Preparation
Preparing the Bride
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The Pedo would be sent to the bride’s place in good time for her to be prepared, bathed, perfumed, clothed and decorated. It would be sent either the previous evening or latest early in the morning. As a custom the box containing the materials of Pedo were carried by a contingent of young boys under the stewardship of a responsible adult. On delivery of the box the carriers were entertained with sherbath or sweets. The kids could bargain for a fee for bringing the box and the recipients were bound to honour the demand, of course with some bargaining.
The women folk from the boy’s side would directly go to join the ladies of the bride’s side. They would normally carry with them a consignment of sweets. The contingent would be received by the mother or a senior lady of the house. Separate quarters or portions of the pandal would have been set apart for women, properly isolated with pardahs as there was no ​question of their mingling with men at any stage. By then the bride should have offered two rakaats of Nafil namaz after taking bath and wearing the dress and jewels that came as Pedo and seated with her face veiled with Khombi. ​
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Preparing the Bridegroom
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The bridegroom assisted by the Hajjam would take bath, offer two rakaats of Nafil Namaz and change over to new clothes, a Shervani specially made for the occasion. It was also customary to wear an Aabo, a waist coat and Ijar (an improvised pair of pyjamas) instead. The more spectacular items on the costume were a ceremonial Paag (turban) and Sadhriyo (embroidered half coat). Some households maintained these items as their ancestral treasure to be used by the bridegrooms and occasionally by the heads of families as symbols of honour and exaltation. Certain Jamaaths possessed similar things for use by the Jamaath Setth on ceremonial occasions and also to be lent to those who needed them.
