Significance of Haldi Ceremony – The at home beautification process

By Devendar Agarwal - May 01, 2017

The Haldi ceremony is a very important part of Hindu weddings and marks the beginning of the wedding rituals. The bride and the groom are smeared with this natural yellow paste before they tie the knot. Now you must be wondering that how will this Haldi be helpful! We will know that in this article.

Origin Of Haldi

During the Vedic period in India, turmeric was known as the ‘’golden spice’’ or the ‘‘spice of life’’ as it was associated with the sun. It got this identity due to the bright yellow color it possessed which depicted the Sun.

Rituals Of Haldi Ceremony

The Haldi ceremony or the Ubtan ceremony prepares the bride and the groom for the wedding day. It is said to be the at home beautification process in a natural way before the marriage.

Usually, the arrangements are made outdoors, in a spacious venue.
For the Ubtan, a paste of turmeric, gram flour, curd, sandalwood, rose water is made.
For the Tel Baan, all ingredients like henna, mustard oil, sindoor, curd, turmeric, salt and mustard seeds are put in clay pots and kept in a plate. The grass is then used to apply these 5 ingredients to the bride and groom.
The family members dip the grass in all the clay pots and apply it on the bride and groom’s feet, hands, knees, shoulders and head 7 times from bottom to top which is known as Tel Chadana. This ritual varies according to families and regions.
This paste is then smeared on them by the different female members of the house.
The bride and the groom are made to do this ritual in their respective houses within their family members.
Then a ritualistic bath is taken to wash off the color from the body.

Significance and Scientific reason Behind Haldi Ceremony

Turmeric is utilized extensively for its healing and health-developing qualities. Spiritually it is used to balance the energies of the body while medicinally it is well known as an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiseptic, digestive, antioxidant and diuretic agent. It is instead one of the most productive and helpful natural product. There are many reasons why Haldi ceremony is considered to be mandatory.