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Solah Shringar
Solah Shringar for Indian bride and groom have been an inevitable part of Indian weddings.

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Solah Shringar, Indian weddingSolah Shringar for bride on the wedding day is one of the most exciting aspects of her life. She dreams of looking like a princess on this day and weave many expectations. Most of the girls in our country have lots of dreams for this day since it symbolizes the beginning of their journey into womanhood. Everybody wants to look best on this day. Different kinds of beauty sacraments are associated with this day as her female friends and relatives spend the entire day preparing her for the occasion. The full adornment consists of sixteen parts from head to toe and is thus called Solah Shringar. On this very special day of her life she wants to look the best in her lifetime. She typifies beauty on this special day. The bride`s solah shringar starts from the top with her hair and ends at her toe.

Preparations for Bridegroom are a long process and interesting to watch. First her hair is washed, oiled, and adorned with flowers and other head ornaments. It is usually decorated with borla. These are conical shaped ornaments for the head. Than a paste of turmeric, oil and gram flower is mixed and made into a scrub. Then this cream is applied to the bride`s hands and arms. Later her forehead is decorated with a mang-tikka or bhor ornament that is worn along the hairline. The face is also decked up. And the eyes are highlighted with kajal to give it`s a dark and beautiful effect.

Make up is applied on face with powdered and lipsticks. Nose rings are worn. It can be made of gold, pearl and diamond. In some regions and community nose rings are never removed and they become symbol of married woman like Mangalsutra. Gorgeous earrings are also worn on ears. They are of different shapes and sizes, often embedded with precious stones. Necklaces of different designs and sizes are adorned around the neck. It can be of different lengths short, long or choker or collar type. The bride also wears floral garland. On both the hands bangles and bracelets are worn. It is the most visible part of the body so bangles and bracelets are one of the most important ornaments worn by the bride. Bangles can be of different kinds. It can be made of gold, silver, iron, ivory, glass, ceramic or other metals depending upon the custom and rituals of the particular region. On the upper arm, armlets are also worn, which can be made of different metals.

Mehendi designs are made on the hands and feet. On the waist elaborate gold or silver belts are worn. The belts serve the purpose of keeping the bride`s sari in place. And last but not least the toes are also adorned. Various kinds of toe rings of different designs are worn and it gives an elaborate look to the bride`s feet. The bridal dress is the most important part of solah shringar and is always red in color because red is considered to be auspicious. The sari usually has heavy and rich embroidery with gold and silver threads some also beads work on it. The groom`s dress and adornments are also an aspect of special interest on that day. Grooms wear different kinds of clothes in different parts of India on their day of marriage. In the South, grooms either wear the traditional veshti (dhoti) and kurta or three-piece suits. Grooms in the north usually wear a sherwani with a churidar pyjama, a bandha gala suit, or a western-style suit. Turbans also happen to be a very popular adornment for the groom and the important members of his family. North Indian grooms wear a sehera, a veil of flowers tied to the turban, to hide their faces from the evil eye.

Wedding is an ethnic association of families, of two souls with their individual fates and destinies of time and infinity. A typical Indian marriage is an institution in its whole, a unification of two individuals, symbolizing the giving and receiving of love for each other all through their married life. A marriage is incomplete without the typical Indian wedding garment, which reflects our culture and heritage. Wedding day is the most important day in ones life and hence every bride and groom strives to look the best.

The last day of the individual`s bachelorhood and entry in to marital bliss should see the groom in his best Indian wedding outfit. A vast collection of Indian wedding wears and are sure to become the envy of everyone`s eyes is available in several stores of all the Indian cities. The customized tailored Indian wedding suits match with the imagination of the couple.

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See also
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