Why Do Grooms Wear Sehras At Indian Weddings?

When a groom steps out at an Indian wedding, sporting a stunning wedding outift, one of the most striking elements of his ensemble is often the sehra. Similar to a bride's veil, it is a curtain made of flowers, beads or jewels that cascades over the groom’s face. Both ornamental and functional, the sehra us not just an accessory but a symbol of tradition, ritual, protection and status. Mostly observed in North Indian weddings and their regional variants, the sehra has a layered significance that blends cultural history, family ritual and aesthetic expression, making it one of the most enduring aspects of a groom’s outfit.

The Origin of Sehra

Historically, with its roots in Vedic and indigenous South Asian practices where flowers and head ornaments were believed to be auspicious, the tradition of wearing a sehra, according to "The Vedic Wedding Book" by A.V. Srinivasan, has absorbed influences from Mughal and royal courts. Over centuries, the groom’s appearance has been elevated to a ceremonial form of kingship. By the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the sehra became an established part of weddings in Northern India. It blended folk practices, religious symbolism and royal aesthetics into a single, ornate piece. 

Derived from the Sanskrit language, the word sehra refers to a head-garland and it goes by different names across different regions. In Rajasthan, it is called sevrau, in Maharashtra, mundavalya, and in Gujarat, sehro, encompassing its localised forms and customs across the country. It is traditionally believed to serve multiple purposes simultaneously. The first and foremost role that it plays is to protect. It partially conceals the groom’s face and is believed to ward off the evil eye and negative energies on a day when the groom is highly celebrated by people. Another role that the sehra plays is to serve as a ritual function. It maintains modesty and preserves the ceremonial separation of the couple before specific rituals and rites, creating an emotional moment of a dramatic reveal during the wedding ceremony. 

While the sehra is an important part of a wedding ceremony, sehra bandi, or the ritual of tying the sehra is equally important. Usually performed by female relatives like the mother, sisters or sister-in-law, this ceremony is accompanied by songs, blessings and even poetry in some traditions. This act of tying the sehra is a binding ritual that reflects familial connections and a formal preparation for the groom’s departure to the wedding venue. It symbolises the family’s blessings and marks the beginning of a new chapter in the life of the groom.

Sehra Across Regions

The styles of the sehra vary widely across the different regions of the country in terms of its aesthetics, tradition and the preferences of the couples. The sehra takes on different forms across the different regions. Punjabi and North Indian weddings favour long, dramatic fringes for the baraat procession, while Rajasthani and Marwari families often integrate floral garlands with ornate turbans. Marathi weddings feature the mundavalya. Therefore, the sehra is more than just an accessory but a cultural symbol that encapsulates protection, prestige and artistry. In modern weddings, it has been consistently evolving to balance tradition with contemporary style.