Ramayana: Viewers debate whether Mangal Rang song shows Lord Rama's haldi or coronation

Ramayana song Mangal Raat. Pic via YouTube

The makers of Ramayana unveiled a new song, Mangal Rang, on October 25, celebrating the love and sacred union of Lord Rama and Maa Sita. Composed by AR Rahman and sung by Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal, the song has drawn attention online, with one scene sparking a debate among viewers over whether it depicts Lord Rama's haldi ceremony or preparations for his coronation.

Ramayana song sparks debate over haldi scene

The scene shows women applying haldi to Lord Rama, while Maa Sita stands beside him. While some viewers questioned the portrayal, arguing that it went against traditional Hindu wedding customs, others suggested that the sequence had been misunderstood and was connected to Lord Rama's coronation.

One user on X questioned Sita's presence during what they believed was the groom's haldi ceremony, writing, "This is the Ramayana trailer, where Sita Ji watches Ram Ji haldi ceremony. Since when do brides watch the groom's haldi ceremony? Isn't this disrespectful to Hindu tradition?"

A second user pointed to wedding customs followed in several Indian communities, writing, "Since when did the bride sit and watch the groom's Haldi ceremony in traditional Hindu weddings? The groom has his Haldi at his home, and the bride has hers at her own home in many Indian traditions."

However, not everyone agreed with this interpretation. Several viewers argued that the scene could depict preparations for Lord Rama's coronation rather than a wedding ritual. Recently, AR Rahman also broke his silence on criticism around Ramayana songs.

Viewers suggest scene depicts Lord Rama's coronation

One user dismissed the haldi interpretation, writing, "This is for Ram Ji's Rajyabhishek Ceremony. I'm sure some dumb people will think why is Sita maa watching his haldi ceremony."

Another user cited the costumes as evidence that the sequence could be connected to events preceding Lord Rama's exile. The user wrote, "This is literally from the preparation before the coronation of Shri Ram. Check out the costume of Sita in these 2 scenes it's the same! One from the day before the coronation is about to take place. Another is from the same day when Kaikeyi asks for 14 years of exile, and Sita is requesting Ram to take her along with him."

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama and Sai Pallavi as Maa Sita, alongside Ravi Dubey, Yash, Sunny Deol, Rakul Preet Singh and Lara Dutta in key roles. The film is scheduled to release worldwide in theatres on November 5.