The Mala Badol (ma.la baTHol) is a traditonal Bengali Muslim wedding ceremony which takes place after the Gae Halud. Mala Badol literally means an exchange of garlands, and symbolises the union of the bride and the groom. Usually the Akht and the Mala Badol happen on the same day, with the Akht occuring first. The Mala Badol is often termed the walima, and is hosted by the bride's family.

The groom dresses up in a white sherwani (long ankle length collarless jacket) and a pagree (turban). He will also be wearing traditional nagras (decorative loafers). The groom's mother feeds the groom some sweets and milk, and offers a prayer for his lifelong happiness as part of a ceremonial send off. The groom's party heads off in a ceremonial motorcade, with lights flashing and horns blaring.

The bride dresses in an elegant red silk sari that is embroidered in a gold filigree. She also wears layers of gold jewelery. The bride's face is painted with an intricate pattern across the forehead and down to the temples.

The groom's party arrives at the gate of the wedding location where they are stopped by younger members of the bride's family. An exorbitant amount of money is demanded of the groom in exchange for entrance to the ceremony. A period of fun haggling begins and continues until either hunger sets in, or an elder steps in, whichever occurs first. The groom is settled upon a decorated dias to await the bride. During this time, members of the bride's family may attempt to steal the groom's nagras. It's up to the groom's friends to prevent this fun-natured thievery, or else another exorbitant amount will be demanded for the return of the stolen goods.

The bride joins the groom, and the Akht is performed. After the wedding vows, dinner is usually served and the mala badol commences after dinner. For the mala badol, a translucent muslin cloth is placed over both the bride and the groom. They feed each other and share a drink of borhani (a spicy yogurt drink). They glance at each other through a mirror, and the groom is asked, "What do you see?" He answers with a poetic endearment such as, "I see the rest of my life." The bride answers the same question in a similar fashion. Traditionally, the glance in the mirror may have been the first time the couple saw each other. The couple exchange garlands of flowers. In recent years, the new tradition of exchanging rings has been included in the ceremony.

A few days later there is yet one more ceremony, the bou bhat (bo.u bh.a.t), which literally means "bride's rice". This reception, which is hosted by the groom's family, is the first time for the couple to step out socially as a married couple, and symbolises the beginning of their new life. We combined our mala badol and bou bhat ceremonies into one celebration.