Vidaai

The vidaai ceremony symbolises the final stage of the wedding, where the bride's parents bid farewell to their daughter with their son-in-law. The special significance of the ceremony lies in the fact that it is marked by both emotions of happiness and sorrow. the pain of being separated from their child makes their eyes well up with tears. The same emotions are witnessed in the bride as well, as she hugs her parents and touches the feet of the elderly relatives as a gesture of asking their blessings for her new life. As the bride steps out of her parent’s house to be a part of her husband’s family, she pauses at the doorstep to throw handful of coins and rice back over her head thrice. It's similar to throwing flowers in english weddings. This denotes that as the manifestation of Goddess Lakshmi (the hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity) she wishes that her parent house always remain prosperous. Coins signify wealth and rice signifies health. The final ritual sees the couple move towards their car to head towards the groom house.