Indian wedding glossary · The functions
What is Sangeet?
Also written: Sangeet night, sangeet sandhya, संगीत
Sangeet is the music and dance night before the wedding, where both families perform songs and dances for the couple and each other.
- Who keeps it
- Families across India, most of all in North India and among the diaspora.
- When
- The evening before the wedding, or two evenings before, often after the mehndi.
About Sangeet
What should you know about Sangeet?
Cousins rehearse for weeks; parents, grandparents and the couple often perform too, and there may be a DJ or a live band. Many families now hold it as a joint evening of both sides, with a host or anchor.
It began as a women's gathering of folk songs in Punjabi homes, the ladies sangeet, and has grown into one of the biggest functions of a North Indian wedding.
In the order of functions
Where does Sangeet come in an Indian wedding?
The evening before the wedding, or two evenings before, often after the mehndi.
- 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 Sangeet?
Get your dancing shoes on! Sangeet night, Friday, 13 February, 7 pm onwards, The Leela Lawns.
Related words
Words that go with Sangeet
- Ladies sangeet
Ladies sangeet is the traditional women's gathering before a wedding, with a dholak and folk wedding songs, held at home in the days before the wedding.
- Mehndi
Mehndi is the ceremony where henna is applied to the bride's hands and feet in detailed patterns, while the women of the family sing, dance and celebrate around her.
- Cocktail
A cocktail is a modern evening party in the wedding days, with drinks, music and dancing, usually hosted for friends and the younger family.
- Jaggo
Jaggo is a Punjabi night celebration where relatives carry a decorated brass pot of lit lamps on their heads and dance through the neighbourhood, singing to announce the wedding.
- Haldi
Haldi is the ceremony where relatives apply a paste of turmeric, gram flour and oil or rose water to the bride and groom, each at their own home, to bless them and make them glow.
Questions
Sangeet, answered
What is Sangeet?
Sangeet is the music and dance night before the wedding, where both families perform songs and dances for the couple and each other.
Which families celebrate Sangeet?
Families across India, most of all in North India and among the diaspora.
When does Sangeet happen in the order of wedding functions?
The evening before the wedding, or two evenings before, often after the mehndi.
What do families write on the invitation for Sangeet?
Get your dancing shoes on! Sangeet night, Friday, 13 February, 7 pm onwards, The Leela Lawns.
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