Gaye Holud

Gaye holud (Bengali: গায়ে হলুদ gaee holud lit. "yellow/turmeric on the body") is a ceremony observed mostly in the region of Bengal (comprising West Bengal and Bangladesh ). It is part of an elaborate series of celebrations constituting the Bengali wedding. It originates from the Hindu wedding religious ceremony where Lord Shiva and his bride Sati were applied with Haldi to cool the couple and make them look even more beautiful. Later adopted in the Indian subcontinent as a wedding ritual and celebration by different communities (often called Haldi in the western Hindu communities), it continued in different religions down generations. The gaye holud takes place one or two days prior to the religious and legal Bengali wedding ceremonies. The gaye holud may be a joint event for the bride and groom's families, or it may consist of separate events for the bride's family and the groom's family.

Separate events are held for the bride's gaye holud, the groom's family - minus the groom himself - go in procession to the bride's home. They carry with them the bride's wedding outfit and jewelry, wedding decorations such as the turmeric paste (Bengali: হলুদ holud) and henna (Bengali: মেহেদি or মেন্দি mehedi/mendi), cosmetics, sweets and other gifts. They may also bring fresh fish dressed as a wedding couple, or desserts molded to resemble fish. The procession traditionally centers on the bride's (younger) female relatives and friends, who traditionally dress in matching clothes. The bride, her attendees, and all the guests traditionally wear red, yellow, orange, or green clothing. Nowadays, other colours may be permitted for gaye holud guests. The guests then enjoy a feast, including music, dance and some performances, arranged by the bride's family.

The bride is seated on a dais, and the henna is used to decorate her hands and feet with elaborate abstract designs. The turmeric paste is applied by the guests to her face and body. Turmeric is known to cleanse, soften and brighten the skin, giving the bride's skin the distinctive yellow hue that gives its name to this ceremony. The sweets are then fed to the bride by all the guests and attendants, piece by piece.

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