GUNDANA

Sikhs of northwestern Punjab observe certain ceremonies and celebrate when the child's hair is plaited for the first time and the Sikh boy is also made to wear a turban. This ritual is also called Dustarbandhi. This is usually a big celebration. There is Akhand Path Bhog and Langar. Invitation cards can be sent for this ceremony and all relatives give a shagun, in money, to the child. It is generally observed at the age of three years to four years, whenever the child's hair is long enough to be gathered into a bun.

CHARNI LAGANA

A child's initiation into the Sikh religion (attachment to the feet of the lord) is begun by reading the Granth Sahib and is a matter of elaborate ceremonies at the Gurudwara. This can be performed whenever the child can fluently read Gurmukhi, at any age from 6 years to 15 years. Thus, the child is introduced to the Granth.
The ritual is followed by feeding of the poor and others. No cards are sent and no relative plays any role. It is a religious affair that takes place in a Gurudwara.

PHAUL OR KHALSA BAPTISM

When boys and girls attain puberty and are old enough to understand the obligations of their faith, they are baptized. The ritual connected with this ceremony is the same as performed by the tenth Guru, Govind Singh Ji at his first baptismal in1699. It is a religious ceremony and no extended family participation is involved. It is held at the Gurudwara and performed before an assembled congregation. Five orthodox Sikhs are chosen to initiate the new convert.

Amrit (ambrosia) is prepared by mixing sugar in water and stirring it with khanda [double-edged dagger] to the recitation of selected passages of the scriptures including Guru Govind Singh's composition, the Jaapji Sahib. The initiate then takes the vows of the Khalsa faith. Each vow is read out loudly and the initiate signifies his acceptance by bowing in front of the Granth. Palms full of amrit are splashed in his face with the cry bol wahe guruji ka khalsa, sri wah guruji ki fateh.
The Phaul, like the thread ceremony amongst the Hindus, is looked upon as a new birth and sometimes a baptized person also takes a new name. The Phaul not only imposes obligations of the faith but also confirms certain rights. Thereafter a person has access to the holiest shrines like the Akaal Takht in the Golden Temple at Amritsar where the sacred relics of the gurus are placed. He or she then also has the right to enter into matrimony.

MARRIAGE

A Sikh marriage is patterned after the Hindu marriage ceremony and differs from it only in minor details. The important difference is that the religious texts that the Sikhs use are not Vedic but from the Granth Sahib.

A Sikh wedding is described as Anand Karaj - a ceremony of bliss. Before the wedding a three-day wedding path is held and is considered to be one of the main ceremonies. The wedding shopping is flagged off by Sikhs with buying of a pair of Rumalla Sahib. This is a set of four pieces of cloth used to cover the Granth Sahib. It can be an expensive fabric, embroidered etc. Only after this purchase can the rest of shopping be done.

Sikhs normally spend lavishly on the wedding but this is an option not an obligation. Invitation cards are sent along with a box of mithai.

Nanke Chak

The bride's maternal grandparents and uncles also spend a good amount on the wedding, on clothes and jewelry . Usually one meal is hosted by them on the occasion as well. It is acknowledged publicly as their contribution to the wedding.

Shagun/Mangana
As an engagement, the bride's family goes to the groom's house with all kinds of sweet, fruits and dry fruits and other gifts of clothes and jewelry. A part of the dowry (if any) is also carried on this occasion. The girl's father (in his absence the brother or any other elderly male member of the family) gives the would be groom a gold ring, a kara(bangle) with a minimum of eleven gold mohra (sovereigns). These are later strung into a black thread and put around the girl's neck after the wedding. It's like the mangalsutra which the Hindus wear, but is not worn by the bride around the neck thereafter. She normally wears it on occasions like family weddings and so on. The list of invitees on the occasion is small with only close family members, relatives and friends being invited. Cards may be distributed to invite people but they may just as well be invited by word of mouth.

Chunni

After the shagun, the groom's family (usually close female relatives) comes to the girl's house with the wedding chunni (veil) that is a phulkari (traditional embroidery of Punjab used on all festive occasions). The phulkari chunnis are embroidered on chiffon or chignon fabric. The bride is also given a ring and other jewelry as well as clothes. These gifts are part of the wari. It's a very small ceremony with only the family and closest friends and relatives being present. The boy's mother puts a bit of mehendi (henna) on the girl's palms to declare her engaged. No invitation cards are sent out for this ceremony.

Mahiya

This is a custom observed with just the family being present. The ladies sangeet (music) begins to the beat of the dholki (drums) and signals the beginning of the bride's confinement to the house till her marriage. The same takes place in the groom's house. Traditionally, the marriage ceremonies are a long drawn affair spread over at least 10 days. The families believed in guarding the girl against any mishap in this period because she is considered the amanat(custodee) of the groom's family. Nowdays, however, the confinement is only for a day.

Jaggo

This ceremony takes place when the bride's maternal relatives arrive for the wedding a night before the event. They all get together and prepare a copper vessel called gaffar decorated with diyas (lamps) made of atta (dough) and lit with mustard oil wicks. The vessel is decorated and put on the girl's mami's (maternal aunt) head. One of the ladies also carries a long stick with ghungroos tied on it and all go singing and dancing to all the relatives in the village.

In cities, too, this custom is followed but since the distances are far, they are allowed to move in vehicles. In each house they visit, they are welcomed and they sing and perform the giddha (traditional dance).
They are served tea and snacks and the visited family has to put some oil in the diyas as a custom. There are no cards sent out for this. The ceremony takes place during late hours of the night with only the family and the immediate relatives being present. It can be performed after sangeet but is normally done before it.