Priyanka Choprahas been in wedding planning mode sinceNick Jonaspopped the question in July. The couple arrived in Chopra’s nativeIndia last weekandcelebrated Thanksgivingwith her family.
Jonas’ older brotherJoeand Joe’s fiancéeSophie Turnerthenjoined them in Mumbaion Monday and had a night out with the soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs.
Pre-wedding festivities continued on Wednesday when Jonas, 26, and Chopra, 36,held a puja, a traditional Hindu ceremony to ask Lord Ganesh to look over the couple and block any obstacles to happiness, at her house.
The couple intends to hold two wedding ceremonies, one honoring each of their backgrounds. “It is super important to Priyanka to have an Indian ceremony that honors her heritage and culture, just as it’s important to also have a Western ceremony that honors Nick’s Christian upbringing,” a source tells PEOPLE. “They are doing both.”
Hindu weddings can include numerous pre-wedding day ceremonies and many day-of rituals, so ahead of the couple’s upcoming nuptials, here’s a look at some of the other elements the “Chains” singer and the formerQuanticoactress may incorporate into their celebrations.
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A Ganesh Puja
Possibly the ceremony that Jonas and Chopra held on Wednesday, the puja is performed to ask Lord Ganesh for good luck because he is believed to be the destroyer of evils and obstacles. The ceremony prepares the couple for their new beginning together.
A Mehendi Ceremony
This ritual can be considered a traditional Hindu bachelorette party, which usually takes place a day or two before the wedding ceremony. (Chopra celebrated an American-stylebachelorette partywithTurnerand other female friends in Amsterdam on the weekend of Nov. 3.) All the women in the bride and groom’s families and close female friends will gather at someone’s home as the bride has elaborate henna designs applied to her hands and feet. The guests usually get a few designs on their hands too.
A Tilak Ceremony
A Haldi Ceremony
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A Sangeet
This over-the-top party typically takes place 1-2 days before the wedding. Guests enjoy endless food and drinks and perform songs or dances in honor of the couple. The party usually begins in the evening and can last all night.
The Baraat
Priyanka Chopra/Instagram
Ceremonial Traditions
There are a lot ofcustoms during the actual ceremony, like opening the service with a prayer to Ganesha. To give the bride away, a moment known askanyadaan, her father will place his daughter’s hands into the groom’s hands. Sometimes the father of the bride will also pour water into his daughter’s hand, which will then flow through her fingers into her future husband’s hand.
Couples typically get married under themandap, a pillared, open-air structure. A fire burns in the mandap to serve as a witness to the ceremony and offerings are made. In northern India, the pair circles the fire seven times, each representing a specific blessing they ask of the gods. For this ritual, called thesaptapadi, the bride and groom’s clothes are tied together.
The couple exchanges vibrant floral garlands during thejaimalato symbolize their desire to spend the rest of their lives together, as well as the love and respect they have for one another. The groom also places a black and gold beaded necklace called themangalasutraon his bride. The Hindu goddess of wealth, fortune and prosperity is said to be represented in themangala sutra, giving the bride blessings for her marriage.
Traditionally, a bride wears a red sari or outfit but will often change into another colorful outfit for the reception. She’ll also wearchura, red and white bangles that are traditionally only worn on a woman’s wedding day. Some couples incorporate the chura ceremony, during which a male member of the groom’s family will gift the bangles to the bride.
To symbolize she is married, a red-orange powder calledSindoorwill be applied to the bride’s hair.
A Vidai Ceremony
source: people.com
