WeddingGujarati wedding: rituals in order
A Gujarati wedding is lively and full of small playful rituals, with garba the night before. The ceremony has four pheras, called the mangal phera.
| Ritual | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Chandlo matli and gol dhana | Before the wedding | The families accept the match. At the gol dhana (engagement), coriander seeds and jaggery are shared. |
| Mandap mahurat and Ganesh puja | A day or two before | Prayers at each home to begin the wedding. |
| Pithi | A day or two before | A paste of turmeric and sandalwood is applied to the bride and the groom. |
| Garba and sangeet | The night before | Everyone dances garba and dandiya. |
| Jaan and ponkhvu | Wedding day | The groom's procession arrives. The bride's mother welcomes him and playfully tries to catch his nose. |
| Jaimala | Start of the ceremony | The couple exchange garlands. |
| Kanyadaan and hasta melap | In the mandap | The bride's parents give her hand to the groom, and the couple's hands and scarves are tied together. |
| Mangal phera | In the mandap | The couple walk four times around the fire, standing for dharma, artha, kama and moksha. |
| Saptapadi | In the mandap | The couple take seven steps and seven vows. |
| Saubhagyavati bhava and vidaai | End of the wedding | Married women bless the bride, and she takes leave of her family. |
Customs differ from family to family and from place to place. This is a general guide for guests and for couples learning about each other's traditions, not a rule book. Reviewed on 11 November 2026.
If you are a guest
- Bring energy for the garba night, and comfortable shoes.
- During the wedding the bride's sisters steal the groom's shoes and return them for a ransom. Guests enjoy the bargaining.
- The food is vegetarian.
- Bright bandhani and patola colours are at home here.
Questions people ask
How many pheras in a Gujarati wedding?
Four, called the mangal phera, followed by the seven steps of the saptapadi.
What is gol dhana?
The Gujarati engagement. The name means jaggery and coriander seeds, which are shared at the ceremony.
Other traditions
Hindu wedding (North India)Sikh wedding (Anand Karaj)Muslim wedding (Nikah)Christian weddingSouth Indian Hindu weddingBengali weddingMarathi wedding
More wedding help
- Planning checklistEvery task from a year before to the week after, with dates.
- Budget plannerPlan and track spending head by head. Your figures stay on your phone.
- Guest listCount families and people for each side and track who is coming.
- Questions for vendorsWhat to ask the venue, caterer, photographer and others before paying.
- Wedding day timelineSample hour-by-hour plans for evening and morning weddings.
- Wedding day bagThe emergency kit and papers to carry on the day.
- Rituals explainedThe ceremonies of eight Indian wedding traditions, in order.
- Marriage registrationHow registration and court marriage work in India.
- Wedding wordingSave-the-date, announcement and thank-you messages to copy.