6 Best Gift Ideas for Newari Wedding: Surprising And Simple

Do you know what Ehipa (इहिपा:) Means?

Don’t worry, you are not the only one who doesn’t know the meaning of this word. In fact, a lot of us have no idea what it means.

To answer this curiosity, it means “Marriage” in the Newari language. This culture is a unique one that is filled with festivals and Jatras along with some unique practics. Among these cultures and practices our focus today will be on the Newari Marriage or to be more exact, the practice of gift-giving in Newari culture.

A Little Background

Yes, the gifts that you are expected to give during a Newari Wedding are not the same as the ones you give at other weddings. Most of the reason for this difference has to do with the concept of gift-giving in Newari Culture.

Traditionally, the gift-giving culture in Newari culture began as a way to make the life of the bride easier. So gifts like Utensils and Furniture were more appreciated rather than monetary ones. While the gifts have changed with the modernization and monetary gifts are being more appreciated nowadays, the tradition is still there and a lot of the gifts ideas for Newari weddings are still somewhat traditional.

So with this cleared let’s move on to the gifts.

1) Pitcher (Gagri)

A pitcher is one of the most traditional gifts that you can give at a Newari wedding and is one of the most appreciated ones. Not only does it have deep ties with the culture but it is functional as well. And as you may have known, Newari people are all about their traditions and culture till this day.

A pitcher can be used to store water and can be used as a display as well – especially if it is made from a shiny metal such as bronze or copper. While this is one of the best gift ideas for a Newari Wedding, just be wary of the budget. The price of the Bronze pitcher depends on the weight in a lot of places.

If you cannot afford a bronze pitcher, a copper one will suffice as well but if you want to make a good impression with the family, go for the bronze.

2) Chest

Now while the last one was specific and special to Newari weddings, this one is a mix of both the traditional and a generic one.

Traditionally, Newari used to gift a type of Chest called Sanhaa (स: न:). The concept was to give a gift that lets the married Newari couple store things safely.

With this cultural basis, a chest or a cupboard becomes a valid option as a gift idea for a Newari wedding. The concept remains the same – to gift something that enables the couple to store. The difference is only on the material/item available.

Just be sure to check your budget as the prices can go really high for even the smallest of the cupboard.

3) Bed

From traditional to more of a generic gift for marriage, the bed is one of the best. Since the whole lifestyle of the couple is going to change, the old bed used by the groom would no longer be valid. After all, a lot of males have single beds in modern times which is not really suitable for married life.

So, the bed is a good gift idea for Newari marriage but not specific to it – it is a valid gift idea for marriages of all cultures.

4) Bronze Wears

Bronze is one of the most fascinating of Metals. It shines like gold, is almost as tough as Iron is resistant to bacteria like copper, and is rust-proof – unlike Iron. Due to these properties, bronze was the symbol of status, and having bronze utensils is a matter of pride in the Newari culture.

Due to these reasons, Newari people will gladly accept any type of bronze kitchen utensils. It doesn’t matter if you give bronze ladle or bronze spoon – they will be appreciated.

Although if you want to get appreciated, you better seek some traditional Newari utensils like Bronze Karuwa and Bronze Anti.

Sidenote* You can use brass utensils for this very same reason as well.

5) Traditional Jewelry

We don’t need to say this but Newari is people who love their traditions and cultures. This is further enhanced by the fact that they have tons of festivals. So giving traditional Newari Jewelry as a wedding gift is really a good idea.

The fact that Newari women have to eventually wear traditional jewelry at some point in their lives – like a Makanshi – just puts more emphasis on the validity of the gift.

There is only a small issue with this gift idea for the Newari wedding – it is hard to find and can be a bit expensive.

6) Traditional Dress(Hakupatashi and Tapaa Lan)

Similar to traditional Jewelry, Traditional clothes are a major part of the Newar’s life – one might even argue that traditional clothes are even more significant in a Newar’s life than jewelry.

Now, these traditional dresses are some of the best gift ideas for Newari weddings as similar to jewelry, Newari people need to wear their traditional dress and they need to do it a lot. Besides their traditional dress look cool as well.

The only issue is that dresses like Hakupatashi are a bit hard to find and expensive.

So,

The general concept while thinking about gift ideas for Newari Weddings is that you have to consider their culture along with the practicality of the gift. The good news is that the cultural gifts are, for the most part, practical ones.

Besides the ones you mentioned here, you can also give classic wedding gifts such as gold jewelry, decors, and accessories as well.

Hope you found this helpful. If you have any suggestions for us, do let us know them down in the comments down below. And as always, thank you for reading till the end.