subject: Rituals that are performed during the wedding [print this page] Rituals that are performed during the wedding
Mehendi and Haldi
A day before the wedding, the palms and feet of the bride are decorated with "Mehendi". A Mandap decorated with flowers is erected at the venue. On the wedding morning, various rituals are performed on both the bride and the groom in their own homes. A paste made with Haldi is applied to the bride and the groom by their female relatives and friends.
Wedding procession
The Bridegroom arrives for the wedding along with his family and friends in a procession. They are then received by the bride's family and friends.
Ganapathi puja
Ganapati, the God of Initiation is invoked to keep away all the impediments in a marriage.
Navagraha Puja
This is performed to the nine astral planets that rule over a person's destiny.
Vratham
The marriage ceremonies begin with the Vratham performed separately by the bride and the groom. For the bride, it means the tying of the kappu, or the holy thread on her wrist. This is meant to ward off evil spirits. It's also a way of letting the bride know, that she has her parents' protection and their blessings in the next step of her life.
Kasiyatra
This is a very important part of the ceremony. The situation is that immediately after his student life, the young bachelor has two alternatives before him: Married life (Grihasta) or asceticism (Sanyas). He prefers the ascetic life to the tribulations of married life. He therefore makes his way to kasi holding an umbrella, a bamboo fan etc. On his way, the bride's father intervenes and advises him of the superiority of a married life to an ascetic life. He also promises to give him his daughter as a companion to face the challenge of life. The umbrella is to remain with the groom, to remind him in the future, of this advice.
Exchanging Garlands
According to the Hindu shastras, a garland worn by one person should not be used by another. During the wedding ceremony, the exchanging of garlands symbolizes the unification of the couple as one soul. Here, certain communities introduce an element of fun, where one partner tries to put a garland on the other partner, and he/she tries mockingly to avoid the garland. This can include the partners relatives covering the him/her, or lifing him/her so that the other partner cannot reach through or high enough to put the garland.
Maangalya Dharana
The most important ceremony is the tying of the Mangala Sutra. With the bride seated looking East, the bridegroom facing West, ties the gold Mangala Sutra around the neck of the bride. As he does so, the Nadaswaram drums are beaten upon, to muffle any inauspicious sounds.
Sapthapadi:
Holding the bride's hand, the bridegroom walks seven steps with her. Every step is taken invoking the Gods to shower their blessings on the couple. This is the most important part of the wedding ceremony, and only when they walk seven steps together is the wedding legitamized.
All the best on your wedding and wish you a wonderful married life ahead.
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