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Marriage Traditions
in India
India is a vast country
and there lived people of many religions specially
Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims are in majority. Hinduism
is the religion of most indians. So here we are giving
details about Hindu Marriage.
Months before the wedding an
engagement ceremony known
as Mangni is held. This is to bless the couple, who
are then given gifts of jewelry and clothing by their
new family.
Jaimala (Exchange
of Garlands) The couple exchanges
garlands as a gesture of acceptance of one another
and a pledge to respect one another as partners.
Madhupak (Offering
of Yogurt and Honey) The bride's
father offers the groom yogurt and honey as the expression
of welcome and respect.
Kanyadan (Giving
Away of the Bride) The father
of the bride places her hand in the groom's hand requesting
him to accept her as an equal partner. The concept
behind Kanyadan is that the bride is a form of the
goddess Lamxi and the groom is Lord Narayana. The
parents are facilitating their union.
Havan (Lighting
of the Sacred Fire) The couple
invokes Agni, the god of Fire, to witness their commitment
to each other. Crushed sandalwood, herbs, sugar rice
and oil are offered to the ceremonial fire.
Rajaham (Sacrifice
to the Sacred Fire) The
bride places both her hands into the groom's and her
brother then places rice into her hands. Together
the bride and groom offer the rice as a sacrifice
into the fire.
Gath Bandhan
(Tying of the Nuptial Knot)
The scarves placed around the bride and groom are
tied together symbolizing their eternal bond. This
signifies their pledge before God to love each other
and remain faithful.
Mangalphera
(Walk Around the Fire) The
couple makes four Mangalpheras around the fire in
a clockwise direction representing four goals in life:
Dharma, religious and moral duties; Artha, prosperity;
Kama, earthly pleasures; Moksha, spiritual salvation
and liberation. The bride leads the Pheras first,
signifying her determination to stand first beside
her husband in all happiness and sorrow.
Saptapardi (Seven
Steps Together) The bride and
groom walk seven steps togehr to signify the beginning
of their journey through life together.
Sindhoor (Red
Powder) The groom applies a
small dot of vermilion, a powdered red lead, to the
bride's forehead and welcomes her as his partner for
life. It is applied for the first time to a woman
during the marriage ceremony when the bridegroom himself
adorns her with it.
Aashirvad (Parental
Blessing) The parents of the
bride and groom give their blessings to the couple.
The couple touches the feet of their parents as a
sign of respect.
Menhdi (Henna
Ceremony) The traditional art
of adorning the hands and feet with a paste made from
the finely ground leaves of the Henna plant. The term
refers to the material, the design, and the ceremony.
It is tradition for the names of the bride and groom
to be hidden in the design, and the wedding night
is not to commence until the groom has found both
names. After the wedding, the bride is not expected
to perform any housework until her Menhdi has faded
away.
Mangalasutra
(Thread of Goodwill) A necklace
worn specifically by married women as a symbol of
their marriage.
Wedding
Traditions in Pakistan Click For Details
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