Any Bengali event is incomplete without food. So, when it comes to wedding rituals, they have a special event that revolves entirely around food – Aiburo Bhaat.
What exactly is Aiburo Bhaat
The Aiburobhaat event is all about food and celebrating the wonderful memories of bachelorhood. It’s like a welcome song for a happy married life.
The wedding bells in most Bengali families begin with a simple ritual of Aiburo bhaat.
Aiburo (bachelor) Bhat (Rice) is a loose translation of ‘Aiburobhat.’ Thus, the ceremony commemorates a bachelor’s final meal at their own home.
We do not have bachelor parties in Bengali culture. However, Bengalis have their own ways of celebrating bachelorhood while keeping the essence of family in mind.
The ‘Aiburobhat’ is simply a Bengali bachelor party in which the groom and bride dress up, eat a lot of food, and have a grand Adda(gossip session) with their close ones.
A large feast is planned for the bride and groom, and their favorite food dishes are prepared. It includes a variety of fish dishes, fried foods(Bhaja), sweets (Mishti), doi, and whatever else they enjoy. The ritual is about having fun with close relatives and eating the best food possible.
The Aiburo Bhaat ritual is performed for both the bride and groom. They will celebrate with their respective families and friends.
The event is not only commemorated as part of the wedding ceremony but the bride and groom are also invited to the homes of close relatives for a grand feast.
The event calls for one last bit of fun, and gossip that can happen in one’s bachelor days.
Depending on the number of maternal/paternal uncles, aunts, and relatives, the number of invitations for an Aiburo Bhaat can go from a single to many. Each aunt, uncle, and relatives give their own Aiburo bhaat. Nowadays, office colleagues also organize the Aiburo Bhaat ceremony in the restaurant, so, the invitations can get doubled. In West Bengal, many restaurants have menus catered especially for this occasion.
The main Aiburo bhaat is held the day before the wedding. It is usually held in the afternoon. All of the bride and groom’s close friends and relatives gather at their homes to shower them with gifts and blessings. Then they are treated to an elaborate feast that includes rice, fish, and a variety of vegetable dishes, most of which are their favorites. It is their last meal as both a spinster and a bachelor.
Aiburo Bhaat Menu
Bengali families use a variety of food preparation methods. However, the most common Aiburo Bhaat items are rice, dal, Bhaja (fried vegetables such as potatoes, pumpkin, brinjal, ladies’ finger, Saag, Fish (fried), Fish (curried), and special dishes such as Ilish paturi or Shorshe Ilish and Chingri Malaicurry, among others. The prawns on the Aiburobhat Menu are larger in size than usual. For such occasions, they usually serve lobster prawns. They are also served mutton, chicken, and other similar dishes. Bengali Sweets are mandatory, and most brides and grooms will be served – Roshogolla, Pantua, Sondesh, Mishti Doi, and so on.
The following items are classified as popular for Aiburobhat
- Steamed Rice Shaped like a Bowl
- Luchi
- Sukto
- Five types of Vegetables Fry
- Jhuri Jhuri Aloo Bhaja
- Begun Bhaja
- Macher Matha Bhaja
- Dal Items
- Sona Moong Dal
- Cholar Dal
- Macher Matha Diye Moong Dal
- Fish Items
- Ilish paturi
- Shorshe Ilish
- Pabda Macher Jhal
- Chingri Macher Malai Curry
- Parshe Macher Jhal
- Rui Macher Kalia
- Mutton Kosha
- Chicken Kosha
- Desserts
- Chatni
- Payesh
- Rosogolla
- Misti Dahi
- Salad
