12/12/2019

15 Hindu North Indian Wedding Ceremony Rituals and Traditions, Explained



The Hindu Wedding 

1 BARAAT
    
In Hindu weddings, the Groom is led to the marriage venue in a procession known as the Baraat. He is accompanied by family members, groomsmen, and friends known as Baraatis.




2 ARRIVAL OF THE GROOM ( Milni Ceremony)

 The bride’s family greets the groom and his family, friends, and relatives before he enters the marriage hall.






3 Ganesha Puja


Ganesha Puja is also called Maha Ganapathi and is the remover of obstacles.  Maha Ganapathi is first worshipped before the commencement of wedding rites.
The groom prays to Lord Ganesh to bless him with wisdom and knowledge and to “enable him to overcome all obstacles.”




4 Kalash Puja for Purification

This is purificatory of the rite which renders the site and its environs sacred for conducting the ceremony.








5 Kanya Aagaman – The The arrival of the Bride

Kanya Aagaman is the Bride’s arrival to the Mandap to start the wedding rituals. Kanya Aagaman literally translates to ‘the arrival of the bride’. She is escorted to the Mandap by her maternal uncle and aunt, signifying the acceptance of the union from the maternal side of the Bride’s family. Depending on which part of India the family is from, the Bride’s sisters, friends, and cousins join the procession to the mandap.






6 Varmala Ceremony

The Varmala Ceremony, also referred to as Jaimala, is the commencement of the Hindu wedding, serving as the first time, the Bride and Groom meet before starting the wedding ceremony.
Mala is the Hindi word for garland, usually consisting of flowers bunched together on a string. The exchange represents the acceptance and union of their forthcoming nuptials.



7 Kanyadaan


After the Varmala ceremony, the Kanyadaan ritual takes place. Kanyadaan, meaning “giving away the bride” in Sanskrit, is a symbolic marriage ritual for the Bride’s parents and the couple. The Father of the Bride take’s his daughters right hand and places it in the Groom’s right hand, requesting for him to accept his daughter as his equal partner. This ritual signifies both the acceptance of the Bride’s Father and his official approval to give his daughter away.
After joining the two hands, ‘Hastamelap’, the Mother of the Bride pours sacred water on to the palm of her husband’s hands, allowing it to flow through his fingers onto his daughter's hand and ultimately to the groom’s hand as well.


8 Vivaah Homa

After the Kanyadaan takes place, The Priest lights up a small sacred fire in a kund, or a copper bowl. The remainder of the wedding ceremony is conducted around this fire. The couple praises the Agni Devta, the Lord of Fire, in hopes of bringing the presence of Vishnu on to the ceremony. The Vivaah Homa is performed in order to indicate the purity of the upcoming rituals, all conducted with the help of the fire.

9 Hastmelap Ritual

Often grouped together in the Kanyadaan ceremony, the Hastmelap is translated from Sanskrit to mean ‘the joining of the hands’. The couple is united with the union of their hands in the presence of Agni Devta (the Lord of Fire), represented by the fire lit during the Vivaah Homa. The Bride places her right hand in the Groom’s right hand as per tradition. Then to strengthen their bond, the Groom’s sister or mother ties the ends of the scarves worn by the Bride and Groom together, signifying their unity and ‘tying the knot’ quite literally. The couple vows to treat others with respect to love, compassion, and sympathy. They also pledge to show goodwill and affection to each other’s families.

10 Mangalsutra Ritual

The Mangalsutra, a black and gold necklace with a gold or diamond pendant symbolizes good luck, love, and friendship. In Sanskrit, ‘Mangala’ translates to sacred and ‘sutra’ to thread. Following the Hastamelap, the Bride moves to sit on the Groom’s left side, taking the closest position to the Groom’s heart. He then proceeds into the ceremony called “Mangalya dharanam” and places the Mangalsutra around her neck and applies sindoor, red vermillion (also known as kumkum), to the center of her forehead. These two offerings signify the Groom’s devotion to his Bride and the Bride’s new status as a married woman.

11 Ring exchange

A ring exchange takes place following the offering of the Mangalsutra, where the couple commits to support each through the challenges that life may throw them, in happiness and sorrow, with unconditional love. The Mangalsutra carries immense importance in the Hindu wedding ceremony, as it is the moment where the couple expresses their commitment to one another.

12 Granthi Bandhanam

During this particular ceremony, the couple is tied together before embarking on the signature Mangal Phere ceremony. Granthi Bandhanam quite literally translates from Sanskrit into ‘tying of the sacred knot’. The Bride’s brother ties a white cloth to the Bridal sari and the other end is draped over the Groom’s shoulder. The knot symbolizes the unity between the two families, bonding as one.



13 Mangal Phere

Mangal Fera (also referred to as Mangal Phere) consists of the couple taking seven circles, or ‘feras’ around the Agni (sacred fire).“symbolic of the seven marital vows, with Agni as the witness.  They take the seven steps around the sacred fire as they recite hymns and take the following vows:

                              1.      We will attain natural comforts.
2.      We will develop physical, mental, and spiritual strength.
3.      We will increase our wealth through righteous means.
4.      We will acquire knowledge, happiness, and harmony by mutual love and trust.
5.      We will be blessed with strong and virtuous children.
6.      We will perform our duties for the prosperity of the community.
7.      We will be true companions and remain life-long partners.
As the couple takes seven steps together they are expressing their devotion to each other for life.”
the bride leads the groom on the first Five pheras, while the groom takes over for the Sixth and final step – signifying balance and completion in their marriage. When the couple makes their last round together, they rush back to their seats, racing to sit down first. As part of the tradition, it is said that whoever takes their seat first will be the ruler of the household.



14 The Ritual of Laaja Homam

This ritual takes place towards the end of the ceremony and is often not included depending on whether or not the specific region celebrates it. Laaja Homam translates to ‘the offering of puffed rice to the sacred fire’ from its Sanskrit origins. During this stage of the Hindu marriage, the bride offers rice with the help of her brother wishing her husband a long life and for the proliferation of their family. The bride is not allowed to offer the rice with her own two hands and therefore is helped by her brother or closest male relative.


15 Ashirwad – Blessings

The concluding step of the Hindu wedding ceremony results in the Ashirwad, translating from Sanksrit to blessings. The elders of the family play a crucial role in the setup of Hindu family structure, imparting their wisdom and love to the generations below them. This portion of the ceremony is both rewarding for the couple, the parents, and family involved as it the culminating moment defining the marriage of the Bride and Groom. It serves as a confirmation of the acceptance of both families and the Bride and Groom as they embark on their life as a wedded couple. 
                                     
                                                                                                                                 
Dr Murali Krishna Sarmaaji
Hindu Vidik Priest for Indian wedding 
(336)-517-6268


1 comment:

  1. As the time past, we update our wedding customs and traditions and also matchmaking process. Now we move on the online Hindu Marriage Sites to find a prospective life partner

    ReplyDelete