Every Hindi wedding card seems to speak a language of its own. चि. before one name, सौ. कां. before the other, a column of relatives under दर्शनाभिलाषी, a line that says भोजन: स्वरुचि, and a date that begins with मिति. Elders read these cards without a second thought. Younger cousins, colleagues from other states and friends abroad often have no idea what half of it means.
This guide is a working glossary. It groups the words you will actually meet on Hindi cards (from the honorifics before the couple's names to the function names and the sign-off lists), gives a plain English meaning for each, and shows how to explain them on a digital invitation or wedding website without stripping the card of its character.
A quick note on regional usage: Hindi card language varies between Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi, and some words are shared with Marathi and Gujarati cards. The meanings below are the common, widely understood ones. If your family uses a word differently, follow the family. And ask an elder to read the final matter before it goes to print.
How a Hindi wedding card is put together
Before the glossary, it helps to know where each word lives. Most Hindi cards follow roughly this order:
| Part of the card | What it does | Typical words you will see |
|---|---|---|
| Invocation | Opens with a blessing | ॥ श्री गणेशाय नमः ॥, a shloka, or a family deity's name |
| Announcement | Says whose wedding it is | सुपुत्र, सुपुत्री, चि., सौ. कां., शुभ विवाह, निश्चित हुआ है |
| Invitation line | Asks you to come | सादर आमंत्रित, सपरिवार, गरिमामयी उपस्थिति प्रार्थनीय |
| Programme | Lists functions, dates, times | कार्यक्रम, दिनांक, मिति, प्रातः, सायं, लग्न |
| Venue | Says where | स्थान, शुभ स्थल, निवास |
| Sign-off lists | Names the hosts and relatives | निवेदक, विनीत, स्वागतोत्सुक, दर्शनाभिलाषी, प्रतीक्षारत |
| Closing | Children's line, meal note, RSVP | बाल मनुहार, भोजन: स्वरुचि, R.S.V.P. |
Once you see this skeleton, a crowded card becomes much easier to read.
1. Honorifics before names
These short forms do the most confusing work on a card, because they sit right in front of the most important names.
| On the card | Full form | What it means | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| चि. | चिरंजीव / चिरंजीवी | "May he live long", a blessing | The groom (and, on some cards, younger boys in the family) |
| सौ. कां. | सौभाग्यकांक्षिणी | "One who wishes for a blessed married life" | The bride, who is not yet married |
| सौ. | सौभाग्यवती | "Fortunate one", i.e., a married woman | Married women, such as the mother of the bride or groom (common on Marathi and Gujarati cards) |
| आयु. | आयुष्मान / आयुष्मती | "Blessed with long life" | Groom or bride, in some families instead of चि. / सौ. कां. |
| कु. | कुमारी | Unmarried girl or young woman | Sisters, cousins, sometimes the bride on simpler cards |
| श्री | श्री | Mr, also a mark of respect | Men, and before deity names |
| श्रीमती | श्रीमती | Mrs | Married women in Hindi usage |
| स्व. | स्वर्गीय | Late (deceased) | Grandparents or parents who have passed away |
| डॉ., इंजी., एड. | Doctor, Engineer, Advocate | Professional title | Usually takes the place of श्री / श्रीमती before the name |
Two points trip people up:
- सौ. and सौ. कां. are not the same thing. सौ. marks a woman who is already married; सौ. कां. marks a bride who is about to be. Putting सौ. before the bride's name on a Hindi card reads as an error to many elders. Many Marathi cards write चि. सौ. कां. together before the bride's name, which is correct in that tradition.
- स्व. is used with care. On many cards the late grandparents appear in a blessing line such as "आशीर्वाद: स्व. श्री … एवं स्व. श्रीमती …". It honours them; it is not an invitation from them. Check every स्व. twice, because a mistake here is the one families remember for years.
