Gujarati kankotri matter and tahuko, with meanings
The short answer
A Gujarati kankotri opens with ॥ શ્રી ગણેશાય નમઃ ॥, names the couple as ચિ. [Groom] and ચિ. [Bride] with their parents, gives the date, the માંગલિક પ્રસંગો and the શુભ સ્થળ, and closes with નિમંત્રક and દર્શનાભિલાષી. The tahuko (ટહુકો) is a short, playful line from the children of the family, asking guests to come.
In brief
- Kankotri (કંકોત્રી) is the Gujarati wedding invitation card, and its text is called the lakhan.
- The formal matter says the couple’s wedding has been fixed, નિરધાર્યા છે, and asks the guest to come with the family.
- Tahuko means a bird’s call, and on a kankotri it is a few light lines in the children’s voice, often in baby talk such as જલુલ જલુલ આવજો.
- The functions are listed under માંગલિક પ્રસંગો: મંડપ મુહૂર્ત, ગ્રહશાંતિ, પીઠી, રાસ ગરબા, જાન and હસ્તમેળાપ.
- For WhatsApp, the same matter is cut down to the names, the date, the place and one line of tahuko.
What is written in a Gujarati kankotri, and in what order?
A kankotri (કંકોત્રી, also spelt કંકોતરી) is the invitation card for a wedding or other auspicious occasion. Its text is the kankotri lakhan (લખાણ). The sample kankotris we read all move in the same direction: God first, then the family and the couple, the date, the list of functions, the names of the hosts, and the tahuko last.
| Part | In Gujarati | How it is read | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Invocation | ॥ શ્રી ગણેશાય નમઃ ॥ | Shri Ganeshaya Namah | Begins the card with Lord Ganesh’s name |
| 2. Kuldevi line | શ્રી કુળદેવીની અસીમ કૃપાથી | Shri kuldevi ni aseem krupa thi | “By the boundless grace of our family goddess”. Families name their own kuldevi or kuldev |
| 3. Greeting | સ્નેહી શ્રી, | Snehi shri, | “Dear sir”, said with affection, to the guest |
| 4. The couple | ચિ. [Groom] … ચિ. [Bride] | Chi. … Chi. … | Names the groom and the bride, each with the parents’ names and home town |
| 5. The announcement | ના શુભ લગ્ન … સાથે … નિરધાર્યા છે | Na shubh lagna … sathe … nirdharya chhe | Says the wedding has been fixed, with whom and on which date |
| 6. Request | સહકુટુંબ પધારી શોભામાં અભિવૃદ્ધિ કરશોજી | Sahkutumb padhari shobha ma abhivruddhi karshoji | Asks the guest to come with the family and add to the occasion |
| 7. Functions | માંગલિક પ્રસંગો | Manglik prasango | Each function with its date and time |
| 8. Venue | શુભ સ્થળ | Shubh sthal | The wadi, party plot or hall, with its address |
| 9. Closing names | નિમંત્રક, દર્શનાભિલાષી | Nimantrak, darshanabhilashi | The hosts, and the family members who look forward to seeing you |
| 10. Tahuko | ટહુકો | Tahuko | A playful line from the children, with their names |
By custom the first kankotri is written at a small ceremony, called lagan lakhvanu, and offered to God before any card goes to a guest. The Hindi card follows a similar order with different headings; see wedding card matter in Hindi and English.
Wording differs by family, community and region. Treat the samples here as the common pattern and let the elders at home decide the final lines.
What is the standard kankotri matter in Gujarati?
This first sample is from the groom’s parents. Replace the words in brackets: [Groom], [Bride], [Mother], [Father], [City], [Day], [Date], [Venue] and [Surname].
A message you can copy
॥ શ્રી ગણેશાય નમઃ ॥ સ્નેહી શ્રી, શ્રી કુળદેવીની અસીમ કૃપાથી અમારા સુપુત્ર ચિ. [Groom] ના શુભ લગ્ન ચિ. [Bride] (શ્રીમતી [Mother] તથા શ્રી [Father] ની સુપુત્રી, [City]) સાથે [Day], તા. [Date] ના રોજ નિરધાર્યા છે. આ શુભ પ્રસંગે સહકુટુંબ પધારી શોભામાં અભિવૃદ્ધિ કરશોજી. શુભ સ્થળ: [Venue], [City] નિમંત્રક: શ્રીમતી [Mother] તથા શ્રી [Father] [Surname]
In English: “Dear sir, by the boundless grace of our family goddess, the wedding of our son Chi. [Groom] with Chi. [Bride], daughter of Shrimati [Mother] and Shri [Father] of [City], has been fixed for [Day], [Date]. Please come with your family on this happy occasion and add to its grace.”
