Indian wedding glossary · Wedding day rituals
What is Neg?
Also written: Nek, नेग
Neg is the customary gift or money given to relatives for their role in a wedding ritual, such as the groom's sisters at the sehra bandi or the bride's sisters at joota chupai.
- Who keeps it
- North Indian Hindu families, especially in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, UP and Bihar.
- When
- Throughout the wedding days, at each ritual that has one.
About Neg
What should you know about Neg?
Many rituals carry a neg: the sister-in-law who applies kajal at the ghudchadi, the sisters who block the door at griha pravesh, the barber or the person who ties the sehra. The amount is usually decided by family custom.
Families often keep envelopes ready in advance so no one is left out on the day.
In the order of functions
Where does Neg come in an Indian wedding?
Throughout the wedding days, at each ritual that has one.
- 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 Neg?
Never printed; it is part of the family's own list.
Related words
Words that go with Neg
- Shagun
Shagun is an auspicious gift, most often cash in an envelope ending in one, such as ₹101, ₹501 or ₹1,100, given at the roka, engagement, wedding and other family occasions.
- Sehra
A sehra is the veil of flowers, pearls or beads tied over the groom's turban so that it hangs across his face, put on at the sehra bandi before he leaves for the wedding.
- Joota chupai
Joota chupai is the playful custom where the bride's sisters and cousins hide the groom's shoes during the wedding and ask for money or gifts to return them.
- Dwar rokai
Dwar rokai is the playful custom in many North Indian families where the groom's sisters stand at the door of his home and ask for a gift before letting the newly married couple in.
- Ghudchadi
Ghudchadi is the ritual where the groom mounts a decorated mare (ghodi) before the baraat, with his sisters and sisters-in-law performing small customs around him.
Questions
Neg, answered
What is Neg?
Neg is the customary gift or money given to relatives for their role in a wedding ritual, such as the groom's sisters at the sehra bandi or the bride's sisters at joota chupai.
Which families celebrate Neg?
North Indian Hindu families, especially in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, UP and Bihar.
When does Neg happen in the order of wedding functions?
Throughout the wedding days, at each ritual that has one.
What do families write on the invitation for Neg?
Never printed; it is part of the family's own list.
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