Indian wedding glossary · Wedding day rituals
What is Mangalsutra?
Also written: मंगलसूत्र
A mangalsutra is the sacred necklace of black beads and gold that the groom ties around the bride's neck during the wedding, which many married women wear every day.
- Who keeps it
- Hindu families across India, especially Marathi, Gujarati and North Indian families.
- When
- After the pheras or saptapadi, often with the sindoor daan.
About Mangalsutra
What should you know about Mangalsutra?
The design varies widely: Maharashtrian mangalsutras often have two gold vatis (small cups), North Indian ones a pendant, and many modern ones are light enough for daily wear. The black beads are said to protect the marriage from the evil eye.
In South India the equivalent is the thali or mangalyam, tied at the muhurtham.
In the order of functions
Where does Mangalsutra come in an Indian wedding?
After the pheras or saptapadi, often with the sindoor daan.
- 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 Mangalsutra?
Rarely printed; it is tied in the mandap after the pheras.
Related words
Words that go with Mangalsutra
- Thali
In South Indian weddings the thali, or mangalyam, is the sacred pendant on a yellow thread or gold chain that the groom ties around the bride's neck at the muhurtham.
- Sindoor daan
Sindoor daan is the moment in many Hindu weddings when the groom applies sindoor, red vermilion powder, in the parting of the bride's hair for the first time.
- 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.
- Saptapadi
Saptapadi means seven steps: the bride and groom take seven steps together near the sacred fire, each step with a promise, and in many traditions this is the rite that completes the marriage.
- Haldi kumkum
Haldi kumkum is a Maharashtrian gathering where married women apply haldi and kumkum to each other's foreheads and exchange small gifts, wishing each other a long married life.
Questions
Mangalsutra, answered
What is Mangalsutra?
A mangalsutra is the sacred necklace of black beads and gold that the groom ties around the bride's neck during the wedding, which many married women wear every day.
Which families celebrate Mangalsutra?
Hindu families across India, especially Marathi, Gujarati and North Indian families.
When does Mangalsutra happen in the order of wedding functions?
After the pheras or saptapadi, often with the sindoor daan.
What do families write on the invitation for Mangalsutra?
Rarely printed; it is tied in the mandap after the pheras.
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