A card from the bride’s parents names the daughter first. Only two words change: સુપુત્ર (son) and સુપુત્રી (daughter) swap places.
A message you can copy
॥ શ્રી ગણેશાય નમઃ ॥ સ્નેહી શ્રી, શ્રી કુળદેવીની અસીમ કૃપાથી અમારી સુપુત્રી ચિ. [Bride] ના શુભ લગ્ન ચિ. [Groom] (શ્રીમતી [Mother] તથા શ્રી [Father] ના સુપુત્ર, [City]) સાથે [Day], તા. [Date] ના રોજ નિરધાર્યા છે. આ શુભ પ્રસંગે નવદંપતીને આશીર્વાદ આપવા સહકુટુંબ પધારશોજી. શુભ સ્થળ: [Venue], [City] દર્શનાભિલાષી: શ્રીમતી [Mother] તથા શ્રી [Father] [Surname]
નવદંપતીને આશીર્વાદ આપવા means “to bless the newly married couple”. Traditional cards also give the date by the Gujarati calendar, with the Vikram Samvat year, the month and the tithi, before the English date. Ask your priest for that line, because it changes with every muhurat.
A few short forms appear on almost every kankotri.
- ચિ. is ચિરંજીવી, a blessing of long life. On a Gujarati kankotri it is written before both the groom’s and the bride’s names.
- અ.સૌ. is અખંડ સૌભાગ્યવતી, written before a married woman’s name, such as the mother’s.
- તા. is તારીખ, the date.
- તથા means “and”. It joins the mother’s and father’s names.
What is tahuko in a kankotri?
Tahuko (ટહુકો) means a bird’s call. On a kankotri it is the short, sweet set of lines, usually two to four, printed at the bottom or on the back of the card in the voice of the children and the younger members of the family. Their names go below it.
The formal lakhan announces the wedding. The tahuko does the coaxing. It is often written the way a small child talks, so જરૂર (surely) becomes જલુલ. It names the relation the children are inviting for: મામા (mother’s brother), માસી (mother’s sister), કાકા (father’s brother), ફઈ (father’s sister), ભાઈ or દીદી.
A tahuko is optional, but most Gujarati families would miss it. It does the same job as bal manuhar on a Hindi card, which is explained in darshanabhilashi, swagat utsuk and bal manuhar.
Which tahuko lines can you copy for a kankotri?
The first three below are old lines that are printed on many cards and repeated across the tahuko pages we read. Nobody is credited as their author. Change મામા, કાકા, ફઈ or દીદી to the relation in your family.
A message you can copy
ઉડ પંખી આકાશમાં, પત્રિકા લઈ ચાંચમાં. પહાડ આવે તો પાર કરજે, મંદિર આવે તો દર્શન કરજે, નદી આવે તો સ્નાન કરજે. અમારા સગા-સંબંધી મળે તો કહેજે કે અમારા કાકા તથા મામાના લગ્નમાં જલુલ જલુલ આવશો… હો… અમે રાહ જોશું.
Meaning: “Fly, little bird, across the sky, with the invitation in your beak. Cross the hill if one comes, pray at the temple if one comes, bathe in the river if one comes. And if you meet our relatives, tell them to come, come to our kaka’s and mama’s wedding. We will be waiting.”
A message you can copy
આમ તો અમે નાના અને નાજુક, એટલે મોટાઓને કંઈ કહેવાય નહિ. પરણે છે અમારા દીદી અને માસી, એટલે ચૂપ રહેવાય નહિ. જો… જો… હો… લગ્નમાં આવવાનું ભુલાય નહિ.
Meaning: “We are small and tender, so we cannot tell the grown-ups anything. But our didi and masi are getting married, so we cannot keep quiet. Now see that you do not forget to come to the wedding.”
A message you can copy
ચહેરો ભૂલી જશો તો ફરિયાદ નહિ કરીએ, નામ ભૂલી જશો તો શિકાયત નહિ કરીએ, પણ અમારા ફઈના લગ્નમાં આવવાનું ભૂલી જશો તો માફ નહિ કરીએ!
Meaning: “Forget our faces and we will not complain. Forget our names and we will not mind. But forget to come to our foi’s wedding and we will not forgive you!”
If you want something shorter, these two plain lines are ours, written in the same style.
A message you can copy
ટહુકો: અમારા મામાના લગ્નમાં જલુલ જલુલ આવજો. અમે રાહ જોશું. [Child’s name], [Child’s name], [Child’s name]
A message you can copy
ટહુકો: અમારા વ્હાલા દીદીના લગ્નમાં આવવાનું ભૂલશો નહીં. [Child’s name], [Child’s name]
The first means “Do, do come to our mama’s wedding. We will be waiting.” The second means “Do not forget to come to our dear didi’s wedding.”
