Hindu Wedding – Event Of Cultural Richness

Hindu Wedding:

Hindu Wedding ceremony is a very colourful celebration to the spectators. While performing the Hindu marriage, many rituals performed among the Bride and Groom. Vivaha, Kalyanam both are Sanskrit words. This Marriage is called Vivah and the performance of marriage is called Samskara. So Vivaha Samskara means Indian wedding. Hence the Hindu wedding followed the traditional rituals according to the Hinduism concept.

According to the Indian Customs,  marriage is an important turning event in the lives of men and women. Therefore the marriage considered an integral part of humans. In everyone’s life getting marriage procreate children, making the society rich, ensure the duties of family, serving the ancestors and God. Almost all these services get fruitful after getting the marriage only.

In Indian wedding follow the customs very strictly, so the Hindu wedding ceremony extends for days, depending on the social and economic status of bride and groom. Probably Some families spend a lot of money to organized the events. Performing the rituals during the wedding are vary from region to region and cast to cast.

The Hindu people follow three variety of Indian Wedding Traditions. They are

1.Pre-marriage rituals    2. Marriage rituals    3. post marriage rituals.

Pre-marriage rituals 

Due to the Indian wedding customs, the Hindu Bride and Groom family members connected with the mediators or the relatives. On an auspicious day, they introduced each family members at the bride’s house. Both families arranged to felicitate a meeting between the bride and groom. Once they both came to mutual consent, parents proceed with other arrangements. Then both side elders fix the marriage date, writing Lagna Patrika, choosing marriage hall, coming to an agreement about the dowry and all responsibilities fulfilled before the marriage.

Marriage Rituals 

in the marriage rituals, Kanyadanam was performed by bride’s parents. The groom tying a sacred knot called mangal sutra. Panigrahanam means accepting the bride as his wife. Doing Saptapadi, means walking seven steps together around the sacred fire. The Vedic priest guidance the couple to perform the rituals.

Post wedding Rituals:

Another interesting ritual in Hindu wedding is arranging some traditional games between bride and groom. Watching the star Arundathi, sharing a meal, receiving blessings from elders. After all these, the Hindu bride and bridegroom start to groom’s house. There they got the traditional welcome aarti. While stepping into the house the Hindu bride kicks a vessel of paddy, which is kept in a pot near the Threshold. After all these Indian Wedding Traditions, the bride enters the house.

Probably the Hindu marriage is arranged by the elders of both families. The elders both sides play an important role in fixing the marriage. Even they support the newly wedded couple. Generally, in the beginning, the couple may dispute on some issues lack of understanding. Then the elders interfere and counsel them both and make them increase the effect among them.

The Marriage is divided into eight parts according to the tradition of Hinduism.

1.Brahma Marriage:

This marriage in Hinduism is conducted according to rituals of Vedic customs. The elders of both sides participate in the marriage. Most Hindu marriages are conducting in this manner.

2.Daiva Marriage:

According to the Daiva marriage, the father of the bride gives away his daughter to a priest along with ornaments as a sacrificed fee. This type of Indian wedding performed in the ancient period only.

3. Arsha Marriage:

This Hindu marriage performed in exchange of cow and bull. These marriage performed in ascetic communities only.

4.Prajapatya Marriage:

This marriage celebrated with simple rituals. These marriages are performing among the present educated people. The Hindu bride and groom would exchange the garlands in the presence of friends and family members and declare themselves married.

5.Gandharva Marriage:

This is a secret marriage. Hindu Bride and groom secretly exchange the garlands. There were no Hindu wedding rituals to perform and the elder’s presence was ignored.

6.Asura Marriage:

Asura Marriage shows the pressure of groom family or other circumstances. Bride’s father agrees on the marriage with pressure, fear or impress of the financial status of grooms.

7.Rakshasa Marriage:

In this Rakshasa Marriage, the groom married the Hindu bride by brutal force. With the involvement of violence, kidnap and even rapes also causing to happen these marriages these are not acceptable.

8.Paishacha Marriage:

In this Hindu wedding, the groom throws the girl into unconscious by drunken and drugged and the groom gets to marry her.

Like above the marriages, some marriages only in existence in Indian Customs.