![]() Sikh Wedding Sikhs refers to a wedding as Anand Karaj or a ceremony of bliss. It is a joyous and festive event which is entirely family orientated and informal in its ambiance. Sikh marriages are usually approved by the families first, which act 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 blessings. 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 ![]() 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 Buddhists are strict conventionalist in case of ceremonies and rituals. 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, which 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 jewellery 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 ![]() 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 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 Christina 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 ![]() 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 be one of the best in inviting and welcoming guests. Muslim wedding is celebrated in a grand way over a period of five days. It is also known as Nikaah and 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. |
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