Notes on Hindu WeddingsFor general wedding information see the Weddings page. |
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| What follows is are the steps of a typical North Indian Sindhi Wedding. The Hindu marriage ceremony consists essentially of seven steps with seven vows taken in front of Agni (the fire). The Agni, or fire, is very sacred in the Hindu religion as it is considered to be the purifier. The flame of Agni represents the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance. The Hindu marriage ceremony is conducted under a decorated canopy structure, called a Mandap. Swagat is the welcoming of the wedding party by the bride’s family. Tilak (red powder dot) is applied by the bride’s family to the groom as a sign of honor and to welcome him. Jayamala is the welcoming of the bride and groom by garlanding one another with fresh flowers under the Mandap. Ganesh Pooja The priest chants a prayer to Lord Ganesh, the lord of affluence and obstacle removal, requesting Him to remove any obstacles which may arise during the wedding ceremony. This is the first ritual in all Hindu ceremonies. Madurparka (Rare Honor) A member of the bride’s family gives a rare honor to the groom by washing his feet and hands for him. Kanyadaan is the giving away of the bride by the bride’s parents. Hast Milap The parents of the bride join the couple’s hands as the couple declare that their hearts have been united, and they vow to remain entirely devoted to each other. The groom assures the bride that she will always be respected and honored in their home. Mangal Fera The couple offer prayers to the fire, which represents God serving as the couple’s witness as the two are joined in marriage. Prayers are offered by placing ghee, rice, and flowers in the flame. The couple then walk around the flame four times while holding hands. Satapadi a pink cloth is draped over the bride’s shoulders and tied to the groom’s shoulder cloth. Then the couple walk seven steps together, reciting vows which express: Let us take this first step vowing to keep a pure household; avoiding things injurious to our health. Let us take this second step vowing to develop mental, physical, and spiritual powers. Let us take this third step with the aim of increasing our wealth by righteous means. Let us take this fourth step to acquire knowledge, happiness, and harmony by mutual love and trust. Let us take this fifth step to pray for virtuous, intelligent, and courageous children. Let us take this sixth step for longevity. Let us take this seventh step to vow that we will always remain true companions and life-long partners. Jalsinchanam The priest sprinkles holy water onto the couple, praying for them and blessing them. Rudaya Sparsha The bride and groom touch each other’s forehead or heart symbolizing mutual love and affection. Sindur Daan The groom places vermilion (red powder) on the bride’s forehead and into her hair for long life for both. Also, he fastens the Mangal Sutra (sacred necklace) around the bride’s neck. Prasad Khilana The wedding is now celebrated. The bride’s mother brings some sweets for the couple. The bride and groom feed each other, signifying their duties to each other and their families. Ashirvada (blessings) The religious part of the ceremony is caped off by the blessings of the officiating priest. The relatives and friends join in to throw rice and flowers on the couple and express good wishes for the couple. The newlyweds seek Ashirvada, the blessing from the priest and parents by bowing down and touching their feet. |
WHAT IS THE MANDAPA? Gujarati weddings are flavored with their own regional traditions and customs which make them very unique and colorful. The actual wedding day begins with what is known as the Pokavu, the arrival of the groom. He is greeted by the mother-in-law at the entrance to the wedding hall. A small ceremony is performed and then she tries to pinch the groom's nose. This playfully reminds the groom that he has come to their door to ask for their daughter by rubbing his nose on the door. According to custom, the bride and groom exchange garlands twice. This is known as Jaimala. In the first Jaimala, the bride garlands the groom when he arrives at the entrance of the banquet hall. This only symbolizes the couples' formal acceptance of each other. During this ceremony, the groom is elevated above the bride, so it is much harder for her to reach him This is done to demonstrate that the groom's pride and superiority is greater that that of his brides. Of course, today things are seen in a different light. The second time they garland each other is under the Mandap, or wedding tent. During the Madhuparka, the groom's feet are washed and he is fed honey and milk while sitting under the mandap. During this time, the bride's sisters try and steal the groom's shoes, adding mischief and humor to the ceremony. At the end of the day the groom retrieves his shoes by offering his sister in-laws money. The bride is then carried to the Mandapa by her maternal uncle in a ceremony that is known as Kanya Agamana, a tradition that has survived from the early days of child marriages. At this point, the Antarpat, or the curtain separating the bride and groom, is lowered and the couple again exchange garlands. It is now time for the bride to be given away in a ritual known as Kanya Daan or Hasta Milap. The Gujaratis have added the Varmala to this ceremony in which the parents and other relatives of the bride place an auspicious cord around the necks of the couple to protect them from evil influences. During the Mangalpheras, the couple circles the holy fire four times, not seven times as is customary in many other parts of India. The four circles symbolize the four basic human goals of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. After completing the fourth circle, the bride and groom compete to be the first to sit down. In the past, this tradition was thought to predict who would dominate the marriage, since family elders noticed that these simple traits and gestures could reveal the bride's resourcefulness and intelligence. Today this game carries much less significance since the bride and groom are both aware of the tradition, making it more competitive then insightful. According to Gujarati traditions, the Sapta Padi or more fondly called 'the seven steps' is performed with a unique variation. In most Hindu wedding ceremonies, the bride and groom both face north and walk the seven steps together as they recite the vows. At Gujarati weddings, the groom helps the bride touch seven betel nuts with her right toe, while they recite the seven vows. Another quite interesting aspect of the wedding, is the Saubhagyavati, in which several married women from the bride's family get onto the altar to whisper secret blessings into the right ear of the bride. When it is the bride's mother's turn, the groom reaches out and grabs the Pallu of her sari, a tradition called Chero Pakarvo, which began as an excuse for the groom to ask for the ring and gifts that he is entitled to from the brides' family. Once the wedding rituals have been completed, the couple touch the feet of their parents and the priest, asking for their Aashirwaad, or blessings. After the departure of the bride and groom, which is known as the Vidai, the couple returns to the groom's house to play a game of Aeki- Beki. This game is played by placing a ring and several coins in a tray of water which is colored by sindoor and milk. It is said that the person who finds the ring four out of seven times, will rule the household. The day concludes with prayers to God asking for love and happiness for the couple |
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