Haldi Rasam in Triyuginarayan Temple

The haldi ceremony is a pre-wedding ritual performed a day or two before the wedding, in which family members and friends playfully slather the bride and groom in a paste of turmeric, oil and milk. In some customs, sandalwood, rose water and gram flour are also mixed in the paste. The atmosphere is fun, lively and filled with camaraderie.

The significance of the haldi ceremony is that it is believed to prevent evil spirits from harming the to-be-wed couple. As a result, the bride and groom are typically not allowed to leave their home after the haldi ceremony until their wedding mahurat.

In Indian customs, turmeric’s bright yellow colour is considered to be highly auspicious. The couple who are beginning their new life together is blessed with prosperity thanks to the good fortune of this element and its colour. For this reason, the groom and bride wear yellow attire for their wedding haldi ceremony.

Turmeric is well-renowned for its ability to make skin fair and radiant. In addition to its ability to beautify, purify and detoxify, haldi is also thought to lessen some of the anxiety that the bride and groom experience. Turmeric contains an antioxidant called curcumin which has been shown to have mild antidepressant and headache-relieving properties.

The traditional haldi ceremony is also an icebreaker between both the bride and groom’s family which is celebrated with laughter, love, pomp and colour.