Indian weddings are typically filled with hundreds of rituals accompanied by the chanting of hymns; but that does not imply, in anyway, that they are all somber affairs without any fun and games. In fact, Indian weddings are all about fun, food, music and dancing. The bride and groom along with their respective families get together not just to celebrate the holy union, but also to get to know each other better. And what better way to achieve this than through games and competitions?
While certain games played during the ceremony have traditional and cultural elements associated with them; the modern games are purely about ‘having fun’. Even simple games take on a whole new meaning when played under such circumstances; it is as if there is ‘friendly competition’ between the two parties, i.e. the bride’s family and that of the groom’s. Indian Culture dictates that the groom’s family is a lot superior to that of the bride’s. The wedding games are thus a chance for the bride’s relatives to “get back” at the groom’s. Everything is taken lightly and with the right spirit; there are no hard feelings. In fact; there is a great deal of teasing and laughter and all these greatly enhance the celebrations.
Here we shall present some games that are typically held in Indian weddings:
Antakshari– Antakshari means “the last letter”. This is a popular game which involves music and songs. This competition is held between two groups (bride and grooms’ families) and is a splendid way of bringing everyone together. One team starts a song. The second team then has to sing a different one that begins with the letter on which the previous song ended. This game is fun to play and to watch and can last for hours!
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Hiding the groom’s shoes – Several Bollywood movies have made this game extremely popular. In Indian weddings, the groom has to take off his shoes as a mark of respect to the Gods while undergoing different rituals. This is the time when the bride’s relatives (especially the girl’s) hide the groom’s shoes. To get them back, the groom has to pay some money to his ‘tormentors’!
Bride/Groom Quiz– This is a relatively modern addition to the Indian wedding games. It is a way of testing how well the bride and groom know each other. This game has a special significance in arranged Indian marriages, where conventionally, the bride and groom might not have known each other for long period of time. It involves a series of questions asked privately to the bride regarding the groom’s favorite color, food etc and vice-a-versa. The person who answers most questions correctly is the winner.
Hiding the ring– This competition is held between the bride and the groom. A large bowl of milk covered with rose petals is kept amidst them and it has two rings hidden in it. The bride and groom together make an attempt to search for the rings. Whoever finds both the rings is the winner! The loser is then ‘teased’ that he/she will be dominated by the winner in their marriage for the rest of their married life! If both find a ring each, then the marriage is supposed to be harmonious and well-balanced. The key here is that each player can only use one hand to find the rings.
Photo by: www.marrymeweddings.in
As can be seen, fun and games are an essential part of Indian wedding celebrations. Games mentioned above can totally enhance the merriment and take the wedding to an exciting new level!