2. Relationship words
Hindi cards rarely say "son of" in plain words. They use relationship terms that tell guests exactly where the couple sits in the family tree.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| सुपुत्र / सुपुत्री | Son / daughter (the सु- adds warmth: "good son", "dear daughter") |
| पुत्र / पुत्री | Son / daughter (plainer form) |
| ज्येष्ठ / कनिष्ठ | Eldest / youngest (as in ज्येष्ठ पुत्र, eldest son) |
| द्वितीय, तृतीय | Second, third (द्वितीय सुपुत्री, second daughter) |
| पौत्र / पौत्री | Grandson / granddaughter through a son (paternal side) |
| दौहित्र / दौहित्री | Grandson / granddaughter through a daughter (maternal side) |
| प्रपौत्र / प्रपौत्री | Great-grandson / great-granddaughter |
| भतीजा / भतीजी | Brother's son / daughter |
| भांजा / भांजी | Sister's son / daughter |
| अनुज / अनुजा | Younger brother / younger sister |
| अग्रज | Elder brother |
| नाना / नानी, दादा / दादी | Maternal / paternal grandparents |
The पौत्र vs दौहित्र distinction matters on cards that name both sets of grandparents. A line such as "श्री रामेश्वर प्रसाद जी के पौत्र एवं श्री हरिनारायण जी के दौहित्र" tells guests the first name is the paternal grandfather and the second is the maternal one. Swap the words and you have quietly moved a grandfather to the wrong side of the family.
3. Words in the announcement and invitation lines
These are the formal phrases that carry the actual invitation.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| शुभ विवाह / शुभ परिणय / मंगल परिणय | Auspicious wedding |
| पाणिग्रहण संस्कार | The wedding rite (literally "taking of the hand") |
| ईश्वर की असीम अनुकम्पा से | By God's boundless grace |
| होना निश्चित हुआ है | Has been fixed (to take place) |
| सम्पन्न होगा | Will be solemnised |
| सादर आमंत्रित | Respectfully invited |
| सपरिवार | With your family |
| सस्नेह | With affection |
| इष्टमित्रों सहित | Together with your friends |
| पधारकर | By gracing (the occasion) with your presence |
| आपकी गरिमामयी उपस्थिति प्रार्थनीय है | Your gracious presence is requested |
| नवदम्पति / वर-वधू को आशीर्वाद प्रदान करें | Please bless the newly-weds / bride and groom |
| शुभागमन | Your auspicious arrival |
Read सपरिवार carefully. It means the invitation includes the guest's family. If the card or envelope does not say सपरिवार, many families read it as an invitation for the named person or couple only. That is why some hosts write the name and सपरिवार by hand on each envelope, deciding household by household.
4. Function and ritual names
The programme section is where regional variety is richest. These are the names most likely to appear on a Hindi card:
| On the card | What it is |
|---|---|
| सगाई / रोका / वाग्दान | Engagement or the formal "the match is fixed" ceremony |
| तिलक / टीका | Bride's family applies tilak to the groom (common in UP and Bihar) |
| लग्न / लगन पत्रिका | The auspicious timing, and the letter that conveys it between families |
| मंडप स्थापना | Setting up the ceremonial canopy |
| चाक पूजन / चाक भात | Worship of the potter's wheel (common in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh) |
| हल्दी / तेल-बान / बान | Turmeric and oil ceremony |
| मेहंदी | Henna |
| भात / मायरा | The maternal uncle's family brings gifts and clothes for the wedding (Rajasthan, Haryana and nearby) |
| महिला संगीत | Music evening, traditionally led by women |
| सेहराबंदी | Tying the groom's sehra |
| घुड़चढ़ी | Groom mounts the mare |
| निकासी / बारात प्रस्थान | The procession sets out from the groom's side |
| बारात आगमन / द्वारचार | The procession is received at the bride's venue |
| वरमाला / जयमाला | Exchange of garlands |
| कन्यादान | Giving away of the bride |
| फेरे / सप्तपदी | The seven rounds or steps |
| विदाई | Farewell to the bride |
| प्रीतिभोज | Feast |
| आशीर्वाद समारोह | Reception, framed as a blessing ceremony |
| बहू भोज | Feast at the groom's home after the bride arrives (common in Bihar and eastern UP) |
For guests from outside your community, this is the section that most needs explaining. A one-line gloss in English ("भात / मायरा — the bride's maternal uncle's family brings gifts; close family only") stops guests from turning up to a function that was never meant for them.
