🌸 Tilak Ceremony (तिलक संस्कार in Bihar) This is usually the formal engagement ceremony, done at the groom’s place. Who performs it: The bride’s father or guardian visits the groom’s house with family members. Main rituals:Applying tilak (vermilion/sandal paste with rice) on the groom’s forehead.Offering clothes, sweets, fruits, dry fruits, and sometimes money.Gifts for groom’s family members (especially elders). Priest may recite mantras for blessings. Purpose: It officially fixes the marriage and symbolizes acceptance of the groom by the bride’s family. --- 🍎 Faldān Ceremony (फलदान in Bihar) This happens usually at the bride’s place (sometimes before or after Tilak, depending on family tradition). Meaning: “Fal” = fruits, “Dān” = offering. Rituals: The groom’s family visits the bride’s house with gifts, fruits, dry fruits, clothes, ornaments, and sweets. The bride is given blessings, jewelry, and traditional clothes by the groom’s family.

Rituals: A paste of haldi (turmeric), curd, sandalwood, and mustard oil is prepared. Married women (mostly sisters-in-law, bhabhi, mausi, chachi, etc.) apply haldi on the bride/groom’s face, hands, and feet. Sometimes relatives also playfully smear haldi on each other. Belief/Purpose: Turmeric purifies the body and skin (natural glow). Wards off evil eye and brings prosperity. Symbolizes a fresh, auspicious start before marriage. Special touch in Bihar: After haldi, the paste left is often applied by close friends/family to others as a blessing and fun gesture. --- 🎶 Sangeet Ceremony (संगीत in Bihar) When: Often combined with Haldi night or kept separately, a day or two before the wedding. Traditional Style: Women gather with dholak, manjira, and harmonium, and sing sohar (marriage songs), kajari, jhumar, and folk geet. Songs tease the bride, groom, and in-laws in a fun way. Elderly women lead, younger ones dance and clap along.

Baraat (बारात) Ladke ki baarat ghode ya gaadi par nikalti hai, dhol–nagara ke saath. Gharwale, rishtedaar aur dost naachte-gaate ladki ke ghar pohchte hain. Jaimala (जयमाला) Mandap mein ladka–ladki ek doosre ko haar pehnate hain. Yeh pehli rasam hai jisme dono ek doosre ko accept karte hain. Kanyadaan (कन्यादान) Ladki ke maa-baap apni beti ka haath ladke ke haath mein dete hain. Pandit ji mantron ke saath yeh rasam karwate hain. Sindoor Daan & Mangalsutra (सिंदूरदान और मंगलसूत्र) Ladka ladki ke maang mein sindoor bharta hai aur mangalsutra pehnata hai. Yeh pati-patni ke pavitra bandhan ka pramaan hai. Saat Phere (सात फेरे) Agni ko saakshi maan kar dono saat phere lete hain. Har phera ek vachan ka pratigya hota hai. Kohbar Rasam (कोहबर) Shaadi ke baad ladki ke ghar ek special ritual hota hai, jisme kohbar (suhaag kaksh ke diwar par banaye chitr) ki pooja hoti hai. Isse suhag, santan aur samriddhi ka aashirwad milta hai. Bidai (विदाई) Ladki apne ghar se vidai leti hai its vryemotional