Indian wedding glossary · Before the wedding
What is Shagun?
Also written: Shagun lifafa, शगुन
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.
- Who keeps it
- Families across North India and many others who follow the same habit, at almost every family occasion.
- When
- At the roka, sagai, tilak, wedding and reception, and on many small family occasions in between.
About Shagun
What should you know about Shagun?
The extra one rupee is said to keep the amount from ending at zero, a wish that the blessing keeps growing. Many shagun envelopes come with the one-rupee coin stuck to the front. Shagun can also mean the auspicious items exchanged at a ceremony: sweets, coconut, dry fruit and clothes.
At a wedding, guests usually hand the envelope to the couple or their parents on stage. Many families keep a list of who gave what, so they can return the same gesture at that family's next occasion.
In the order of functions
Where does Shagun come in an Indian wedding?
At the roka, sagai, tilak, wedding and reception, and on many small family occasions in between.
- 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 Shagun?
Your blessings are the only shagun we need. (A line some couples add when they would rather not receive gifts.)
Related words
Words that go with Shagun
- Roka
Roka is the small family ceremony where the bride's and groom's families formally agree to the match, bless the couple and exchange sweets, gifts and shagun.
- 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.
- Sagai
Sagai is the Hindi word for the engagement ceremony, where the bride and groom exchange rings in front of both families and the wedding is formally announced.
- Reception
A reception is the party, usually hosted by the groom's family after the wedding, where the newly married couple meet guests, receive blessings and gifts, and everyone shares a meal.
- Milni
Milni is the Punjabi welcome where relatives with the same relation on both sides, such as the two fathers and the two maternal uncles, meet, embrace and exchange garlands and gifts when the baraat arrives.
Questions
Shagun, answered
What is 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.
Which families celebrate Shagun?
Families across North India and many others who follow the same habit, at almost every family occasion.
When does Shagun happen in the order of wedding functions?
At the roka, sagai, tilak, wedding and reception, and on many small family occasions in between.
What do families write on the invitation for Shagun?
Your blessings are the only shagun we need. (A line some couples add when they would rather not receive gifts.)
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