Indian weddings are full of zest and joy and to make them all the more enjoyable a lot of games are played during the different ceremonies. This way the seriousness of an Indian matrimony ceremony gets lightened. These games are meant to elevate the mood and to raise affection and understanding between members of the two families.

Here’s a brief description of different games played during an Indian wedding:

1. Fish the Ring

Fish the ring signifies who will rule the roost in the home front. This game is played when the couple appears as man and wife before the family gathering for the first time. In this game, the bride and groom are supposed to take off their rings and put them in a pot of clear water with rose petals in it. As both the rings settle, the newly-weds are asked to churn the water as enthusiastically as possible. After they take out their hands out of the water, everyone looks at the water. If the bride lags behind in the game, it determines that she will be obedient wife. If the groom’s ring remains in the water, he will be wrapped around her finger.

At times, the rings are placed in a pot of milk and the couples are asked to fish. Whosoever is able to find the ring first will always have the upper hand in the marriage!

2. Hiding the Shoes

This game is played when the couple reaches the mandap for the pheras and the groom removes his shoes. The friends and sisters / brothers of the bride hide his shoes. After the Pheras, when the groom gets up to leave the mandap, the bridesmaids surround him and demand an shocking sum of money in exchange for his shoes. Then the friends and brothers of the groom beg and plead to give the shoes back and to reduce the sum of the money asked. After the stupid arguments, the groom pays the ransom and is allowed to put on his shoes.

3. Going Home

This game is played at the groom’s house. The entrance of the house is blocked by the sisters of the groom to welcome the bride. The sisters pretending to be helpful point out a covered heap to the bride. They ask their sister-in-law to bow her head to it before entering. The bride, who is already nervous and anxious, obliges and dutifully bows her head. After befooling the bride, the cover is pulled off to expose a pile of old footwear cleverly arranged in a mound.

This ceremony does have a purpose - with this laughter, the ice is broken and the new bride feels more comfortable and finds a roomful of friends.

4. You Touch My Heart

Another game that is played during a wedding is ‘You touch my heart’. This game is mainly enjoyed by the women on the bride’s side. In this game, several round slots are made with a saree, which is wide enough for a hand to pass through. The saree is held lengthwise and bride and bridesmaid stand behind it stand. All the girls in the room thrust their hand upto the wrist out of the holes. On the other side stands the groom and from there he is only able to see an array of hands. The main challenge for him in this game is to search for his brides hands and he gets three chances for it. If he fails in the game, he has to pay a fine`.

While, the celebrations have been constantly changing through out the institution of marriage and society, there are certain ceremonies and rituals that had been constant in marriage mantras. And such games make the ceremonies all the more pleasurable. They not only add fun to a marriage ceremony but each game aims at bringing the bride and the groom and their families closer. Not only this, they also make it easier for the bride and the groom to get comfortable with each others family and friends. Thought these days, many new games are coming for the bride and the groom to play together but some of the traditional games are still played religiously in many Indian weddings.