Categories: Society & Culture

The funny and strange Indian marriage traditions

I think most of us have different traditions which sound strange to people living in a different environment. By the way have you ever heard the story of stolen shoes at an Indian wedding?

Generally the Indian wedding ceremony goes on for 3-4 hours with all the auspicious functions performed by Pundits from bride and bridegroom’s side in presence of all family members of both the sides. That is a serious business but the other functions are quite lengthy and interesting and sometimes sound too funny.

I was on an Indian forum site couple of minutes before with a funny post discussing about a funny tradition in Hindu North Indian marriages. It’s an old tradition mostly in North India Hindu marriages that when the bridegroom sits for main wedding ceremony taking his shoes off like all other family members and invited guests.

But it’s a lengthy process consisting of different ceremonies therefore the families concentrate on functions seriously but some humorous moments also come in between when pundits describe the meaning of mantras to bride and bridegroom that set the direction of their future married life and some youngsters try to describe them in their own funny ways showering flowers on new pair.

Meanwhile, the girls especially the younger sisters and friends of bride steal the shoes of bridegroom and hide them in some secret place as an old tradition going on for ages for the sake of fun and ask for money in return when the marriage function is over and marriage party is ready to go back home along with bride at the end of wedding ceremony.

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The funny part of the tradition is that everyone knows where the shoes are but no one from either side speaks a word or asks girls to return the shoes but it’s a game in between the girls and the bridegroom. The girls come up with a demand of large sum of money generally many times more than the value of the shoe.

It could be anywhere in the range of $300-1000 or even more to start with according to mood of the girls. In some cases the bargain goes on in a humorous way and finally settled for a mutually agreed amount with an intervention from elders from the bride’s side.

Generally it’s a humorous tradition and taken in that spirit. The bridegroom normally pays a handsome amount several times more than the cost of the shoes happily which is divided among all the girls equally.  Let me share a secret here that most boys keep an extra pair of shoes in their car just in case something goes wrong but normally it doesn’t go wrong.

Currently there is a funny advertisement is being aired on TV that shows how a boy orders a pair of shoes to Amazon in a similar situation which is delivered within no time and the bridegroom teases girls and says keep the shoes. If anyone wants to see that funny scene it’s available on YouTube. Just search for Hindi movie “Hum Apke Hain Koun”.

Image source https://pixabay.com/en/shoes-hiking-shoes-hiking-old-worn-1638873/




  • suny

    View Comments

    • That's a funny tradition indeed. So, what if the groom is stingy and won't give money in exchange for giving back his shoes?

      I have read and saw on TV Indian weddings and they are really lenghty cermonies and rituals, though very enjoyable to attend actually.

      And it seems it involves a lot of money, like the dowry? I think if one is poor, then can't he marry a girl in a simple ceremony?

      Here if the couple would want to economize, they just get married civilly. At least they will only have the parents and godparents and closest family to feed after that for a celebration.

      Here too, getting married is also expensive now, if the bride wants a big wedding. So impractical.

      My hubby and I got married in a simple church rites. Only about 50 people including the entourage were present at the church and at the reception. But at least, after the wedding, we already have a refrigerator, sala set, cooking utensils and gadgets and TV.

      Hubby and I are both practical persons. :)

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