Quick Answer
What is the antarpat ceremony?
Antarpat is the moment in a Maharashtrian wedding when a cloth curtain (the antarpat) is held between the bride and groom, hiding them from each other, until the priest announces the exact auspicious muhurat and the curtain is dropped — the couple's first sighting of each other for the ceremony.
Last updated:
Last updated:
What is the antarpat ceremony?
Also called: antarpat vidhi, the curtain ceremony.
Antarpat is a short ritual but the emotional hinge of a Maharashtrian wedding ceremony — a plain cloth held up between bride and groom, guests chanting mangalashtak verses on the other side, building to the second the priest calls the muhurat and the cloth drops. It is the visual and symbolic start of the couple being seen as one.
In Marathi — मराठीत
अंतरपाट म्हणजे लग्नविधीतील तो क्षण जेव्हा नवरा-नवरीमध्ये एक पडदा धरला जातो, जेणेकरून दोघांना एकमेकांचं तोंड दिसू नये. भटजी मंगलाष्टकं म्हणत मुहूर्ताची वेळ जवळ आणतात, आणि बरोबर मुहूर्तावर हा पडदा दूर केला जातो — हीच नवरा-नवरीची एकमेकांना प्रथम बघण्याची वेळ असते. हा विधी छोटा असला तरी संपूर्ण लग्नसोहळ्यातील सर्वात भावनिक क्षण मानला जातो.
How the antarpat ritual works
The bride and groom stand facing each other on the mandap with a cloth (the antarpat) held vertically between them by two people, usually family members, so neither can see the other. Guests and family sing mangalashtak — auspicious Sanskrit-Marathi verses — building anticipation. At the exact muhurat calculated by the priest, the cloth is pulled away and rice mixed with turmeric is often showered as the couple see each other and garland one another.
Planning notes
- •Timing is precise — the muhurat is calculated to the minute, so this ritual anchors the whole ceremony schedule around it.
- •Photographers and videographers treat the curtain-drop as the single most important shot of the ceremony — brief them in advance on positioning.
- •The mangalashtak singing can run several minutes; build that into the schedule rather than rushing the priest.
Send the exact muhurat time to every guest
Weddingkart lets you schedule a WhatsApp reminder timed to the ceremony muhurat so guests are in their seats before the antarpat drops, not still finding parking.
See scheduled announcements →Frequently Asked Questions
What is antarpat made of?
A plain cloth, traditionally silk or cotton, often with a simple auspicious motif or just a solid colour — its function is purely to block the view, not to be decorative.
What are mangalashtak verses?
Mangalashtak are auspicious Sanskrit and Marathi verses sung while the antarpat is held, blessing the couple and building up to the exact muhurat when the curtain drops.
Why is the exact muhurat timing so important for antarpat?
Maharashtrian tradition holds that the couple's first sight of each other should happen at a precisely calculated astrologically auspicious moment, believed to set the tone for the marriage — hence the priest's countdown before the cloth is dropped.
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By Mayank JaiswalLast updated