Her wedding day is something every girl dreams about and plans for as long as she can remember. So, it is only natural that she would want to look her best on her wedding day, Different cultures have different ways of adorning the bride for her wedding. According to Indian culture, Solah Shringar is how a bride is beautified and adorned for her wedding Solah Shringar, when translated means, Sixteen Adornments. And as the name suggests, this refers to a combination of sixteen items that is used to help the bride look her best. Below mentioned is a list of the sixteen items that is traditionally used to prepare an Indian bride for her wedding.
Getting Ready
First and foremost comes preparing the bride for her special day. The day starts with the bride given a bath using gram flour, turmeric, oil and sandalwood powder. This mixture is considered a gentle scrub, which will soften the bride’s skin and give her the special glow.
The next item on the list is the bridal dress. The traditional Indian wedding attire for the bride is red sari or lehenga, which is heavily ornated. However, these days, a bridal dress can in any bright colors such as green, gold or pink.
The third item of adornment is flowers, which are used to adorn the bride’s hair, which is oiled, combed and styled. The flowers are considered as a symbolization of marital happiness.
The fourth item on the list is Kajal or Kohl, which is used to line the bride’s eyes. The Kohl is said to not only help in making the bride’s eyes appealing but also ward off evil eye.
Next on the list comes the bindi that is placed on her forehead . The bindi is said to indicate a bride’s commitment to her spouse.
The Solaah Shringar
The next few items in the Solaah Shringar are the different items of jewelry, which is used to adorn her. This includes Maangtikka, which is the ornament placed in the hair parting, the Nath or the nose ring which is symbolic of a married woman, Karn Phool or earrings worn, necklace, made of gold or silver, and red and gold bangles which are worn for the longevity of the husband.
In addition to the items mentioned above, Solah Shringar also includes armlet and rings, which are worn on all five fingers, which are joined together by chains to a medallion on the outer palm of the hands, which in turn is joined to the bangles.
The bride is also expected to wear a kamar band, an intricately designed gold or silver waistband, anklets on her feet and toe rings on her feet.
The one thing that cannot be forgotten is the henna or mehendi, which is used to decorate the bride’s palms and feet. The mehendi is considered as a symbol of prosperity that the bride will bring into the union.
As the final step, the bride is anointed with perfume. Once the Solah Shringar is completed, the bride has been dressed completely to be the princess she will be on her marriage.
