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| Steps in an Indian Marriage Ceremony, Indian Wedding | |||||||||||||||||||
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A traditional Indian wedding ceremony is a very complex one with abundance of rituals. The shades of a marriage ceremony varied greatly due to factors like region and language. The modern couples often make up custom weddings and thus highlights the meaningful and special traditions of their Indian heritage
Agni Puja Kanyd puna Mangalsutra Saptapadi silaro hana This part of the ceremony and the vows are conventionally performed under a ornamented canopy in front of the `holy fire.` The Vows The bride and the groom follows the invocations from the priest, the bride and groom will participate in a ceremony that is called the Saat Phere or Phere. This is the portion of the Indian wedding ceremony where the couples take their vows. Conventionally seven steps of vows are repeated; this ritual is followed in almost all parts of India: Step One: Prayer for nourishment and provisions Step Two: Happiness and health Step Three: Wealth and prosperity Step Four: Mutual love, trust, and preservation of familial ties Step Five: Welfare of the universe, virtue Step Six: Long life, joy, and togetherness Step Seven: Relationship: love and sacrifice The bride and groom`s clothing may be tied together to symbolize their union. Each vow will be verbalized with the couple walking around the `holy fire.` A traditional wedding gift by the groom to the bride during the Indian wedding ceremony is the gold mangalsutra or necklace. He may also give a pinch of red powder in the part of her called the vermillion as a visual signification of the marriage. Following the final step and vow, the groom declares his desire for lasting friendship with the bride, and the Phere is complete. The father of the bride may give a libation and prayers for the new couple, and they are officially pronounced man and wife. Completion of the Indian Wedding Ceremony: The Vidaai The vidaai is the final step of the Indian wedding ceremony. This is the ritual in which the bride leaves her family and goes to the grooms. Families bid farewell and may show physical affection, verbal blessings, and gifts. Friends and family to symbolize saying farewell may give the groom a traditional forehead mark. Although in historical Indian ceremonies the bride would be taken away in a Sedan chair, in modern marriages the couples depart in a decorated wedding car or limousine, and their new life finally begins. An Indian Hindu marriage or wedding (Vivah) is a union of two souls (Aatmas). It is not just exchange of vows and rings, but also start of a beautiful bond between two families and their cultures. The detailed steps of an Indian marriage is given below in brief :  Mehendi Ceremony is a pre wedding ceremony, traditional in India. In India, a lot of prominence is given on traditions and rituals. Indian people are passionate lovers of splendor and elegance. This is what reflects in the Mehndi ceremony just before the day of marriage. Mehendi ceremony has been prevailing since ages and forms such an essential part of the wedding ceremony that it cannot be imagined without it. Furthermore, Mehandi is one of the sixteen adornments of the bride and her beauty is thought to be incomplete without it. The sangeet ceremony is one of the vital rituals in an Indian wedding. The Indian Weddings signify much more than mere decorations, fineries, entertainment, wedding planners, mehendiwalis and flowers. The vital of all other activities is the union of two like-minded hearts. The sangeet ceremony is either held along with the mehndi ceremony or in the morning of marriage day. This ceremony is the musical announcement of the couple`s union, their love and prayers for their happy married life. Among the pre wedding functions of Indian wedding, tilak ceremony holds an important position. The Tilak ceremony is performed in most of the families according to the tradition and culture of that particular caste. The ceremony is held in different styles according to different traditions and caste. The Engagement Ceremony deals with the exchange of rings between the bride and the groom. The pujari conducts the ceremony. Sagaai or engagement ceremony is mainly conducted to fix the marriage date. Merriment and entertainment to their best extent is seen to get actually started from the event of engagement. This is the main attraction of Indian weddings. Here lies the spirit of Indian customs and traditions. Extremely ritualistic, Indian Hindu Marriages still follow the Vedic rites and Purana Philosophy. Mandap ceremony holds supreme importance on the day of the wedding. This is because all the major rituals are performed during the mandap ceremony. In India, weddings take place in harmony to the age-old customs and traditions. It is a very meticulous process and is fulfilled with the feeling that it is a one-time affair. As a result, parents on the either side do not leave any stone unturned in organizing a prosperous wedding for their kids. Var Mala ceremony is a significant main wedding day ceremony. It is also known as Jaimala ceremony and basically involves exchange of garlands between the bride and the groom. Alike all other customs and rituals, this Var Mala ceremony is also a significant ceremony which finds a position even in the Vedic literature. It is an ancient practice and is still conducted in India. The var mala ceremony takes place after the groom reaches the venue for the wedding, along with the baraat. Reception ceremony is a post wedding ceremony and one of the most important rituals in India. However, the particulars of the reception ceremony may vary from religion to religion and place to place. Hence each of the Indian marriage rituals is guided by their own customs and norms. Usually, the reception ceremony is celebrated the day after wedding. This is a post-wedding function, in which, all the elder members, friends and relatives from both the families gather to celebrate with the newly wedded couple. It is a first public appearance of the couple together after wedding where they get the blessing and gifts from the society and relatives. The vidai ceremony is denoted as a sad event of marriage. After the marriage rituals are completed and blessings of the elders are taken, the Vidai ceremony takes place. This is the ceremony where the groom takes away the bride to his household. The newly wedded couple is asked to stand on the beautifully decorated vyog. Then the eldest female member of the family comes forward and offers some prasad to the couple three times. After that, she kisses them on the forehead. The bride then takes her seat in the doli or palanquin. The friends and relatives of the bride bid her tearful good bye, as she leaves her father`s house to start a new journey with her life partner. More on Indian Wedding
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