How do you write mandap muhurat, grah shanti, pithi, garba and jaan on the card?
The functions sit together under the heading માંગલિક પ્રસંગો (auspicious occasions). Each one gets a line with its date and time. Keep only the functions your family is holding.
| Function | In Gujarati | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Ganesh sthapan | ગણેશ સ્થાપન | Lord Ganesh is installed and prayed to before the functions begin |
| Mandap muhurat | મંડપ મુહૂર્ત | A prayer to Lord Ganesh, and for the ground where the mandap will stand, at each family’s home |
| Grah shanti | ગ્રહશાંતિ | A puja for the peace of the planets. Some cards spell it ગૃહશાંતિ |
| Pithi | પીઠી | The haldi. A paste of turmeric is applied to the bride and the groom at their own homes |
| Mameru | મામેરું | The gifts brought by the mother’s brother’s family |
| Ras garba | રાસ ગરબા, દાંડિયા રાસ, સંગીત સંધ્યા | The night of garba, dandiya and music |
| Jaan | જાન પ્રસ્થાન, જાન આગમન | The groom’s procession. The groom’s card gives its departure (પ્રસ્થાન), the bride’s card its arrival (આગમન) |
| Lagna | હસ્તમેળાપ | The joining of hands, the muhurat of the wedding itself |
| Bhojan | ભોજન સમારંભ | The wedding meal |
| Vidaay | કન્યા વિદાય | The bride’s farewell |
A message you can copy
માંગલિક પ્રસંગો ગણેશ સ્થાપન: તા. [Date], [Time] મંડપ મુહૂર્ત: તા. [Date], [Time] ગ્રહશાંતિ: તા. [Date], [Time] પીઠી: તા. [Date], [Time] રાસ ગરબા: તા. [Date], રાત્રે [Time] જાન આગમન: તા. [Date], [Time] હસ્તમેળાપ: તા. [Date], [Time] ભોજન સમારંભ: તા. [Date], [Time] શુભ સ્થળ: [Venue], [City]
Times are written with સવારે (morning), બપોરે (afternoon), સાંજે (evening) or રાત્રે (night) before the hour, for example સવારે ૯.૦૦ કલાકે. Which functions a family holds, and in what order, varies by community. Go by what your family and priest follow.
What do નિમંત્રક, દર્શનાભિલાષી and the other closing lines mean?
The end of a kankotri names the people behind the invitation. A card usually carries one or two of these headings, not all of them.
- નિમંત્રક (nimantrak): the one who invites. The host’s name, often with the address and a phone number.
- દર્શનાભિલાષી (darshanabhilashi): those who long to see you. The family members who join in the invitation.
- સ્નેહાધીન (snehadhin): bound to you by affection. Used with or in place of દર્શનાભિલાષી.
- આપને આવકારવા ઉત્સુક (aapne aavkarva utsuk): eager to welcome you.
A message you can copy
નિમંત્રક: શ્રી [Father] [Surname] [Address], [City]. ફોન: [Phone number]
A message you can copy
દર્શનાભિલાષી: [Name], [Name], [Name] તથા સમગ્ર [Surname] પરિવાર
સમગ્ર [Surname] પરિવાર means “the whole [Surname] family”. Many families also add one line about gifts. ચાંલ્લો, also said ચાંદલો, is the cash gift given at a wedding. A family that does not want gifts prints one of these.
A message you can copy
ચાંલ્લા પ્રથા બંધ છે.
A message you can copy
આપના આશીર્વાદ એ જ અમૂલ્ય ભેટ છે.
The first means “we do not accept chandlo”. The second means “your blessings are the most precious gift”.
What is a short kankotri message in Gujarati for WhatsApp?
A WhatsApp message carries the names, the date, the place and the link. The kankotri itself carries the rest. This one is from the parents to relatives and family friends.
A message you can copy
સ્નેહી શ્રી, અમારા સુપુત્ર ચિ. [Groom] ના શુભ લગ્ન ચિ. [Bride] સાથે તા. [Date] ના રોજ નિરધાર્યા છે. આ શુભ પ્રસંગે સહકુટુંબ પધારશોજી. શુભ સ્થળ: [Venue], [City] કંકોત્રી: [Link] [Surname] પરિવાર
For the garba night, sent to the people invited to it.
A message you can copy
રાસ ગરબાની રમઝટ! તા. [Date], રાત્રે [Time]. સ્થળ: [Venue]. ગરબે ઘૂમવા જરૂર આવજો.
And one in the children’s voice, which works well as a second message under the link.
A message you can copy
ટહુકો: અમારા કાકાના લગ્નમાં જલુલ જલુલ આવજો. અમે રાહ જોશું. [Child’s name], [Child’s name]
How do you shorten a kankotri for a digital invite?
