When baraat was forbidden to eat

The tradition of forbidding the baraat to eat food was once known as jann bananna. This ritual was so popular that a wedding was not considered a good celebration if jann bananna was not performed. It virtually meant to verbally bind the hands of the members of the marriage party lest they start eating in hot haste the nourishing food that was being served to them.

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This tradition had originated when food was presented on leaves or pattals, kept folded after laying the food on them. This ritual was a useful omen as it would remind the baraat members to ceremoniously open the folded pattals for eating so, to lead a long, healthy and happy life. But these days, there are no such norms. The baraat starts eating chaat, golgappas and pakoras prior to dinner.

Then one of the ladies or girls from the bride’s side would address the baraat prior to dinner thus: ‘Rabb da pahle naam ucharo, Fer hee khaeo ann ve/Bhukhiaan vangoon pai na jaeo, Jann mein diti bann ve’ (Recite the name of God before you take meals/ Don’t pounce upon food like the hungry ones as I have now bound your hands. Now, get your hands freed).

The sharp one among the baraatis would come forward to free the hands of the marriage party, singing ‘Ik bannegi, do bannegi, jann de bande tin sau/Challe aseen sver de ghar ton, vaatt hai kiti veeh koh’ (You may bind the hands of one or two of us but we are almost 300 people. We have started from our village in the morning and now have reached here at the time of dinner covering a distance of 20 kos). In those days, wedding parties used to comprise huge groups of people, and a distance of 20 kos would mean almost 50 km.

A lady from the bride’s side would recite: ‘Laddoo, peda, barfi, patile, thaaliaan, gaddve, glass bann devaan pialiaan/ Banna gheo khand de bhare thaal ve, banna tere mitar piare naal ve’ (Here I bind laddoos, pedas, barfi, and all utensils like patilas, gaddvas and glasses, including thaalis which are filled with sugar and butter. Here I bind you, including all your near and dear ones, lest they dare to relish these delicious items put in these utensils).

Feeling defeated in this interesting, yet inspiring war of words, one of the males from the groom’s side would sing: ‘Ladaa chhutia nirala, fer baala sarvaala/Rath gaddiaan te kaaran, chhute snay asvaraan, chhute ghode ghoddiaan, aseen dilaan de haan rjay, nheen kiti choriaan’ (Here I release the groom, his bodyguard, all vehicles with their riders; We, the bravehearts, have come with grandeur, not stealthily). After such a dignified war of words, the guests would relish a sumptuous dinner.