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Weddings in India
Indian Weddings
By Vinay Grover
In India the marriage
ceremony has its own charm. Marriage is one of the oldest customs of
mankind and the Indian culture is no exception. In India giving away
one's daughter in marriage, was considered the greatest sacrifice a
man could perform. By making marriage a sacrament, the Hindus
elevated the physical union to spiritual dimensions. Today, a
marriage is perhaps the most important social occasion for any
family, reflecting the regional color that overlays the basic Vedic
rites. An auspicious moment is chosen by the time of the year and
the horoscopes of the bride and groom. Wedding preparations begin
well beforehand. The wedding is usually conducted at the bride's
home, in temples, and nowadays it is being solemnized in parks,
hotels, or in special marriage halls. Entire families congregate,
with evenings spent in singing, dancing, and eating.
In different parts of India, brides wear different kinds of clothes,
ornaments, and adornments. The bride's clothes are usually typical
of the area. A Rajasthani bride would wear a lehenga, a Punjabi
bride would wear a salwar-kameez, and a Maharashtrian bride would
wear a nine-yard saree. Most brides wear saris nowadays, usually in
shades of red, pink or mustard. A bride sports as much traditional
jewelry as her family can muster, for today, she is Goddess Lakshmi
incarnate, harbinger of prosperity to her new home. Like her
clothes, the bride's ornaments also differ according to local
tradition. However, necklaces, earrings, bangles, rings, a
nose-ring, anklets, and toe-rings are worn by most brides. Ornaments
like armlets, tikas, hathaphula, and waistbands, traditionally
important, are optional today and not worn in all areas.
Traditionally, the bride was adorned with natural beauty aids. For
example, a paste of henna (see Mehendi) was put over her nails,
which stained them red. Her eyes were lined with kajal and scented
water was sprinkled on her. Today, however, most brides, both in the
urban and rural areas, use branded cosmetics and perfumes. In south
India, flowers were, and remain, an important adornment, while the
north is now beginning to rediscover this pretty custom. Most grooms
in the north wear a shervani with a churidar pyjama, a bandha-gala
suit, or a western-style suit. Turbans are also very popular, for
the groom and the important members of his entourage. In the South,
grooms either wear the traditional veshti (dhoti) and jubba (kurta)
or a three-piece suit. North Indian grooms set forth to their
weddings adorned with a sehera, a veil of flowers tied to the
turban, to screen their faces from the evil eye (scarecrow).
The bride and the groom garland each other in formal mutual
acceptance. This custom has become a very important part of the
wedding ceremony now but is not mentioned in the Vedas. It probably
originates from the Svayamvara practice prevalent in early centuries
of the Christian era in India. After this, the bride and groom sit
in the mandapa next to each other before a sacrificial pit or havana
kunda. The ritual of Kanyadana now takes place. The bride is given
to the groom by her father, or by her grandfather or brother in the
absence of her father. The bride's father first symbolically gives
her to God, invoked by the priest with the mantras. The bride's
guardian takes her hands and places them in the groom's,
transferring his responsibility for her to the groom. The groom
assures her father that he will not be false to her in dharma, artha,
or kama. After this, the groom ties a tali (a.k.a. Mangalasutra)
around the bride's neck. The marriage ceremony then enters its most
important phase, the saptapadi (seven steps), in which the couple
take seven steps together, facing the north. With the fire (Agni) as
the witness, they exchange the wedding vows. Legally, the marriage
is now final and binding. The bride is then sprinkled with holy
water, believed to purify her from any previous sins and cleanse
her, in preparation for her new life ahead.
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