Punjabi Wedding Invitation: Anand Karaj Wording and Functions

A Punjabi wedding invitation has to do two jobs at once. For a Sikh family it announces the Anand Karaj, a religious ceremony at the Gurdwara in the morning, which needs a respectful card. It also announces the Jaggo, the Sangeet and the reception, which are loud, joyful and late. The best invitations keep the two clearly apart.

The order of a Sikh wedding card

1. The Mool Mantar opening. Most Sikh cards begin with "ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ" (Ik Onkar Satgur Prasad). Some families use the full Mool Mantar or a line of Gurbani chosen with their granthi.

2. The invitation from the hosts, usually the parents, sometimes "with the blessings of" the grandparents.

3. The couple, with "Kaka" or the full name with Singh for the groom and Kaur for the bride, and their parents' names.

4. The Anand Karaj: the Gurdwara's name, the date and the time, usually between 9 and 11 am.

5. The other functions, each with its own date, time and venue.

6. The names of the family and two contact numbers.

A note on respect: if the card carries Gurbani or the Ik Onkar, families often ask guests to handle it with care, and some print the religious heading only on the Anand Karaj page rather than on the party pages.

The invitation wording

For relatives who read Hindi:

The functions to list

• Roka and Thaka: the families formally agree to the match. Usually a small home event with its own message.
• Kurmai or Shagun: the engagement, where the bride's family visits with gifts and dried fruit.
• Chunni Chadhai: the groom's family brings the bride a red chunni and jewellery.
• Maiyan and Vatna: turmeric paste for the bride and groom at their own homes, with songs.
• Jaggo: the night before, relatives dance through the neighbourhood with a decorated pot of lit diyas. Give it its own line and a start time; it is the party guests talk about.
• Chooda: the bride's maternal uncle brings her red and ivory bangles in the morning.
• Gharoli and Sehrabandi: water for the groom's bath, then the sehra tied on his turban.
• Milni: the two families meet at the Gurdwara, relatives embracing their counterparts.
• Anand Karaj: the four laavan around the Guru Granth Sahib. This is the ceremony on the main card.
• Doli and the reception, often the same evening.

Dress and etiquette lines

Guests who have never been to an Anand Karaj appreciate one helpful line on the Gurdwara page:

For the party pages, a dress code is welcome, for example "Jaggo: Punjabi suits and kurtas, bright colours".

Sending it on WhatsApp

Punjabi families invite generously, and WhatsApp makes that easy. Send the card personally to each family with a short note:

Design that suits a Punjabi wedding

Phulkari embroidery, mustard and pink, the Golden Temple at dawn for the Anand Karaj page, and a burst of colour for the Jaggo all suit a Punjabi invite. A digital invite lets you keep the Gurdwara page calm and the party pages loud, with a map for every venue. Browse our wedding invitation designs, or start with a free card with name editing. For more WhatsApp wording, see wedding invitation messages for WhatsApp.