Uttarakhand Wedding Customs: Such Gudda-Gudya, connection with Samadhi-Samdhan will definitely be found in every wedding in the mountains.

Almora. Weddings in Uttarakhand are very special because the old traditions and customs are still visible here. One of these customs is also related to Gudda-Gudiya. When the bride and groom come to the mandap to take the rounds, during this time things like clothes, sweets etc. are exchanged between the two families. A doll and a doll are also given in this ritual. Gudda-gudiya are a symbol of Samadhi and Samadhan, in which both the parties give them to each other. The dolls are beautifully decorated by both the parties. This tradition has been going on in the mountains for generations, which people are following even today. Meanwhile, to have fun, many things are also kept along with the dolls, like beedi, cigarette, tobacco etc.

While telling this to Local 18, Neeraj Lohani, priest of Raghunath temple of Almora, said that this tradition has been going on since ancient times. For fun, dolls are decorated in the form of Samadhi-Samdhan. Both sides joke with each other. If Samadhi has hair on his head, his doll is shown bald, while Samadhan is made to have a moustache. This is done just for fun, which makes it interesting. No one feels bad about what each other says and takes it only as a joke. He believes that in earlier times, there were less means of entertainment, due to which this was done for fun on the occasion of marriage, a practice that continues even today.

This ritual is related to laughter and fun
Geeta Joshi, a resident of Almora, told Local 18 that the tradition of making Samadhi-Samdhan of dolls has been going on in the weddings of the mountains. These are prepared by the bride and groom’s side. These are made for fun. For example, when a Samadhi smokes a cigarette, a beedi is placed in his doll’s mouth and a cigarette is given to the Samadhi, which is considered a symbol of fun. Just as the bride and groom are decorated, Gudda Gudiya is also decorated in the same manner. In this, Swastika is made in two yellow clothes and then made into a round shape by mixing rice flour and sesame seeds. After this Gudda-Guddi is kept in it. Along with this, Dakshina is also kept in it.

Tags: Almora News, Local18, Uttarakhand news, Wedding story