| Anand Karaj: A Sikh Wedding Two souls into one By Heidi M. Pascual (Photos by Jonathan Gramling) |
| (Above) The groom, Dr. Sarnarendra Miranpuri, arrives on horseback; (right) The bride, Dr. Gurkit Multani, holds the sash connected to the groom as the couple circles Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh Holy Book) while Lavaans (prayers) are recited. |
| during the wedding. This local wedding started with Baraat, a "parade" and vigorous dancing of bhangra by the groom's relatives and friends, accompanied by the rhythm of a band until the group finally reached the milni or the meeting point. At the "gate," the group was welcomed by the bride's family and relatives. The formal wedding rite started with the opening prayers, followed by the palaa ceremony, when a shawl was placed over the groom's shoulder and one end on his hands; the bride held the other end as they walked around the Holy Book amid songs of prayer. (The palaa bonds the couple together physically to represent their spiritual link. ) The Laavan (meaning "break away"), a series of prayers that signifies the bride breaking away from her natural family, was recited throughout. |
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| A Sikh wedding, called Anand Karaj, or 'Blissful Union', was held Sept. 15 at the Marriott Hotel in Middleton. The bride and groom are both medical doctors, both Americans, who have kept their Sikh tradition alive in their lives. Their families joyfully shared with the greater Madison community a wedding tradition characterized by love, respect, family unity, and spirituality. From the formal 'asking' of the bride's hand in marriage by the groom's family, known as the mangni or kudmai, to the formal wedding, the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh Holy Book) was at the center of it all, with uninterrupted reading of verses before and |
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| A Punjabi wedding is more than the physical uniting of two families or two individuals. It is a marriage that merges two souls, forming a spiritual bond that lasts forever. |
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| (Above) The groom receives sweets from a relative; (right) the couple after the wedding ceremony; (below) reading of the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh Holy Book) |
| (Counterclockwise from top left) The groom arrives at the "gate"; the musicians; groom & bride bow in respect of the holy words on wedding; the bride's "party" awaits the groom and his family. |