5. Date and time words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| दिनांक | Date (Gregorian) |
| वार | Day of the week (सोमवार, मंगलवार…) |
| मिति | Date by the Hindu calendar (month, paksha, tithi) |
| शुक्ल पक्ष / कृष्ण पक्ष | Bright / dark fortnight of the lunar month |
| विक्रम संवत | The Vikram era year often printed beside the Gregorian year |
| प्रातः | Morning |
| मध्याह्न | Midday |
| अपराह्न | Afternoon |
| सायं / सायंकाल | Evening |
| रात्रि | Night |
| गोधूलि बेला | Twilight, "the hour of cow-dust", a traditional wedding time |
| शुभ मुहूर्त | Auspicious moment |
A practical warning: when a card gives only a मिति or a late-night लग्न time, outstation guests get confused about which calendar night to travel. Always print the Gregorian दिनांक and वार next to the मिति, and for a लग्न after midnight, say so plainly ("रात्रि 1:30 बजे — 12 दिसंबर की रात, यानी 13 दिसंबर की सुबह").
6. The sign-off lists
The bottom half of many cards is a wall of names under headings that all sound like "the family". They are subtly different.
| Heading | Meaning | Who usually appears |
|---|---|---|
| निवेदक / निमंत्रक / आमंत्रक | The one(s) requesting or inviting | The hosts, usually parents or the senior couple |
| विनीत | Humbly yours | The hosts, or a family name |
| स्वागतकर्ता | Those who will receive you | Close family managing the welcome |
| स्वागतोत्सुक | Eager to welcome you | Uncles, aunts, brothers, close cousins |
| दर्शनाभिलाषी | Longing to see you | Extended family, sometimes friends |
| प्रतीक्षारत | Waiting for you | Family members, often younger |
| शुभेच्छु / शुभाकांक्षी | Well-wishers | Friends, colleagues, extended relatives |
| समस्त … परिवार | The entire … family | Used instead of listing individuals |
| बाल मनुहार | The children's loving request | Nieces, nephews, younger cousins |
There is no strict rule about who goes under which heading. What matters is consistency across the bride's and groom's sides where both print cards, and that no one important is left off a list that names everyone else.
7. Practical lines at the bottom
| Line | Meaning |
|---|---|
| भोजन: स्वरुचि | Buffet (literally "food of your own choice") |
| भोजन: सायं 7 बजे से | Dinner from 7 pm |
| R.S.V.P. / कृपया सूचित करें | Please confirm whether you are coming |
| आपका आशीर्वाद ही हमारा उपहार है | Your blessings are our gift (a soft no-gifts line) |
| संपर्क सूत्र | Contact numbers |
An annotated sample card
Here is a short, invented card with its decoding underneath. Names and places are examples only.
॥ श्री गणेशाय नमः ॥ ईश्वर की असीम अनुकम्पा से श्रीमती सुधा एवं श्री दिनेश चंद्र शर्मा के ज्येष्ठ सुपुत्र एवं स्व. श्री गोपाल शर्मा के पौत्र चि. आदित्य का शुभ विवाह सौ. कां. मेघा (सुपुत्री श्रीमती अनीता एवं श्री राकेश गुप्ता, कोटा) के साथ होना निश्चित हुआ है। इस मंगल अवसर पर आप सपरिवार सादर आमंत्रित हैं। कार्यक्रम: हल्दी — प्रातः 10 बजे | बारात प्रस्थान — सायं 7 बजे | पाणिग्रहण — रात्रि 11 बजे भोजन: स्वरुचि निवेदक: समस्त शर्मा परिवार | स्वागतोत्सुक: श्री महेश, श्री उमेश शर्मा | दर्शनाभिलाषी: समस्त मित्रगण
Line by line: By God's boundless grace, Mrs Sudha and Mr Dinesh Chandra Sharma announce that the wedding of their eldest son Aditya (चि. — blessed groom), grandson (paternal side) of the late Mr Gopal Sharma, with Megha (सौ. कां. — the bride), daughter of Mrs Anita and Mr Rakesh Gupta of Kota, has been fixed. You and your family are respectfully invited. Haldi is in the morning, the procession leaves at 7 pm, the wedding rite is at 11 pm, dinner is a buffet. The request comes from the whole Sharma family; the groom's uncles are eager to welcome you; all friends long to see you.
