Nose Ring Wearing Ceremonial Garhwali Wedding Folk Song

स्वाग पैरान्द (महा-संकल्प ) दें को मांगळ गीत

(Garhwali Wedding Folk Songs, Mangal Himalayan Wedding Songs, Indian Wedding Songs)

Bhishma Kukreti

Nose Ring/Stud is New to Hindu Culture

Culture is never been static but changeable. The culture is always changing. Take the example of nose ring (Nath), Nose Stud (Fool), Septum ring (Bulak) worn by Hindu married women. Nose ring wearing custom by Indian Hindu women started from seventeenth century in India.

Bhishma Kukreti (2003) in one article of Indian Express stated that there is no mention of nose ornaments in Vedas, Ayurved, Mahabharata, Valmiki Ramayana, Bharat Natya Shastra , Charak Samhita, Kalida’s literature,. Even there is no mention of nose ring or nose ornament in Tamil Kunambh Ramayana . There is no nose ornaments in old Indian sculptures as Ajanta , Ellora sculptures (building time took place from first century to 9^th century).

The people get first information of nose piercing and nose ring in Middle East around 4000 years ago in The Bible in Genesis 24:22. The story tells that Abraham asked his servant to get wife for his son Isaac. The servant found Rebekah . Abraham gave her a gift called ‘Shanf (Nose ring)’.

There is custom of wearing nose ring in many African Berber and Beja tribes. The groom offers nose ring to bride in marriage.

The Mogul brought the nose ring wearing custom in India either at the end of sixteen century or seventeenth century. Today, nose ring by Indian women is not fashion statement but a sign of married woman whose husband is alive

Nose ring Wearing ceremony in Garhwali way of Wedding

When the ceremonial agreement is reached between bride and groom (definitely through both sides Pundit’s chanting the rites), there is bride nose ring wearing ceremony. The girl’s nose is already pierced in young or child age.

Since, the custom is not Hindu or Vaishnav way of life, you will not find any Sanskrit shlokas for the particular ceremony as nose ring wearing ceremony does not come in any 44 Hindu Sanskar . However, nose ring wearing ceremony is auspicious ceremony and donation either by bride’s side or by groom’s family side is there, there is also donation of daughter to groom by bride’s father . Hence, the Pundits perform the Mahasankalp’ (great Vow) ritual before nose ring wearing ceremony. When the time comes for Bride Nose ring wearing ceremony , both pundits either sit ideally or go out for strolls, or just chant any auspicious shloka as there is no any specific shloka for this ceremony .

Bride’s ring wearing ceremony is conducted by women from bride’s side. The women present in ceremony should be married, having children and strictly, no infertile or childless women are permitted at the time of nose ring wearing ceremony.

The women put sindur on nose ring and septum ring. Usually, the groom side brings nose ring and septum ring for the bride. The nose ring wearing (Swag Pairan) ceremony is very auspicious ceremony and every care is taken that there is no disturbance or no inauspicious hurdle is there at the time of Swag Pairan ceremony. One side, the ‘Swagvanti’ women (married and fertile women) are busy in helping bride wearing nose ring, other side the women of village and the professional Das folk singer(Mangler) sing the auspicious song,

In the nose wearing Garhwali folk song , there is description of performing ‘Mahasankalp’ ritual by bride’s father. The father offers bride to groom at this stage. There is statement of use of cow milk, water for offering ‘Mahasankalp’. Singers also remember the ancestors at this stage that ancestors would be very happy by knowing the nose ring wearing ceremony by bride.

The singers tell who should be invited for the nose ring wearing ceremony. The singers repeat the custom of calling married and fertile women (who have five children) for helping the bride for wearing nose ring. The singers advise the Sawgvanti women for blessing the bride for being Swagvanti ( whose husband is alive). The singers also advise the women to bless the bride for bearing five children.

स्वाग पैरान्द (महा-संकल्प ) दें को मांगळ गीत

दे द्यावा मांजी दे द्यावा मांजी गढवा की धार

दे द्यावा मांजी गढवा की धार ए

सोना की थाळी सोना की थाळी चांदी गडुवा

सोना की थाळी चांदी गडुवा ए

के के को द्युंला के के को द्युंला महा संकल्प

के के को द्युंला महा संकल्प ए

गाई दूधो को गाई दूधो को महासंकल्प

गाई दूधो को महासंकल्प ए

सादा जल न सादा जल न महासंकल्प

सादा जल न महासंकल्प ए

सात साक्युं का सात साक्युं का नौ पीढयूँ का

सात साक्युं का नौ पीढयूँ का ए

पितर लोक पितर लोक टकमको लाला

पितर लोक टकमको लाला ए

टकमको लाला टकमको लाला भौत खुश ह्वाला

टकमको लाला भौत खुश ह्वाला ए

कनियाँ को दान कनियाँ को दान सोराग समान

कनियाँ को दान सोराग समान ए

हमकू क्या देला हमकू क्या देला अफ्कू संजीला

हमकू क्या देला अफ्कू संजीला ए

ल्यावा मांजी ल्यावा मांजी जाजमती न्यूतो

ल्यावा मांजी जाजमती न्यूतो ए

कै घर होली कै घर होली जाजमती नारी

कै घर होली जाजमती नारी ए

पंचपुत्री नारी पंचपुत्री नारी स्वागवंती नारी

पंचपुत्री नारी स्वागवंती नारी ए

स्वागवंती नारी स्वागवंती नारी पंचपुत्री नारी

स्वागवंती नारी पंचपुत्री नारी ए

जै घर होलो जै घर होलो बाळ खिलौण्या

जै घर होलो बाळ खिलौण्या ए

वे घर होली वै घर होली पंचपुत्री नारी

वै घर होली पंचपुत्री नारी ए

स्वागवंती नारी स्वागवंती नारी स्वाग पैराली

स्वागवंती नारी स्वाग पैराली ए

जाजमती नारी जाजमती नारी छोलिका छुलाली

जाजमती नारी छोलिका छुलाली ए

जी रयाँ नारी जी रयाँ नारी सादा स्वागिण

जी रयाँ नारी सादा स्वागिण ए

जनि मी होवूं जनि मी होवूं उनी तू भी होई

जनि मी होवूं उनी तू भी होई ए

त्वे कूणि कनिया त्वे कूणि कनिया आशीरबाद

त्वे कूणि कनिया आशीरबाद ए

पंचपुत्री होई पंचपुत्री होई सदा रै स्वागीण

पंचपुत्री होई सदा रै स्वागीण ए

सदा रै स्वागीण सदा रै स्वागीण आशीरबाद

सदा रै स्वागीण आशीरबाद ए

Ref : Totaram Dhoundiyal and Shailja Thapliyal for Mangal