Quick Answer
What is the baraat?
The baraat is the groom’s festive procession to the wedding venue, where he travels — traditionally on a decorated white mare, increasingly in a luxury or vintage car — surrounded by his family and friends dancing to a dhol and band. It announces his arrival, can take 30 to 90 minutes to cover a short distance because everyone stops to dance, and ends with the bride’s family receiving the party at the gate.
Last updated:
Last updated:
What is the baraat?
Also called: baraat, barat, groom’s procession, janj, varyatra.
The baraat is the groom’s grand entrance, and it is deliberately slow. He rides a decorated mare or a flashy car while his side dances ahead of him to a dhol and brass band, often blocking traffic for an hour to cover a few hundred metres — because the point is the spectacle, not the speed. It ends at the venue gate, where the bride’s family steps out to welcome the groom’s party, sometimes negotiating a playful neg before letting them in.
What happens in a baraat
The groom (the dulha) sits on a white mare or in a car, often with a young boy relative riding with him for luck, and wears a sehra (a veil of flowers or beads). Ahead of him, the baraatis — his family and friends — dance to a dhol and band, throw flower petals and currency notes, and the procession inches toward the venue. On arrival the bride’s side performs milni (formal introductions of matched relatives) and a welcome, and the playful dwar rokai / neg at the gate may delay entry.
Regional names differ — janj in Punjabi, varyatra in many Hindu traditions — but the spirit is the same: the groom’s side arrives loud, proud and celebrating.
Timing and arrival logistics
| Detail | Typical practice |
|---|---|
| When | Evening, just before the wedding muhurat / varmala |
| Duration | 30–90 minutes for a short distance, due to dancing |
| Transport | White mare (ghodi), vintage / luxury car, or decorated jeep |
| Music | Dhol players plus a brass band; sometimes a DJ trolley |
| Arrival | Bride’s family receives at the gate; milni and welcome follow |
Tips for event managers
- •Recce the route and arrange police permission or a traffic marshal — a dancing baraat on a public road needs clearance.
- •Book the mare, band and dhol with a firm assembly time, and brief the groom’s family that the baraat must leave on schedule for the muhurat.
- •Keep the venue gate, milni space and welcome arrangements ready 30 minutes before the expected arrival, since baraats run late.
- •Plan parking and a holding area for baraati cars away from the procession so the entrance doesn’t jam.
Tips for wedding hosts
- •Set a realistic departure time — a baraat covering 500 metres can still take an hour, so work backwards from the muhurat.
- •Tell baraatis the assembly point and time clearly; stragglers are the main reason processions leave late.
- •Keep the groom’s sehra, mare or car, and flower petals organised in one place so the start isn’t chaotic.
- •Use the Weddingkart app to message just the groom’s-side guests with the baraat time and meeting point, separate from the rest.
Get the baraat off on time
Message just the groom’s-side guests on Weddingkart with the baraat assembly point and time as a scheduled WhatsApp, and see how many baraatis to expect — so the procession leaves on schedule and reaches the venue for the muhurat.
See WhatsApp announcements →Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the baraat take so long?
Because the celebration is the point. The groom’s family stops repeatedly to dance to the dhol and band, so a procession covering just a few hundred metres can take 30 to 90 minutes. Build that into the timeline before the muhurat.
Does the groom have to ride a horse in the baraat?
No. The white mare is traditional, but many grooms now arrive in a vintage car, a luxury vehicle, a decorated jeep or even on a bike. The transport is a style choice; the dancing procession is the constant.
What happens when the baraat reaches the venue?
The bride’s family welcomes the groom’s party at the gate, performs milni (formal introductions of matched relatives from both sides), and often plays the dwar rokai or neg — a playful blocking of the entrance until a token amount is paid.
Who is part of the baraat?
The baraat is made up of baraatis — the groom’s family, relatives and friends. The bride’s side does not travel in the procession; they receive it at the venue.
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By Mayank JaiswalLast updated