Wedding in India mean long array of rites and rituals, traditions, grandeur
and festivity. Wedding in India encompasses hundreds of small customs which
have been passed down from generation to generation. The wedding ceremony is
one of the oldest and most elaborate traditions of Indian culture. No matter
it a Bengali wedding, a Muslim nikaah, a Sikh shadi, a Tamil marriage or a
Gujrati garba, all these have one common factor - they are inextricably
linked with family rituals. In Hindu culture, which is predominant in India,
the essential elements of wedding ceremony were set more than forty
centuries ago. Vedas, the ancient Hindu scriptures, define the laws
governing wedding ceremony in Hindu community. In Indian culture, wedding is
not only the union of a boy and a girl, but also of their families.
Rajasthani Wedding
No other traditional wedding in India can match the royalty and grandeur of
a Rajasthani wedding. Rajasthani marriage reflects unmatched romance and its
majestic demeanor has captured the fancy of many people. Thus, in recent
years, there have been increasing cases of visitors coming back to Rajasthan
to get married.
Apart from the bride and groom, the guest also have their own share of
grandiosity. Rajasthan, marriage dates are set according to planetary
considerations, and auspicious dates are usually between May-July and
November-February.
The wedding takes place at the bride’s house to which the bridegroom
comes accompanied with a large barat or procession. The groom rides to his
bride’s house astride a white mare, and in the regalia of a prince,
complete with sword. The bride’s family is responsible for the
hospitality, and to ensure it is not lacking, they take great effort to look
after their guests.
Kerala Wedding
As per traditional Hindu culture, Kerala wedding also starts with the
exchange and matching of horoscopes by the parents of the boy and the girl.
If the horoscope matches, an auspicious date of the marriage is then
finalized.
The marriage takes place during the day. On the day of marriage and before
proceeding to the venue of the wedding, the groom first visits a temple and
seeks his parents' and elders' blessings. The bride's father gives her hand
to the groom in a ceremony called "Kanyadaanam". The groom then
moves the bride's foot forward seven times with his hand symbolizing her
entry into his family.
After the wedding a feast is arranged and thereafter the bride leaves for
her husband's home. The vidai from the place of wedding takes place at an
appointed time, according to the muhoortam. The bride, after receiving
ashirwadam or blessings of the parents and the elders present, takes her
leave. "Grihapravesh" ceremony is performed at her new home to
welcome her arrival.
Gujarati Wedding
Gujarati people are very fond of their customs and conventions. Vibrant
people of Gujarat love to celebrate their occasions with show of pomp. The
wedding ceremonies commence with prayers to Lord Ganesha. This is followed
by the mehndi and sangeet mahfil. On the wedding time, mothers of the groom
and the bride walk with an earthern pot of water on their heads to the
threshold of their homes. The water is then cut with a knife to keep off the
evil spirits. At the arrival of the groom, his mother-in-law welcomes him
with a 'Aaarti'. There are the customs of madhuparka, jaimala, hasta milap
and magal phera. All these customs together make for a very intriguing
series of rituals.
