Re: Mehndi Rasams
Hi shay9164, I don’t know the specifics of mehndi rasams, but this is what I have witnessed and there are of course several variations on what follows:
**At Home: Girls side (Punjabi/Lahore)
**
- Guests all arrive at mehndi venue (home or hall) welcomed by girls family
- Guys side arrive and receive special welcome. Guy is seated at the stage waiting for girl.
- Girl is brought into room/venue with dupatta covering her face (partially or wholly) and 4 or 6 girls/guys holding a bridal (red or orange or yellow) duppata over her head - like a canopy.
- Girl is seated next to guy
- Brides Mom-in-law and sisters in law apply mehndi to both their hands (hand is covered with a leaf to prevent staining), money is whirled over their heads and they are fed mithai/fruit etc (some people also apply oil to hair and/or ubtan to skin)
- Girls side do the same as above
- Remainder guests do the same as family and dunk some money into the kitty (if they wish)
- Food is served (normally buffet)
- Grooms side leave at the end of evening
Sometimes: Engagement rings are exchanged at the event and sometimes people have their Nikkah marriage contract done at these events. It really depends on the families and their particular plans. Well off people tend to have a seperate day for each rasam/occasion i.e. tehl (oil), ubtan, mehndi, engagement, nikikah,etc. I know people on a budget who have successfully tied most of these up on a single day.
It would be VERY interesting to know what the traditional rasams are for mehndi ceremonies in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, US, UK, Canada…