Hiding the Shoes or the Jutti Chupai ritual is done when the couple reaches the mandap for the `pheras`, the groom removes his shoes and sits for the main wedding act. The bridesmaid hides his shoes. After the ceremony is complete, the groom gets up to leave the mandap and searches for his shoes. However the bridesmaids hide the shoes in a difficult corner and surround him to demand a ridiculous sum of money in exchange for his shoes. The groom has no choice in spite of a lot of begging and pleading. He has to pay the ransom and is then allowed to put on his shoes.
The bridesmaids or the `saalis` of the groom play this game just as a joke and make their relation with their brother in law more easy and approachable. After the long and tedious of matra chanting and marriage ceremony in front of the yagna, this game plays a small but relieving role in marriages.
This ritual is the most common one in the Sikh weddings. This game plays an indispensable part in this regional marriage. Through the wedding ceremonies the girls from the bride`s side search for an opportunity to steal the groom`s shoes and hide them in a secretive place. Meanwhile the boys from the groom`s side try their best not to allow the girls succeed in stealing the groom`s shoes. Usually the shoes are always stolen when the groom takes them off before sitting down in front of the Guru Granth Sahib for the Anand Karaj. If the girls succeed, they return the shoes only when the groom gives them rings called kaleechris and also a good amount of money.
More on Traditional Games in Indian Wedding
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