In India, wedding is a joyous occasion. It is a time when two families come together and celebrate the union of two individuals. It is a holy ritual. Wedding is a time when a new life awaits for both the bride and the groom. For the bride, it is a time when she has to leave her familiar surroundings, leave behind her parents and other people she holds close to her heart. She now has to go to her in-laws home and adjust with people there.
Wedding cards play a vital role in a wedding. Without the card, the people or the invitees would not know that a wedding, a joyous occasion is being held. After the selection of the bride and groom takes place and engagement takes place, now comes the selection of wedding cards. The wedding card shows a person’s attitude towards the marriage. The wedding card makes the invitees feel invited and also shows the warmth of the people who are inviting them.
India being a country of diverse culture, one would get a variety of wedding card invitations in the market for various religions. There are various types of wedding cards-
- Hindu wedding card invitations typically have shlokas in Sanskrit with a Ganesha drawn on top. There are lots of designs available like a Ganesha on a leaf, a doli, baarat. Some wedding cards also have mango leaf. Sometimes, inside the wedding card a photograph of the bride and groom, or a poem is inscribed to make it more personalized. Kumkum, a powder made of saffron or turmeric, is applied on top of the card.
- Islamic wedding card invitations have Ayats from the Holy Quran with beautiful poetry inscribed in it. The designs or the patterns on the card are of different types. Some are floral patterns, some have stars and crescent sign on the top. On top of the card, one can also see Basmala (in the name of God), a substitute for 786.
- A Sikh wedding occasion is called “Anand Karaj” which means a blissful act. Sikh wedding card invitations have EkOnkar symbol on top of the card with Gurbani from the Holy Guru Granth Sahib printed on it. Punjabi wedding cards colourful and vibrant.
- A Jain wedding card like the Hindu wedding card has a swastika sign. The symbol of the Jain TirthankarMahavira also adorns the top of the wedding card. The various symbols that are also printed on the card are sketches of couple, palm curves, etc.
- The Parsi wedding cards come in rich colours and styles. They are vibrant and display their rich culture. These Zoroastrian wedding invitation cards are exclusively meant for the parsi family members.
- Christian wedding cards are not as colourful as the other wedding cards. The white is a symbol of purity in Christianity which is visible in the cards. The wordings in the card are in silver and the sign of the cross is printed on the card. Also, wedding bells and verses from the Bible in old English are printed on the card.
Hence, when it comes to Indian weddings, the invitation cards portray a rich heritage and culture of the respective religions.