Royal Ensemble

The maternal uncle plays an important role in a Sikh wedding. He gives  the bride the bridal wear, including the traditional jewellery. The parents can do this tradition, in case there is no maternal uncle or if he is financially unstable. The bridal attire of a Sikh bride can either be very simple or extremely exquisite. Ultimately, it depends on the bride's taste and her budget.

Following the Hindu tradition, the colour of a Sikh bride's dress has to be in shades of red. Maroon, blood red and rani pink are among the most popular colours. Today, they do wear other colours, but mostly in pastel shades.

Traditionally, a plain salwaar kurta is worn with a heavy dupattas of the same shade. The dupatta is fully embroidered, usually with motif, which is a symbol of prosperity. Alternatively, brides wear a ghagra choli, which is a modern practise.

Popularly, silk is the most favoured fabric by most brides for their bridal outfit.

Exquisite Jewellery

Gold, silver, gems - no matter what the she wears - a Sikh bride is incomplete without the traditional jewellery, such as the kalire and chuda.

Kalire or kaliras are tied on both hands by the maternal uncle just before leaving home. These are thin pieces of gold and silver tied to bangles. Kaliras are seen as a blessing to the bride to have a blissful married life.

The maternal uncle and aunt also give the chuda, which is a set of red and cream bangles. The bangles were traditionally made of ivory, but now red and cream plastic bangles are used. Traditionally, the bride has to wear the chuda for a minimum of 40 days and maximum one year after the wedding.

Also Read: 16 Commandments for the Bride-to-Be

The bridal jewellery set also includes the maangtikka, a heavy neckpiece, nose ring, and earrings. The bride wears gold anklets by choice.

A traditional Sikh bride will also wear a panja, which are rings for all five fingers connected by a gold chain.

Also Read: Dolly Thakore on Floral Jewellery

Grand Tattoo

As in most other Hindu weddings, the hands and feet of a Sikh bride are also decorated with mehendi. Some brides wear the mehendi upto their elbows  and on their legs ending just below the knees.

Take a look at our Mehendi Gallery.

The mehendi design is Indian and includes bridal symbols such as the bride and groom, the baraat (wedding procession), etc. The design also includes all the alphabets of the groom's name. The groom is asked to find his name in the mehendi as a part of the post wedding games!

Also Read: Time for Some Mehendi

Braiding the Locks

Since the bride's dupatta covers the hair and face, the hairstyle is not too elaborate. The bride's hair is either tied in a bun or in a simple braid. The braid is often decorated with hair extensions made of thread called paranda.

Also Read: A Hairdo that's Just for You

Glittering with jewellery and the beautiful kalire, the bride heads towards the gurudwara (Sikh temple). The wedding ceremony called Anand Karaj, which means 'Blissful Union', is the beginning of a new stage in a Sikh woman's life.