India is a country which is known for its diversity as people belonging to many religions, faith, etc live here and there is a lot of difference in the customs, culture and traditions of people living in one region from people living in another region. Most of the Indians irrespective of their region, caste etc like to have big fat weddings and the uniqueness of these marriages is the customs that are followed in the weddings. However, there are some customs which are pretty strange and today we will let you know about some of them.

1. Baraat welcomed by tomatoes

No, we are not talking about the La Tomatina festival which is celebrated in Spain, we are telling you about a strange custom followed in some towns/villages of Uttar Pradesh as per which the baraat (groom and guests) is welcomed by throwing tomatoes at them.

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2. Change of mind of groom in Tamil weddings

In Tamil weddings, the groom has to act as if he doesn’t want to get married and he wants to leave to become a sanyasi (saint). Then the father of the bride convinces the groom for marriage after which the marriage takes place. This tradition is known as Kashi Yatra and the groom is provided with only those things which come under the category of necessities such as walking stick, umbrella, etc.

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3. Getting married to a tree

Due to the manglik dosha, there are instances when a girl has to marry a dog or a tree before getting married to groom. This strange custom is followed in some northern parts of India.

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4. Pulling the nose of groom

This tradition is mostly seen in Gujarati wedding but in weddings of some other regions also it is practiced. When the groom arrives at the venue, the mother of the bride welcomes him and tried to pull his nose while the groom and his family members try to save him but as it is a tradition, the mother of the bride succeeds. This tradition reminds the groom to take care of the bride as she is going to start a new life with him and will leave her parents to live with him.

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5. Mother of the bride/groom is not allowed in marriage

In the traditional Bengali weddings, the mother of the groom/bride is not allowed to attend the wedding as there is a belief that it may bring bad luck. However, in some regions, the mother of the groom doesn’t go for the wedding as she stays to welcome the new bride.

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6. Fish for warding off the evil

In Manipuri weddings, the bride and groom have to let go two fish in the pond to ward off evil from their married life. In which directions the fish swims also give an indication of the future of the marriage.

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7. Teen phere in Malayali weddings

Usually, saat phere (seven rounds around the fire) are taken by the bridegroom in the Indian weddings but in Malayali weddings only three pheres (rounds) are taken.

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8. Antrapat in Maharashtrian weddings

Antrapat (silk shawl) is used for separating the bride and the groom in the Maharshtrian weddings until the groom ties mangalsutra in the bride’s neck. After that the antrapat is removed and the bride and groom are able to see each other for the first time during the marriage.

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9. Tel Diya in Assamesse weddings

This ritual is performed in Assamesse weddings before the bride is given the wedding dress by her would be in-laws. In this ritual, the mother-in-law puts a ring and beetle leaf on the hair of the bride before applying oil on the hair three times. After that mother-in-law also gives sindoor to the bride.

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10. Saanth in Sindhi weddings

This custom is performed before the wedding and as per this custom, an anklet is tied on the ankles of both bride and groom in their own homes and after that eight married women are supposed to pour oil on the heads of the couple. Then they both have to break the pots which are made of mud with their right foot but only after wearing new shoes. It is believed that saanth bring good luck for the couple.

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11. Flags in the Kumaoni weddings

In Kumaoni weddings, white flags are used by the groom while bride’s family uses red flags and they are carried ahead and read end of the procession.

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12. Ghada Gharoli in Punjabi weddings

As per this ritual, the mother and the sister-in-law of bride/groom has to visit a temple on foot and then they will fill a pot with water which the sister-in-law will carry on her head while returning to home. The bride/groom has to take bathe with that sacred water before getting ready for the wedding ceremony.

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If you also know about any other strange wedding rituals, then please share it with us.