1. Match-Making
2. Ceremonies
3. Actual marriage Ceremony
4. Post-marriage Ceremony

Kashyap Rajput marriages are usually traditional elaborate affairs. Kashyap Rajput marriages tend to become grander and even more ostentatious, and then the pre and post marriage functions could well stretch for days on end. However, even a simple Kashyap Rajput marriage is just as elaborate – as tradition and customs take precedence over everything else.

1. Match-Making :

Foremost is the part of matchmaking for the marriage alliance. Utmost care is taken in this delicate matter so that the alliance is perfect. First, the status of the families have to be at par, the Kashyap Rajput clan must be taken into consideration since the bride and the groom should hail from separate clans. Then, the horoscopes have to be approved and tallied by the family astrologer. Kashyap Rajputs, as a rule, marry only within the community.

2. Ceremonies :

The Official (Engagement) Ceremony
The official (engagement) ceremony takes place at the home of the groom. Only the bride’s father, brother and other close relatives attend this ceremony. This is a strictly all male affair. No ladies, not even the bride, accompany the menfolk for the tika. The ceremony is so called because the bride’s brother actually applies a tilak to the groom’s forehead and makes the alliance or engagement official. A sword, other presents, clothes, fruits, sweets etc., are given to the groom.

Shri Akhand Paath
The Kashyap Rajput Marriage ceremony begins with shri akhand paath which continuous for three days and ends with Bhoj. After this Lunch is hosted to the members attending this ceremony.

Havan
A havan is performed by the groom or bride’s parents to propitiate the gods and an idol of Lord Ganapati is installed. After this Lunch is hosted to the members attending this ceremony.

Pithi Dastoor Ceremony
The pithi dastoor is one of the first important ceremonies, which involves the bride/groom and continues until the day of the marriage. The actual ceremony consists of application of turmeric and sandal wood paste to the bride/ groom who cannot leave the house once the pithi starts. The pithi dastoor at the bride’s house is an elaborate affair. The bride dresses in an orange poshak and is then brought under a silken canopy, which is held with the help of swords at the four corners by four ladies who must belong to the same clan as the bride. She is brought to the ladies gathering, who then apply the paste to her. A similar ceremony takes place at the groom’s as well, although it is not as elaborate. Dholans (women singers with dholak) sing auspicious premarriage songs while the ceremony is in progress. Throughout the marriage celebrations, the dholans are omnipresent, along with the Shehnai and the nagara players, though the latter remain at the courtyard or the garden.

Mehfils
Mehfils are in integral part of every Kashyap Rajput Marriage. Usually held in the evenings, they are again segregated into the “ladies’ mehfil” and the “gents’ mehfil”. At the ladies’ mehfil, all the womenfolk gather at a central place in an enclosed courtyard or hall. Dressed in dazzling dresses, they perform the ghoomar (a special dance done in a group). The bride at the mehfil is given an important position to sit and watch the proceedings. She may join the dancing occasionally, but protocol demands that she should not over indulge in the dancing. If the ladies’ mehfil is in progress at the groom’s house, then only the groom is privileged to attend the all women affair. Of course, the men have their own mehfil, where singers perform and these are strictly all male parties.

Mahira Dastoor
The mahira dastoor is yet another important ceremony, common to both the bride and the groom’s families. This ceremony is performed by the maternal uncle of the groom/bride, who, along with his wife and family, arrives with much fanfare, and is received by the bride/groom’s mother with the traditional welcome. The uncle then gives clothes, jewellery, sweets etc., to the entire family. The ceremony signifies that since at the time of a marriage there is considerable expenditure, it is the duty of the brother to help his sister at her child’s marriage.

Janev Ceremony
The janev ceremony, where the sacred thread is given to the would be groom on the eve of his becoming the house-holder, is interesting. The janev is given only to men. The groom has to be dressed in saffron robes like an ascetic and perform a havan before wearing the thread. The significance of saffron robes is that the groom now has two choices before him; either he renounces the world and becomes an ascetic, or he accepts the institution of marriage and its responsibilities. After the havan is completed and the thread given, the groom has to make a mock attempt to run from the chains of marriage while the maternal uncle must catch him and convince his nephew into accepting marriage.

Palla Dastoor
On the day of the actual marriage, or maybe a day prior to it, the palla dastoor is brought in by a few of the groom’s relatives, accompanied by family retainers, to the bride’s house. The palla dastoor consists of clothes, jewellery and gifts from the groom, which the bride has to wear during the marriage ceremony. This particular custom is typical to the Kashyap Rajputs. The traditional   poshak or marriage dress is usually red in colour, but it could also be orange, gold yellow, or pink. In certain Kashyap Rajput clans, a bright parrot green is also worn. The jewellery consists of the rakhri (a circular piece of jewellery for the forehead), danglers for the ears, the timaniyaan (a choker studded with uncut diamonds) the chooda (a set of ivory and gold bangles), the bajuband or gold and stone-studded armlets, gold anklets and the bichhiya or gold toe-rings for the feet, and the nath or the stone-studded nose-ring. The jewellery has its own significance: the rakhri, worn in the parting of the hair, signifies that the bride must “walk on the straight path”, earrings remind her that she should not have weak ears and listen to gossip, the necklace so that her head is always bowed down in humility, bangles tell her that her hand must always go forward for giving charity, anklets so that she puts the right foot forward and the nosering, of which it is said that the pearl should not be heavier than the nose, which means you should not spend more than what your husband can afford.

The Kashyap Rajput Baraat
The bridegroom is usually dressed in a gold achkan, with an orange turban and a churidar or jodhpurs with jootis. On the turban he wears a serpech a piece of jewellery specially meant for the urban. Around the neck he wears a necklace and around the waist he ties a cummerband. Of course, variations in styles and colours prevail. The important baraat members wear colourful turbans.In fact, all members, including the groom who rides an elephant or a horse, carry swords. The horse is important for the Kashyap Rajputs so even if he comes on the elephant, at in style by the bride’s family.

3. Actual Marriage Ceremony :

1. The sister-in-laws and other ladies receive the Groom and generally a ribon is tide at the entrance of the pandal and which is cut by the Groom.
2. After this Jai-Mala ceremony is performed on a stage well decorated and the family members and friends of both sides offer best wishes and blessing to the new couple.
3. The marriage is performed by vedic rites which are guided by priest of both Bride and Groom. The sikh families perform marriage in the presence of Shri Guru Granth Sahib generally known as Anand Karaj.
4. At the time of Bidai all the family member of the bride accompany the bride to Doli.

4. Post Marriage Ceremony :

Grihapravesh
Once the baraat returns with the newly weds, the grihapravesh takes place. The puja and other ceremonies take place. A few games are played between the bride and the groom. They are also common to other marriages.