Hindu weddings are typically rich culturally and hold a lot of importance for Indian families. Much of their lives revolve around and are spent preparing for this beautiful ceremony. Every ritual and every tradition of the Hindu wedding has an important significance and have therefore been passed on to generations.
every auspicious activity will begin only after praying to Lord Ganesh. Another reason why we pray to Lord Ganesh first is that he rules the Muldhara Chakra. According to this belief, the human life is segregated into two parts. One is material and other is spiritual.
Pre-wedding Rituals:
Most marriages in India are still arranged marriages, thus the first part of an Indian marriage is to find a match, mostly through friends and relatives. Some families also insist on a horoscope match, checking whether the sun sign and stars of the bride and groom are aligned for a blessed marriage. Once the families and the prospective bride or groom have met and agreed to the union, there is usually a puja that happens at both the houses and usually a date is fixed on this day.
Engagement:
This is an official announcement of the wedding that is about to take place. Engagement Ceremony is known by several names like “Sagai”, Roka, Tilak, etc. Exchange of rings may take place in some cultures but usually, gifts are exchanged signifying the welcoming of each other into their respective families. Generally, there is a gap of a few months between the engagement and the wedding.
Mehendi:
Mehendi is a tradition wherein a paste made of Henna is applied to the hands of both the Bride and the Groom. For the Bride, the designs are intricate and artistic and Henna designs are done even on her feet. The women of the house also get mehendi designs done on their hand.
Sangeet
A dance ceremony, fun-filled and full of energy – Sangeet is a tradition where both the families dance and sing together and in the process, get to know each other better.
Haldi
It is an important part of a Hindu wedding where turmeric, grounded into the paste and mixed with certain other ingredients is applied to the bride and the groom by the elderly women of their houses.
Wedding Ceremony
The wedding is usually organized by the bride’s parents setting up a “Mandap” and the groom and his family are their guests. The bride’s father gives away his beloved daughter in what is called Kanyadan, the couple commits to each other in front of a sacred fire while the priest recites the mantras followed by seven wedding vows as per Hindu custom. The friends and family then bless the newly married couple.
Wedding Vows [Phere]
The wedding vows in a traditional Hindu wedding involve taking “Pheras” or an entire round around the sacred fire by both the bride and the groom together.
The vows are:
To respect and honour each other
To share each other’s happiness and sorrow
To have faith and be devoted to each other
To foster gratitude for knowledge, values, sacrifice and service
To appreciate the purity of feelings, love, family duties and spiritual growth
To follow principles of Dharma
To nurture an everlasting bond of friendship and love
Vidai
After the wedding rituals, the bride’s family host the newlyweds at their house followed by “vidaai”. The Vidaai ceremony is an emotional goodbye as the bride’s family bid their ado. Signifying the end of her debt to her parents for taking care of her, the bride throws over her shoulder, three handfuls of rice and coins.
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