Anand Karaj: The Sikh Wedding Ceremony Explained

Anand Karaj is the Sikh wedding ceremony. The name means "blissful union", and the heart of the ceremony is the laavan: four hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib, composed by Guru Ram Das, during which the couple walk around the Guru Granth Sahib four times. The ceremony is usually held in a gurdwara in the morning, is simple compared with many other Indian weddings, and is legally recognised in India under the Anand Marriage Act, 1909. This guide walks through the Anand Karaj step by step, explains the meaning of the four laavan, covers the functions before and after, and explains how to register a Sikh marriage. If you are still at the stage of finding a partner, see our guide to Sikh matrimony.

What Anand Karaj means and where its rules come from

Anand Karaj is described in the Sikh Rehat Maryada, the code of conduct published by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), in its section on the marriage ceremony (Anand Sanskar). The code presents marriage as a spiritual partnership of equals in which the couple support each other on a shared path. Some of its points that families often ask about:

• Caste is not to be considered when choosing a partner.
• Child marriage is not permitted.
• Consulting horoscopes or astrology to fix the wedding date is discouraged; any day may be chosen that suits the families.
• The code states that the Anand Karaj is for couples who profess the Sikh faith, and that a formal engagement ceremony is not required before the marriage.

You can read the code's own words on the SGPC's Anand Sanskar page. Practice differs between gurdwaras and families, and gurdwaras follow the code's guidance on who can marry by Anand Karaj, so speak to the granthi or gurdwara committee where you plan to marry well in advance.

Before the wedding day

Sikh families often hold several functions before the Anand Karaj, though none of them is required by the code:

• Roka and kurmai (engagement). The families formally agree the match, often with an ardas (prayer) and the exchange of gifts. Our guide to family meeting etiquette from roka to engagement covers this stage.
• Akhand Path or Sehaj Path. Some families arrange a complete reading of the Guru Granth Sahib at home or in the gurdwara in the days before the wedding.
• Maiyan, mehndi and jaggo. Many Punjabi families hold a turmeric ceremony, a mehndi evening and a jaggo, a lively night of singing and dancing. These are cultural rather than religious and are similar to the functions in our guide to haldi, mehndi and sangeet.

The Anand Karaj step by step

On the wedding morning the groom's family and friends usually arrive at the gurdwara in a procession (the baraat). A typical ceremony then follows this order, although details vary:

1. Milni. The male relatives of both families meet in pairs, such as the two fathers, the two maternal uncles and so on, and embrace or exchange garlands, often after a short ardas. It is a formal welcome of one family by the other.
2. Breakfast and gathering. Guests often share tea and snacks before entering the prayer hall.
3. Entering the darbar sahib. Everyone covers their head, removes their shoes and sits on the floor facing the Guru Granth Sahib. The groom sits in front, and the bride comes to sit on his left.
4. Kirtan and opening ardas. Ragis (hymn singers) sing, and an ardas is said asking for blessings on the marriage. The couple and their parents stand for this prayer.
5. Explaining the duties of marriage. The person conducting the ceremony gives a short talk on the responsibilities of married life according to Sikh teaching.
6. Palla. The bride's father, or another relative, places one end of a scarf (the palla) in the groom's hand and the other in the bride's, joining them for the laavan.
7. The four laavan. Each of the four hymns is first read from the Guru Granth Sahib and then sung by the ragis. As each is sung, the couple walk slowly around the Guru Granth Sahib clockwise, the groom leading and the bride following, holding the palla. Brothers and relatives often stand around the path to support the bride.
8. Anand Sahib, ardas and hukamnama. After the fourth lav, the first five and last verses of Anand Sahib are sung, a closing ardas is said, a hukamnama (a verse read at random from the Guru Granth Sahib) is taken, and karah prashad is distributed to everyone.

Once the laavan are complete, the couple are married. Family and friends then come forward to bless them and give shagun.

The meaning of the four laavan

The laavan are found in the Guru Granth Sahib and are traditionally understood both as a guide to married life and as an allegory of the soul's journey towards the divine. A commonly given summary:

• First lav: the couple begin married life by committing to a righteous life guided by the Guru's word.
• Second lav: the couple let go of ego and fear and develop love and reverence.
• Third lav: the couple find detachment from worldly attachment and joy in the company of the sangat (congregation).
• Fourth lav: the couple reach a state of peace and balance, with a sense of union with the divine.

Interpretations differ in emphasis, and many couples like to read a translation together before the wedding so that the ceremony is meaningful to them as well as to their elders.

After the ceremony: doli and reception

After the Anand Karaj, the families usually share langar or a lunch. The bride's farewell from her family, the doli, often follows later in the day and can be emotional for everyone. Many families also hold a reception in the evening or on another day, which is a good way to invite a wider circle of guests than the gurdwara ceremony can hold. Our guide on how to make a wedding guest list helps you plan numbers for each function.

Practical points for guests: dress modestly, keep your head covered in the prayer hall, do not bring alcohol or tobacco near the gurdwara, and follow the gurdwara's guidance on photography.

Registering a Sikh marriage

The Anand Marriage Act, 1909 recognises marriages solemnised by the Anand ceremony as valid. A 2012 amendment added section 6, which requires state governments to make rules for registering Anand marriages, and states that failing to register does not affect the marriage's validity. Not every state made such rules. In September 2025, in Amanjot Singh Chadha v. Union of India, the Supreme Court directed states and union territories to frame rules under section 6, and said that until they do, Anand Karaj marriages should be registered under the existing general marriage registration framework, with the certificate recording the Anand rite if the couple ask.

In practice, register your marriage as soon as possible after the wedding, because the certificate is needed for passports, visas, bank records and name changes. Check your state's registration portal for which law and form to use, and see our guide on how to register a marriage in India for the documents usually needed.