There are various types of Indian religious weddings and different parts of the country, follow different regulations. The Indian religious weddings are therefore some of the most important and significant ceremonies of the nation. With deep tradition and rich mores each of the Indian religious wedding craft a distinct connotation while mirroring the tradition of India to a great extent.
Sikh Wedding : The Sikhs refers to a wedding as Anand Karaj or a ceremony of bliss. It is joyous and festive event which is entirely family orientated and informal in it`s ambiance. Sikh marriages are usually approved with families acting as little more than prologue services. The ultimate selection is always left to the girl and boy. In some cases the boy and girl select each other first and then ask for their parents consent and blessing. The distinct division of pre wedding, wedding and post wedding rituals further makes the Sikh Wedding complete. A Sikh wedding usually takes place before noon. The families of the bride and the groom assemble at the gurudwara. Raagis sing the morning hymn. Then the couple is made to sit in front of the Adi Granth. A priest first tells them about the obligations of married life. Then he sings the hymns of marriage from the Granth Sahib.
Sindhi Wedding: This ceremony is an amalgamation of Hinduism and Sufism and Sindhi weddings are based on Vedic rites. Their weddings generally take place on a favorable day like the Satyanarayan Chandsi or the New Moon day. The day for Sindhi wedding is usually fixed on an auspicious day such as the Satyanarayan Chandsi or the New Moon day. The marriage begins with the "thread ceremony" of the groom if he has not done it before. The bride and groom are seated next to each other and then the bride`s mother washes the feet of the couple placed in a plate while the pundit chants mantras. The couple then takes the phera`s round the holy fire. Here too a difference from any other Hindu marriage, there is an option of number of pheras. The couple can take three, four or seven pheras. The marriage comes to an end after parents and elders bless the couple.
Parsi Wedding :Fire is the most sacred element in the Parsi community and practically no ritual is complete without the use of fire. A Parsi wedding is full of gaiety and laughter. The `achoo meecho` (removing the evil eye) is performed before every single ceremony. The auspicious days to conduct weddings are either the first day of the month (`Hormazd Roe`) or the twentieth day of the month (`Behram Roj`). It is believed that on `Behram Roj` the angel of victory or `Behram` presides over the ceremonies. Most Parsi weddings take place in the evening, a little after sunset. Nahan is the day of the lagan. On this day the staircase, doorway and gate is decorated with beautiful decorative designs of rangoli. For the marriage ceremony the bride dresses in her madhavate the white, ornate wedding sari given by her parents, while the groom wears the traditional Parsi dagli and feta a white kurta like garment and a black cap.
Buddhist Weddings: The Buddhists are strict conventionalist when ceremonies and rituals come. The expansion of the pre-wedding rituals is to manifest the formality of asking the bride`s family for their consent by the groom`s family. The monk called Lama decides the auspicious day for the wedding. The betrothal ritual follows this ceremony. The lama recites the prayers and then a concoction called the madyan is served to the guests, this is considered as a religious drink. The astrologer or the monk carries out the rites on the auspicious day for the wedding. In the early morning, the bride`s and the groom`s families arrive at the temple. The groom`s family bring many trays containing fruits, wine, traditional cake, tea, meat, and most importantly jewelry that the bride will be getting as dowry. The trays are necessary to be either six or nine in number. Seven or eight are considered unlucky numbers amongst the Buddhists. One of the trays also contains a pair of candles, which are lit either by the bride and the groom or their parents; the tradition varies with places and countries. The lighting up of the two candles symbolizes the unification of the two families.
Jain Wedding: Jains regard marriage as more or less a sophisticated affair. Marriage and family raising are not compulsory to all the Jain Shravakas Jainism preaches the peaceful co-existence and communication of two different living beings in mutual beneficence or mutual reliance. In ceremony, a grand public announcement is made of the purpose of the soon-to-be bride and groom to live together for their entire life. Life is thought to be a gift to be shared together, helping each other to live and grow. The wedding rituals consist of fulfillment of ceremonies like Phere, Kanyavaran, Havan and Granthi Bandhan. Marriage Rituals. The Jain brides wear sarees only and they prefer the color red or any other bright color. The Jain grooms wear the traditional Kurta Pyajama or the Dhoti Kurta.
Jewish Wedding: Judaism considers marriage to be the perfect state of personal existence; a man without a wife, or a woman without a husband, is believed to be incomplete. Marriage is considered to be an integral part of the Jews, they consider the unmarried individuals to be incomplete beings of the society. The Jewish marriage is a reflection of their tradition and beliefs. The holiest day for the Jewish marriages of the year is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This is a fast day on which each person remembers in depth all of his past actions. The wedding ceremony takes place under the open sky. When the couple arrives at the Chupah, the bride and family circles round the groom seven times
Christian Wedding: The Christian wedding usually is conducted in a Church. Christian Weddings usually are quiet and beautiful affair. The bride is dressed in white attire with a veil on her head covering her face and groom in a suit. The bride also wears a graceful tiara or a bunch of white flowers and she holds a flower bouquet in her hand. The Christian wedding is graceful yet simple and involves the exchange of wedding bands and marriage vows by the bridal couple. The marriage ceremony is preceded by a group of choir singers. Unlike any other Indian wedding, the Christian wedding witnesses a ceremony of welcoming the bride. Groom sends a car to pick up the bride and waits for her outside the church. Following the tradition, when the bride arrives, the Best Man welcomes her with a kiss on either cheek and hands her a bouquet of flowers.
Hindu Wedding : In a Hindu arranged marriage there are various Hindu marriage rituals and customs. According to Hindu Sastra there are four stages of life. The second stage is Grahastha Ashram or the householder stage, which denotes married life and it begins when a man and a woman coming together and marry. Marriage is treated as an institution, which teaches the real values of life. The bride`s father offers his daughter to the groom amidst the recitation of sacred mantras. The holy fire ceremony ascertaining that all auspicious undertakings are begun in an ambiance of purity and mysticism, which is indeed a vital part of the Hindu marriage ceremony. Marriage knot symbolized by tying one end of the groom`s scarf with the bride`s dress further symbolizes the union of two souls after marriage. Saptapadi is a very important part of the Hindu marriage ritual and the bride and groom take seven steps that represent nourishment, strength, affluence, contentment, progeny, long life, harmony, and understanding.
Muslim Wedding:Muslim Wedding rituals are celebrated in a grand way over a period of five days. Muslim culture all over the world is known to have one of the best in inviting and welcoming guests. Muslim wedding is celebrated in a grand way over a period of five days. Muslim culture all over the world is known to have one of the best in inviting and welcoming guests. Wedding Ceremonies give them a chance to entertain guests in bulk. Muslim wedding known as Nikaah can take place at any convenient time. Nikah can be conducted at the home of the bride or the groom, or at any other convenient venue. The nikaah ceremony is presided over by the qazi or law officer. Also the wedding venue can be the bride or groom`s house.
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