Bengalis are always fun loving. They look for fun and joy as
much as they can. There are so many rituals and occasions they have made for
enjoyment. They need a reason to enjoy. The most enjoyable occasion of them is
“marriage”. Marriage is socially
or ritually recognized a legal contract between man and woman that
establishes rights and obligations between them. A marriage is a process
of any rituals. Fockler says “Many
rites within one ritual”. One of the rituals is called ‘gaye holud’. This
is a pre-Wedding ceremony.
Mainly this is a ritual where the bride and groom are applied turmeric and
other herbs which are really good for skin like sandal, saffron, mehndi,
mustard seed, sesame seed, fenugreek seed and many others.
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| At a Gaye Holud ceremony in Dhaka, there is a decorated Kula of some herbs and lighting elements are seen |
History of gaye holud
In the old days Gaye holud (Bengali: গায়ে হলুদ) was a part of the marriage ritual
in the Indian Hindu community. Gradually, this event spreads in the Muslim
Bengali society. Now it has become an integral part of any wedding in Bengali
society.