In the beginning of the ceremony, there the young, tanned, dark haired male sits freshly groomed in a poised Indian style position under the mandap also known as a canopy. The flickering yellows, reds, and oranges of the fire that burns before him reflects off his and the face of the priest sitting next to him. They sit and wait for the beauty to appear before them, one obviously more anxious than the other; however, a bright white draped fabric is held in front of him. The soft, bright, white fabric is used to blind the young male of what awaits behind the simple divider. Viewed by all except for the most important individual of the two to be forever joined, appears a beautiful carriage with red and white flowers hanging from the sides being carried not by horses but by four first cousins. A beautiful Indian wedding between two individuals coupled together in front of loved ones.
As they carry her from the carriage to her seat, the husband to be is waiting anxiously for his bride to be. Finally the moment is here, for the drape to be dropped and they both look at. This is called marriage; in Indian style.
Hindu marriages signify customs, rituals and elaborate celebrations and are full of fun and frolic. Indian weddings speak volumes of the rich culture, heritage and ethnicity of the country. Every region follows its own traditions customs and rituals for the wedding. Marriages are made in heaven! Indian marriages are many a times "arranged", although that is changing. Is has been said that two people marry not only themselves but two families get married to each other. Therefore you will see that some Indian parents still play a big role in finding a bride or a groom for their children. With westernization influencing the eastern cultures many age old practices are being forgotten. The " young and the restless" are following new traditions and paths to find their mates. Marriage is deemed essential for virtually everyone in India. For the individual, marriage is marking the transition to adulthood. Marriage alliances of course, result in the biological reproduction of families.
A wedding is an important religious ceremony in the Hindu religion and one of the most important of the sixteen Hindu sanskars or sacraments. It is not only establishing the bond between two people, but also the bond between two families. Hindu weddings are usually hosted by the bride's parents and take place at a common place, decided by both the bride and groom's family. Generally, the marriage ceremonies take place at an open space, under a decorated canopy called mandap.
The ceremonies practiced are essentially divided into three parts - pre wedding customs, wedding day ceremony and post wedding rituals. The rituals and customs performed in each of the three phases have a deep significance and meaning. The pre wedding celebrations mainly includes engagement, sangeet, mehendi, haldi and tilak. The wedding day ceremonies, it involves different traditional rituals. One of the most important rituals of Hindu wedding is the seven rounds or sapta padi taken together, around the sacred fire, by the bride and the groom, while the seven vows or promise are read by the priest or purohit. The bride and the bride groom take the vows before God, symbolized by fire and light. These seven promises taken together by the bride and groom build's the foundation of their relationship and marriage.
Thereafter, post wedding ceremonies are performed, which mostly include vidaai and reception. This is the most emotional moment of the wedding, when the bride takes leave from her parents and other family members and takes her first step towards her new life in her husband's house. On reaching the new home, there are a number of ceremonies that are performed, right from welcoming the new bride to playing games and making merry.
According to Hindu Shastra there are four stages of life, of which Grahastha Ashram or married life signifies the second stage. It begins, when a man and a woman come together and marry. In India, marriage is treated as an institution, which teaches the actual values of life.
A marriage symbolizes not just coming together of two individuals, but also the bonding of understanding, commitment, mutual love, oneness and spiritual growth. Traditionally, Hindu marriage is much more than just celebration and fun. It demands sacrifice, companionship, dedication, and devotion from both the partners.
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