Pagri Ceremony and Sehra Bandi Photography Guide

Groom is seated in the center of the room. One cousin has a phone up, one sister is waiting with the kalgi and an uncle is holding the long piece of clothing. This is the pagri ceremony and one of the best moments of any Sikh or Punjabi wedding day to have pictures taken, as everyone stands in one room and no one is acting for the camera. This guide describes the meaning of pagri ceremony and sehra bandi, the people involved, when these things are done and how to ensure that no moment lost for the pagri ceremony photography and videography.

What is a pagri ceremony?

The pagri ceremony is the day of the wedding when the groom gets his turban tied, typically by an elder male relative, or a professional turban tyer. The pagri, also called a dastar, is worn during Sikh and many Punjabi marriages. It is tied before the baraat leaves for the venue.

The pagri is tied first and then the kalgi or sehra is placed on top, which makes these two moments to frequently run back to back. From the first fold of fabric, 1 photographer and 1 videographer should be in the room.

What is sehra bandi?

One of the rituals performed during tying of sehra on groom is called as Sehra bandi. The flower, pearl, bead or tassel headdress is called a sehra and bandi refers to the act of tying it. It is typically tied by the sisters and close relatives of the groom and blessings, gifts and money are given by the family.

The sehra is also said to save the groom from evil eye. The sehra is frequently made of fresh roses and this living tradition was captured by the photographer Marylise Vigneau in her Sehrabandi project at PHmuseum in Lahore. For more details on the headdress, check out this introduction to the sehra.

What is the difference between a pagri, a dastar, a kalgi and a sehra?

Pagri and dastar are used to refer to the same turban. The word pagri is common among the Punjabis and the word dastar is used by many Sikhs. The kalgi is a jewellery piece that is fixed to the front of pagri. Sehra is a set of flower or beaded chains hanging from the forehead and may be used to cover the face.

A kalgi is tied by some Sikh families. Full sehra strands are added by others. Hindu Punjabi marriages typically cover the brides face with a sehra. If you're not sure which your family will use, ask prior to the day as it will affect what the photographer needs to prepare for.

Who ties the pagri and who ties the sehra?

A kalgi is tied by some Sikh families. Full sehra strands are added by others. Hindu Punjabi marriages typically cover the brides face with a sehra. If you're not sure which your family will use, ask prior to the day as it will affect what the photographer needs to prepare for.

Custom varies by family and region. Inquire from the older people who will be involved, and provide your photographer with a list beforehand.

When does the pagri ceremony happen on the wedding day?

Pagri Ceremony is held on the day of the wedding in the morning in the house of the groom or in a hotel room, after he is dressed but before the baraat leaves. Typically, the wedding ceremony of a Sikh is conducted throughout the day, and the pagri is tied early. The travel, ghodi chadna and the milni at the gurdwara all follow it.

Count down from the time of the gurdwara to the morning. In our Asian wedding photography timeline for 18 months, we will tell you how to position the groom's prep in the full day.

What happens during pagri tying and sehra bandi?

There is no set order for the families, but most mornings are like this:

1. The groom wears his wedding clothes and sits for family members to come around.
2. The pagri is tied by a senior relative/turban tyer. Every layer is folded and set, and the colour is typically the same as the clothing.
3. The families pray a short prayer.
4. Kalgi or sehra is put on the pagri by the groom's sister.
5. The relatives give shagun (gifts and cash) to the girl.
6. He is waved with gold money to ward off evil eye and the sister in law places surma in his eyes. This is known as varna.
7. Sisters & cousins provide food & decorations for ghodi chadna. The groom mounts with the sarvala (a young cousin or nephew, dressed like him) and the procession starts.

Not all families implement all the steps. Some families in the UK don't own a mare but a car, or they keep the horse until the gurdwara is reached.

Why does the pagri matter in a Sikh wedding?

The dastar is an integral part of the Sikh identity and faith and is therefore much more than a fashion statement for Sikh men. It also represents honor and commitment of the husband in marriage. The pagri is always in the middle of the day as everyone covers their head while entering the gurdwara.

The pagri ceremony is not a costume affair. It's a gift from the family, and that is how the photography should be viewed.

Is sehra bandi part of a Sikh wedding?

Sehra bandi is not a component of Anand karaj, but rather a custom of the Punjabi culture that many Sikh families practice. The Anand Karaj is built around the four laavan, which the couple walk around the Guru Granth Sahib. The choice of whether a sehra or a kalgi or neither will be included is at the discretion of each family.

Families will usually raise the face covering sehra before the groom enters the diwan hall if he is wearing a sehra. Please consult your gurdwara if you have any doubts. If you want to know more about the ceremony, check out our photography guide of Anand Karaj and our general photographical guide of Sikh wedding traditions. This is an overview of the Sikh Wedding and background on the rites is also provided.

How do Hindu and Muslim Punjabi weddings handle the sehra?

For a Hindu Punjabi marriage, a brief Puja is held after the groom has changed his clothes and his sister thereafter ties the Sehra on his head. Usually, the sehra gets stuck over the bride's face until the wedding ceremony ends. The rest of the day is covered in our Hindu wedding photography page.

