Anand Karaj - Sikh marriage ceremony

The Anand Karaj is the Sikh wedding ceremony. It takes place in a Gurdwara (Sikh place of worship).

In Sikhi, the Anand Karaj is the intertwining of two souls in a bond that will help them unite with God.

The sacred verses read and sung while the couple circumambulate the Guru Granth Sahib has no mention of the material union of the couple at all. In Sikhi the marriage nuptials advise each partner that they are setting forward on a journey to help one another unite their souls with the one universal force that Sikhs call Waheguru / Vaheguru.

The Anand Karaj ceremony broadly consists of the following:

1. Bride and Groom to sit at the front of the congregation directly infront of the Guru Granth Sahib.

2. Hymns are sung.

3. A prayer is conducted where only the bride, groom and their parents stand.

4. A Hukamnama (a randomly selected reading from the Guru Granth Sahib) is conducted to provide guidance to the couple.

5. Pallaa ceremony which consists of cloth being handed from the groom to the bride by the bride’s parents.

6. The Laavan - Four Sikh Nuptial Rounds. Each Laav is first read and then sung. During the time the Laav is sung, the couple circumambulate (i.e. walk around) the Guru Granth Sahib.

   • The first laav (round) represents the desire to transform self and shift the focus from material world to divine.

   • The second laav represents the couple now with a strengthened mind are able face life’s challenges.

   • The third laav represents the reaping of fruits from the couple’s spiritual journey.

   • The fourth laav represents the understanding of the true purpose (kaaraj) of life.

7. Concluding prayers are sung (Anand Sahib 6 stanzas)

8. A standing prayer is conducted for all of the congregation.

9. A Hukamnama (a randomly selected reading from the Guru Granth Sahib) is conducted to provide guidance to the congregation.

10. Karah Parshad (sweet made of flour, water, sugar and butter) is distributed to all of the congregation.

11. Langar (shared meal) is served to all attendees in the dining facility that is attached to each Gurdwara.

Note: There are other ‘wedding’ ceremonies and traditions that take place prior to and after the Anand Karaj. These have not been detailed here as they tend to vary between Sikhs and family traditions. These include a Kurmai (engagement ceremony), a Milni (meeting of families) and other rituals that some Sikhs will choose to perform/skip.

The Sikh Anand Karaj ceremony is a religious ceremony that is separate from a legal marriage under the law. The Marriage Act 1961 and Marriage Regulations 2017 set the rules for getting married in Australia. Sometimes the Anand Karaj (as outlined above) is immediately followed by a legal marriage performed by a marriage celebrant. This will usually take place with the couple and family present in front of the Guru Granth Sahib in the Gurdwara’s Darbar Hall.

Some couples may choose to not have the legal marriage ceremony take place at the Gurdwara and instead will complete the Anand Karaj ceremony and then complete the legal wedding in a separate ceremony (e.g. a civil wedding ceremony). This depends on the choice of the couple and does not have any bearing from a religious perspective. It does have an impact on whether the couple is married with respect to religious rites vs under the law.