ਚੂੜਾ

Chooda (ਚੂੜਾ) is the Punjabi word for the set of red and white bangles a bride wears at her wedding. It is a masculine noun. The set is not bought by the bride herself: it is gifted to her in its own ceremony, the chooda chadana, by her maternal uncle and aunt.

What does chooda mean in Punjabi?

Chooda means the bridal bangle set, a full set of red and white bangles worn on both wrists through the wedding ceremonies and into the first period of married life. Kalyanam's guide to bridal churas, also spelt choora or chooda, describes it as a set traditionally worn by Punjabi brides during the wedding and the early married period after it.

What happens at the chooda ceremony?

At the chooda chadana, the bride's maternal uncle and aunt present her with the set and place it on her wrists. Manyavar's guide to Punjabi wedding rituals adds that the bangles are first dipped in milk and water, symbolising purity and new beginnings. Her sisters and female friends then tie kalire, umbrella shaped golden ornaments, to the bangles, and it is said that if a kalira falls on an unmarried girl's head, she will be the next to marry.

What do the red and white bangles mean?

The two colours carry the meaning of the set. Red stands for passion, love and commitment, and white for purity and peace, so the chooda is a reminder of the love and purity the new life should hold. Tradition counts 21 bangles in the set, a number held auspicious and read as the mark of a new beginning.

How long does a bride wear the chooda?

The bride wears the chooda through all the wedding ceremonies and for a period after the marriage, carrying her family's blessings into her new home. The traditional practice was to wear it for a year; today many brides wear it for a month or for 40 days, and the length varies by family custom.