The groom wears a floral sehra at nearly every wedding ceremony in Pakistan and Muslim lands, for the baraat and nikah, and the same happiness envelops the tying. The ceremony of Nikkah is discussed in our Nikkah photography guide.

What is a sehra poem?

It is also a poem of praise of the groom and good wishes for a happy and prosperous life, a sehra. Can be used to read aloud or sing when family is together. In addition, there are praises songs for the groom in Punjabi wedding folk songs and the room is never silent.

That's one of the reasons why videography is important here. They are not seen, but heard in a poem, a teasing and a prayer, and a photo cannot hold them.

How do you photograph the pagri ceremony and sehra bandi?

Take pictures of the pagri ceremony from three different angles: wide shot of the room with the family around the groom; mid shot of the ligations of each fold; close shot of the face of the groom and the sister who makes the sehra. Always use window light, and never shoot direct light on silk and sequins.

The key to good sehra bandi shooting is to be in position before the tying begins and not after it has started.

Read the room and the light

Wedding morning rooms are tight, cramped and frequently lit with a combination of ceiling lights and natural light. Open the curtains, have the groom looking at a window and turn off warm ceiling lights that compete with sunlight. The 35mm lens is appropriate with the wide family frames and the 85mm lens is suitable for hands and faces.

Wedding morning rooms are small, crowded and often lit by a mix of ceiling bulbs and daylight. Open the curtains, place the groom facing a window, and switch off warm ceiling lights that fight with daylight. A 35mm lens suits the wide family frames and an 85mm lens suits the hands and faces.

The shots that matter

1. The pagri cloth that is folded up before the tying starts, kalgi and sehra strands laid out before tying.
2. The hands of uncle/turban tyer who are stretching and folding the fabric
3. The pagri is finished with the final tuck.
4. The groom looking at himself in the mirror"
5. The shrewd girl who is skilled in gambling.7. The clever young woman who can play the game.
6. The sehra that covers the face.8. The sehra that falls on the face.
7. Sister in law who is applying surma.
8. Cash waved his hand to his shoulder as a parent

Why photography and videography belong together here

The prayer, the laughter and the sehra poem require sound, the small gestures require still frames. When booking a photo shoot with both photography and videography, both teams will have the same position plan and neither will be standing in the way of the other in a small room.

What should you tell your photographer before the pagri ceremony?

Please send these details a week in advance of the wedding:

1. All the address, park and time when pagri will be tied
2. Who tied pagri and who tied sehra/kalgi
3. If a face covering sehra is to be used, or when it will be removed
4. The names of the family members that will be in the photos.
5. Whether or not a short prayer will be offered and the rules concerning shoes and head covering.
6. If women are going to be in a private room and if you want a female wedding photographer.

Why book Memory Filming for pagri ceremony and sehra bandi photography?

Memory Filming is a wedding photographer and videographer located at The Mille at 1000 Great West Road, Brentford, London, TW8 9DW. Since 2000 Khurram Iftikhar has been shooting weddings, having shot 9700 weddings, and filmed 3300 Asian weddings in six traditions, including the Muslim Nikkah ceremony, Sikh Anand Karaj, and Hindu Vivaah Sanskar.

Pagri and Sehra Ceremony: Frequently Asked Questions

What is sehra bandi?

The ritual of sehra bandi is performed before the groom embarks on the journey to the wedding. Sehra is a flower hat, made of flowers, pearls or beads. It is typically tied by his sisters and close family and is blessed and gifted by the family.

Who ties the sehra on the groom?

Sisters of the bride and cousin are usually available to tie the sehra which is done by the sister of the groom. In some families it is done by the father or a priest. There are many different ways to practice, check with your family and share with your photographer.

Is sehra bandi part of a Sikh wedding?

It is a custom of many Sikh families amongst the Punjabis, but is not a part of Anand Karaj. The four laavan around Guru Granth Sahib are a part of Anand Karaj. The sehra or just a kalgi is added at the discretion of each family.

What is the difference between a pagri and a sehra?

The turban or dastar is known as "pagri. It is adorned with a sehra, which is a flowery or beaded headdress that is tied over or on it. The jewelled ornament that is fixed to the front of pagri is a kalgi.

When does the pagri ceremony take place?

It is held on the morning of the wedding at the bride's house or a hotel room. Occurs when he has dressed up and before the baraat departs for the gurdwara.

Do I need a photographer for the groom preparation?

Yes, you need to be photographed if you desire the pagri to be wrapped.Yes, if you want the pagri to be wrapped, you need to be photographed, and the family reactions are to be taken. These moments occur only once, in a crowd, and it cannot be repeated for the camera. Book Coverage beginning at the groom's house and not at the Gurdwara.

Can a female photographer cover sehra bandi?

Yes. Memory Filming will have a female photographer for spaces where women gather, and can be coupled with a male photographer or videographer for the remainder of the day.

Book pagri ceremony and sehra bandi coverage

If you are looking to get married in London or the South East with a Sikh or Punjabi wedding, please call us on the date, the venue and who is tying the pagri. Morning of the groom: We will arrange the groom morning with your family.

Photography and videography by Khurram Iftikhar, who has been taking photographs of Asian weddings since 2000 at Memory Filming in Brentford, London, since 2000.