Indian wedding glossary · Wedding day rituals
What is Hasta milap?
Also written: Hast melap, panigrahan, हस्त मिलाप
Hasta milap is the joining of the bride's and groom's hands during the wedding rites; panigrahan, its Sanskrit name, means taking the hand.
- Who keeps it
- Hindu families across India, especially Gujarati and North Indian families.
- When
- After the kanyadaan, before the pheras.
About Hasta milap
What should you know about Hasta milap?
The priest places the bride's right hand in the groom's, sometimes with a ring, coin or betel leaf between them, and ties or covers them with cloth while mantras are chanted. In Gujarati weddings the hast melap is one of the central moments.
It is closely tied to the kanyadaan and leads into the pheras. The bride's hand is often decorated with mehndi and the groom's name hidden in it, which makes for a much-photographed moment.
In the order of functions
Where does Hasta milap come in an Indian wedding?
After the kanyadaan, before the pheras.
- Before the weddingFixing the match, the engagement, the date and the card.
- The functionsPujas, haldi, mehndi, sangeet and the family days before the wedding.
- Wedding day ritualsFrom the baraat to the pheras, nikah and anand karaj.
- After the weddingVidaai, the new home, the reception and the first visits.
Planning your own days? The free wedding function order planner puts your functions in a sensible order with dates.
On the card
What do families write on the invitation for Hasta milap?
Hast melap: Saturday, 14 February, 8:45 pm. Please be in your seats by 8:30 pm.
Related words
Words that go with Hasta milap
- Kanyadaan
Kanyadaan is the ritual where the bride's parents place her hand in the groom's hand, asking him to care for her as an equal partner, while the priest chants mantras.
- Gathbandhan
Gathbandhan is the tying of a knot between the end of the bride's chunni or saree and the groom's scarf, joining them for the pheras.
- Pheras
Pheras are the rounds the bride and groom take around the sacred fire, tied together, with a vow made in each round; in most North Indian weddings there are seven.
- Ponkhvu
Ponkhvu is the Gujarati welcome of the groom, where the bride's mother greets him at the entrance with an aarti and playfully tries to catch his nose.
- Mandvo
Mandvo is the Gujarati word for the wedding canopy, and the mandvo or mandap mahurat is the puja when that canopy is set up and blessed before the wedding.
Questions
Hasta milap, answered
What is Hasta milap?
Hasta milap is the joining of the bride's and groom's hands during the wedding rites; panigrahan, its Sanskrit name, means taking the hand.
Which families celebrate Hasta milap?
Hindu families across India, especially Gujarati and North Indian families.
When does Hasta milap happen in the order of wedding functions?
After the kanyadaan, before the pheras.
What do families write on the invitation for Hasta milap?
Hast melap: Saturday, 14 February, 8:45 pm. Please be in your seats by 8:30 pm.
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