — champagne and choreography.
Sikh · Punjabi · Diaspora
Akhand Path
Forty-eight unbroken hours of Gurbani before the wedding begins.
Sikh · Punjabi · British Sikh
Sukhmani Sahib Path
The women of the family read for peace of mind before the storm of the wedding.
Sikh · Punjabi
Maiyan & Vatna
Turmeric, mustard oil and boliyan — the loudest morning of a Punjabi wedding.
Sikh · Punjabi · Diaspora
Dastaar Bandi
Yards of starched cotton, folded into the crown a Sikh groom wears for life.
Sikh · Punjabi · Diaspora
Anand Karaj
Four Lavan. One Granth. A marriage of two souls into one light.
Sikh · Punjabi
Milni
The formal introduction of the two families — brother to brother, uncle to uncle.
Sikh · Punjabi
Golden Hour Portraits
The 45 minutes that produce the album cover.
Sikh · Punjabi
Sehra Bandi
The last hour a Sikh groom spends as his parents' son.
Sikh · Punjabi · Diaspora
Ghodi Chadhna
Dhol, a decorated mare and a street that belongs to one family for an hour.
Sikh · Punjabi · Diaspora
Laavan
Four verses, four circuits, one marriage — the theological heart of the Anand Karaj.
Sikh · Punjabi · Diaspora
Ardas & Hukamnama
The sangat stands, the couple bow, and the Guru gives the day's order.
Sikh · Punjabi · Diaspora
Karah Prasad & Langar
Everyone sits on the same floor and eats the same food — the most Sikh moment of the day.
Sikh · Punjabi
Reception
The wedding's official 'after-party' — bigger, looser, more glamorous.
Sikh · Punjabi
Doli (Sikh)
The Sikh bride's farewell — with rice thrown over her shoulder.
Sikh · Punjabi
Pag Phera
The bride's first return home — brothers come to collect her.
Sikh · Punjabi
Post-Wedding Brunch
The exhale — everyone in linen, mimosas at 11.
Sikh · Punjabi
Paani Varna
The bride is welcomed into her new home with water, oil and a mother-in-law's blessing.
Sikh · Punjabi
Muklawa
The old Punjabi tradition of a bride's second, permanent departure.