Datar
After friends and family have greeted the couple, they leave for the grooms house. At the entrance of their new home, the brides feet are rinsed by the grooms parents. A cover is placed over her head as she sprinkles milk in all corners of the house. This signifies that she will maintain the respect of the family and that if there are any misunderstandings within the family, she is supposed to help solve or “cool” them.
Surrounded by her new family, the bride picks up a handful of salt and places it in the hands of her husband. He passes it back into her hands without spilling any salt. This is done three times. Similarly, the «datar» is carried out with all members of the grooms family. Exchanging salt symbolises that just as salt blends in and gives taste to food, so must the bride blend in and become a part of her new family.



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