A printed kankotri often runs to several leaves, one for each function. A digital invite has a screen for each function, a map for the venue and a reply button. So the opening matter needs only the invocation, the couple, the date and the hosts.
A message you can copy
॥ શ્રી ગણેશાય નમઃ ॥ શુભ લગ્ન ચિ. [Groom] તથા ચિ. [Bride] [Date] · [City] નિમંત્રક: [Surname] પરિવાર
- Keep ॥ શ્રી ગણેશાય નમઃ ॥ and the kuldevi’s name. Elders look for them first.
- Move મંડપ મુહૂર્ત, ગ્રહશાંતિ, રાસ ગરબા and હસ્તમેળાપ to their own screens, each with its time and map.
- Keep the tahuko. It is one line and the children’s names, and it reads well on a phone.
- The long list of names can stay on the printed card.
Zaroor Aana makes wedding invites in Gujarati, with the Gujarati blessing, honorifics and function names. A wedding invite is ₹2,999 and you fill in one details form. You can see the wedding invites with sample names, or read how ordering works.
Questions families ask
What is tahuko in a kankotri?
Tahuko (ટહુકો) means a bird’s call. In a kankotri it is a short, playful set of lines written in the voice of the children of the family, asking guests to come to the wedding. It is printed at the bottom or back of the card, with the children’s names below it.
What is a kankotri?
A kankotri (કંકોત્રી) is the Gujarati invitation card for a wedding or other auspicious occasion. It opens with ॥ શ્રી ગણેશાય નમઃ ॥, names both families and the couple, lists every function with its date and time, and ends with the hosts’ names and a tahuko.
What does નિરધાર્યા છે mean on a kankotri?
નિરધાર્યા છે (nirdharya chhe) means “has been fixed” or “has been decided”. It is the verb at the heart of the formal matter: the wedding of ચિ. [Groom] with ચિ. [Bride] has been fixed for this date. The request to attend follows straight after it.
What does જલુલ જલુલ આવજો mean?
જલુલ જલુલ આવજો is baby talk for જરૂર જરૂર આવજો, which means “do, do come”. Tahuko are written in the children’s voice, so જરૂર is spelt the way a small child says it. Hindi cards do the same in bal manuhar, with “jalool jalool aana”.
What does ચિ. mean before the names on a Gujarati kankotri?
ચિ. is short for ચિરંજીવી, a blessing that means “may you live long”. On a Gujarati kankotri it is written before both the groom’s name and the bride’s name. A married woman’s name, such as the mother’s, often carries અ.સૌ. instead.
How do you say “no gifts” on a Gujarati kankotri?
The common line is ચાંલ્લા પ્રથા બંધ છે, which means the family does not accept chandlo, the cash gift given at weddings. A softer line is આપના આશીર્વાદ એ જ અમૂલ્ય ભેટ છે, “your blessings are the most precious gift”. Either goes near the end of the card.
Is it જાન પ્રસ્થાન or જાન આગમન on the card?
Both are correct, on different cards. જાન is the groom’s wedding procession. The groom’s family prints જાન પ્રસ્થાન, the time the procession sets out. The bride’s family prints જાન આગમન, the time it arrives at the venue. હસ્તમેળાપ, the wedding muhurat, comes after it.
See it for yourself
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- Tamil wedding invitation wording, in Tamil and English
- Telugu wedding invitation wording, in Telugu and English
- Wedding invitation message in Kannada, with meanings
- Bengali wedding invitation wording, in Bengali and English
- Odia wedding invitation wording, in Odia and English
- Punjabi and Sikh wedding card wording, in Gurmukhi and English
- Nikah and walima invitation wording, in English and Urdu
Sources
- WeddingKart: Gujarati wedding invitation (kankotri) and tahuko guide
- Well Wisher Women Club: ટાસ્ક લેખન – કંકોતરી (complete sample kankotris written by club members)
- Gujju Planet: લગ્ન લખાણ કંકોત્રી ટહુકો (a collection of tahuko)
- Hindi Help Guru: marriage invitation card Gujarati tahuka (a collection of tahuko)
- My Tahuko: લગ્ન લખાણ ગુજરાતી કંકોત્રી ટહુકો (on tahuko for a mama’s, masi’s, kaka’s or foi’s wedding; names પીઠી and હસ્તમેળાપ)
- Rekhta Gujarati dictionary: કંકોતરી, કંકોત્રી
- WeddingSutra: Gujarati wedding customs (lagan lakhvanu, mandap mahurat, pithi, jaan, hasta milap)
- Gujju Samachar: a Gujarati kankotri app (the functions and name lists a kankotri carries)
- Google Play listing of a Gujarati kankotri maker app (મંડપ મુહૂર્ત, મામેરું, જાન પ્રસ્થાન, નિમંત્રક)