In the rural culture of Maharashtra, marriage is not just a union of two individuals or families, it is to seek the blessings of the entire village and the clan deity. A very important, traditional and somewhat overlooked but equally interesting pre-wedding ritual of this marriage is ‘Ghoogul’. Mainly in certain communities and rural areas of Maharashtra, the marriage ceremony is officially started with this ritual.

Meaning of the word Ghugul

The word Ghoogul is directly to ‘guggul’ or ‘incense’ and the worship of the kula deity. After the marriage is fixed, this ritual is performed before offering the first leaf of the wedding card to the deity or before the turmeric ritual. The main purpose of this ritual is to invoke your clan deity for the future life of the new couple and for the marriage to go smoothly.

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An Analysis of the Ghoogul Ritual

During this ritual a pooja is offered in the courtyard or center of the house. The parents of the bride or the groom and the ladies of the house come together and worship the tak of the deity and the clan deity. Coals are placed in an earthen or metal vessel and guggul and incense are sprinkled on it. The fragrant and sacred smoke of this incense is spread throughout the house, which is called ‘Ghugul Dharne’. It is believed that the holy smoke of this dhupa removes all the negative energies, malefic powers from the house and the wedding hall and purifies the atmosphere. This is followed by traditional songs and Jagars of the Kul Deity like Jagar of ‘Yelkot Yelkot Jai Malhar’.

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A tradition that preserves love and happiness

This tradition is not only a religious one but also a familial one, as the occasion brings together close relatives and friends as the first rites of marriage. Even though pre-wedding photoshoots and other western practices have become fads in modern times, traditions like ‘Ghoogul’ in the soil of Maharashtra keep our ties with our native culture strong. It is no problem to say that this tradition which marks the sacred beginning of marriage is still the true identity of marriages in rural areas.