Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant wedding: What is Gujarati Mameru ceremony and its parallels across India

In India, a wedding is not just a union of two individuals but it's believed to bring two families together. And so, traditional Indian big fat weddings are all about naach, gaana, and celebrations. A few days before the official wedding celebrations, various traditions and rituals are followed for the bride and groom-to-be. One such tradition that is followed by Gujaratis is called the Mameru or the Mausalu ceremony, which was recently celebrated by the Ambanis ahead of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's wedding on July 12, 2024. Read all about the Gujarati Mameru ceremony and its parallels across India here.

The word 'Mameru' is derived from Mama, which means maternal uncle. In a traditional Mameru ceremony, just a few days before the main wedding the maternal uncle (mama) of the bride visits her with gifts, dry fruits, and sweets. The gifts given to the bride on this occasion traditionally include a Panetar saree, ivory or white chura (bangles), gold jewellery, sweets and dry fruits which are beautifully presented in trousseau trays. This symbolises the mama's or the maternal family's well-wishes for the to-be bride before she embarks on a new journey in life. This ceremony generally takes place at the bride or groom's house, before their wedding.

The 'Mameru' ceremony is also called 'Mausalu' sometimes, wherein the Mausa (maternal uncle) brings gifts and sweets for the bride-to-be.

The ceremony is a beautiful depiction of the importance of the extended family in Gujarati weddings. They serve not only as a way to shower the couple with love and well-wishes but also give the extended family a chance to get together and celebrate the wedding.

Considering the vast cultures seen in India, there are many such traditions which are followed in different parts of the country. Here we mention some of them.

Mosalu is a traditional ceremony celebrated in Gujarati culture a few days before the actual wedding. In Mosalu, the groom’s mother’s family, in this case, members from Nita Ambani’s side of the family, led by her mother Smt. Purnima Dalal and her sister Ms. Mamta Dalal, came to the residence to bless the couple along with gifts and offerings. The groom’s maternal uncles and family presented the bride & groom with a traditional set of gifts known as "Mameru." In a way, Mosalu and Mameru reflect the respect given to and involving the larger family in wedding festivities. These occasions highlight the importance of the wedding for the extended family and become an occasion for them to celebrate together. Smt. Nita Ambani’s family were present in large numbers for the ceremony.

Punjabis follow a chunni ceremony which symbolises the union of the to-be bride and groom. In this ceremony, the groom is given a Shagan by his to-be bride's family, and in return, the groom's family gives her a red chunni which is used to cover her head. This act, in a way, symbolises the to-be bride's responsibility of uploading the honour of her to-be husband's family. Apart from this, gifts are exchanged between the bride and groom's families and this is followed by celebrations, which include dance and songs.

In Uttarakhand, the acceptance of a marriage proposal is signified by a small ceremony at the bride's home, called the Teeka ceremony. In this, the groom and his family visit the bride's house, offer her a Shagan and apply a yellow (haldi) teeka on her forehead, and the bride's family also apply a yellow teeka and give a Shagan to the to-be groom. This symbolises that the marriage is now fixed between the two people. This is followed by an engagement ceremony between the bride and groom.

In this pre-wedding ceremony, Bengalis celebrate the to-be groom before he gets married. Aiburobhat marks the final feast the to-be groom will have as a bachelor before he ties the knot. And so, the lavish feast includes the couple's favourite dishes, and their close family take part in it along with the to-be groom.

In this Telugu ritual, the to-be bride and groom's family meet, get their horoscopes matched, and decide on an auspicious date for their wedding. Thus, this event symbolises the beginning of the wedding planning. The to-be bride and groom are blessed by the elders of the two families and are given gifts which include sweets, new clothes, and jewellery.

Maharastrians observe the pre-wedding ritual called Sakhar Puda, which signifies that two people will get married to each other. In this ceremony, the groom's family offers a packet of sugar (called Sakhar Puda in the Marathi language) to the bride. They also give the bride some gifts like sarees and jewellery. In return, the bride's family gives a coconut and a coin to the groom. This signifies an agreement between the two families to the to-be bride and groom's marriage.

Rajasthanis have a pre-wedding tradition called the Bhaat Nyota wherein the to-be bride and groom's mothers visit their respective maternal homes to formally invite their relatives for the wedding ceremony. This is called Bhaat Nyotna, which means an invitation for feast, ahead of the main wedding celebrations.

Nita and Mukesh Ambani's youngest son, Anant Ambani is all set to get married to his fiance Radhika Merchant at Jio World, Mumbai on July 12, 2024. Days ahead of their grand wedding day, celebrations leading up to the big Day have now begun!

Here's wishing a lifetime of happiness and togetherness to the lovely couple!