INDIAN HINDU WEDDING RITUALS


Weddings in India are more like a big Project for parents not only for the amount of money spent but to make proper wedding arrangements to make sure everyone is happy. It's like a dream for parents and they wait for this special day in their lives.

A typical traditional hindu marriage is filled with colours, a lot of food and ofcourse music. A typical Hindu wedding celebration goes for 4 to 5 days with special rituals.


SAGAN OR ROKA CEREMONY 

The preparations and talks start before months and the best place is when the parents meet at friends or family parties and get togethers discussing how they are looking for a match for their son or daughter. Others are the one in a relationship and love marriage.

ROKA or SAGAN is the first ritual

The word "roka"  comes from "rok", which in hindi means is to stop.

This is the first pre wedding ritual  to officially declare that the boy and the girl have agreed to get married.  The Roka is a straightforward declaration from the parents of the bride and the groom that now they cannot marry anybody except each other. Here begins the commitment story. 

Depending on the both side families this ritual can be celebrated with either a small  function or a big function which involves exchange of gifts, dry fruits, sweets, etc among both the families.




 SAGAN This ceremony is held at the groom's house or a big hall with family and relatives depending on the number of guests. There's an exchange of gifts , clothes and cash money as Shagun (Token of good luck and prosperity ) Mostly it's about the bride's family giving away gifts to the groom' s parents and other elderly members of the family. 

On this SAGAN ceremony an auspicious day and time of the wedding is decided known as Muhurat mostly with the help and advice of pundit ( Pundit is a learned person with knowledge of Hindu Vedas and Astrology).



HALDI & MEHENDI 

Haldi is a Hindu word which means Turmeric in english. The Haldi ceremony is a fun filled ritual with family, relatives and friends.

The Haldi ceremony is where the bride and groom had to apply turmeric paste . This is applied on face , legs and arms of the bride and groom. All the family members and friends rub the Haldi paste on Bride and Groom by their respective family and friends. The paste is prepared with turmeric (Haldi) as the main ingredient, sandalwood powder and yoghurt. Of Course an after shower is necessary. 

Turmeric is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial therefore would ensure that the bride and groom have a glowing  blemish-free skin.

These properties of haldi make the haldi ceremony an important ritual in Indian weddings. In the ceremony, the bride and groom  wear yellow colored clothes and in some families even all women wear beautiful yellow outfits like Saree , Suit or lehenga. 

The color yellow symbolize happiness, positivity, and hope (think sunshine), which

invite peace and prosperity in married life of the newly wed couple 


MEHENDI 

Mehndi (Heena) ceremony takes place on the day before the wedding. Most of the families today prefer the same day Haldi and Mehendi. The day time for Haldi and evening Mehendi ceremony. A very special evening with family and friends.  During this ritual or rather celebration women in the bride and groom's families, along with close friends, gather together with applying Mehendi on their hands and legs 

The Mehendi design of the bride has to be most beautiful elaborate henna designs applied to her hands and feet by Mehendi artists It is said if you get a dark color of Mehendi your husband love you a lot ( I am sure the color of the Mehendi cannot tell that big secret it takes 


SANGEET 

The word “Sangeet “ is a Hindu word which means music. Sangeet is a celebratory event in Indian weddings which is more than a ritual. The Sangeet ceremony in earlier days was celebrated with the group of ladies at home singing folk songs about bride and bridegroom. 

Today's Sangeet ceremony is a Music Night with a big party. Most of the families nowadays celebrate with both bride and bridegroom s families with their relatives at one place party to celebrate the bonding of both families. 


BIG DAY - WEDDING 

A Big Day finally comes!

The celebration is at its peak on this day since morning filled with a mix of excitement and anxiety especially with the bride and her parents. Brides to look good and parents so that all goes well with food and other arrangements.

The bridegroom with family relatives and friends visit the bride's family and friends with music and dance. 

Then comes the beautiful bride with traditional wedding outfit and jewelry.  bride and bridegroom on the beautifully decorated stage and here starts the 

The Varmala Ceremony, also referred to as Jaimala, is an Indian wedding garland symbolic of a  marriage ceremony before the main religious traditions.


Then after the dinner and partying final ritual is  7 Pheras( 7 Vows) by Bride and Groom. The pundit performs the Puja with the presence of both side families. The groom put Mangalsutra on the bride and put sindoor which is  traditional vermilion red or orange-red colored powder on parting of indian bride's hair. Sindoor is the mark of a married woman in Hinduism.

After tying the Mangalsutra, the newlywed couple take seven steps around the holy fire, After the seventh step, the couple legally become husband and wife.

DOLI

The next morning after all the ceremonies and rituals the bride leaves with the groom and his family to live with her husband. 

Sad and happy with tears a loving adorable daughter gets separated from her parents and siblings to start the next chapter of life!


Comments

  1. Oh Mukta I am amazed the way you explain all the rituals. Thanks

    ReplyDelete

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