Notice how much of the card is relationship and respect rather than information. That is exactly why guests from outside the community need a little help.
How to explain these words on a digital invitation or wedding website
You do not need to translate your card into English to make it accessible. A few light touches keep the Hindi intact and still help every guest.
- Keep the card as it is. The honorifics and sign-off lists are part of the family's voice. Do not replace चि. and सौ. कां. with "Mr" and "Ms".
- Add a one-line English gloss under each function name. "हल्दी (Haldi): turmeric ceremony, family and close friends, wear clothes you don't mind staining."
- Print the Gregorian date and day beside every मिति, and label late-night times clearly.
- Create a short "What our card says" section on your wedding website or at the end of a digital invitation: five or six of the words above with one-line meanings. Guests from other states and abroad read it; elders ignore it; nobody is offended.
- Use Unicode Devanagari, so the text displays properly on every phone when the card is forwarded.
- Keep the sign-off lists shorter on digital versions. A printed card can carry three columns of relatives; on a phone screen, "समस्त शर्मा परिवार" plus two or three names reads better. The full list can live on a "Family" page.
If you are using a wedding website or digital invitation from LoveSolutions or a similar platform, a small glossary block near the programme is easy to add and easy to edit if an elder suggests a better word after the first round of sharing.
Common mistakes with card words
- सौ. instead of सौ. कां. for the bride on a Hindi card. Use सौ. कां. unless your community's convention is different.
- चि. before the bride's name. On Hindi cards, चि. alone belongs to the groom.
- पौत्र and दौहित्र swapped, which puts a grandparent on the wrong side.
- A missing or wrong स्व., or one used for a living relative. Check with both sides.
- सपरिवार printed on every envelope by default when you meant to invite only the couple. Decide household by household.
- Only a मिति, no दिनांक, leaving outstation guests to convert dates themselves.
- Different spellings of the same name in the announcement and in the sign-off list.
- Mixing heading styles between the two families' cards (one uses निवेदक, the other विनीत, with different people under each), which can look like a disagreement even when it is not.
Quick checklist before you print or send
- [ ] चि. before the groom, सौ. कां. (or your community's form) before the bride
- [ ] सुपुत्र / सुपुत्री and पौत्र / दौहित्र correct on both sides
- [ ] Every स्व. confirmed with the family
- [ ] Gregorian date and day next to every मिति
- [ ] Late-night लग्न times labelled with the calendar night
- [ ] One-line English gloss for each function name on the digital version
- [ ] सपरिवार written only where you intend it
- [ ] Sign-off headings agreed between both families
- [ ] Final read by an elder from each side
FAQ
What does चि. mean on a wedding card? It stands for चिरंजीव or चिरंजीवी, a blessing meaning "may he live long". On Hindi cards it is placed before the groom's name.
What does सौ. कां. mean? It stands for सौभाग्यकांक्षिणी, "one who wishes for a blessed married life". It is placed before the bride's name because she is not yet married.
What is the difference between स्वागतोत्सुक and दर्शनाभिलाषी? स्वागतोत्सुक means "eager to welcome you" and usually lists the close relatives who will receive guests. दर्शनाभिलाषी means "longing to see you" and often lists the wider family or friends. Families use one, both, or neither.
What does भोजन: स्वरुचि mean? It means the meal is a buffet, food "of your own choice".
Should a digital invitation keep these Hindi words? Yes. Keep the words, and add short English meanings for guests who need them. The card should still sound like your family.
A Hindi wedding card is a small family document as much as an invitation. Get the honorifics and relationships right, help guests decode the rest, and every reader, from the oldest aunt to the newest colleague, will know exactly whose celebration it is and where they fit in.