Indian Wedding Ceremony
Bindu has
been to a number of Indian weddings but this will be Anil's first. He
as well as other people only have experienced Apu's
wedding to Manjula.
So here we will outline some of the pomp that is associated with an
Indian wedding. Even though Bindu is Jain and Anil is Hindu the wedding
ceremony is more or less the same. We are not sure how much of the
events listed here are going to apply to us until things start to firm
up with the priest.
Baraat
The groom's party assembles a few minutes before scheduled ceremony time at a convenient spot near ceremony location. The groom arrives at the wedding ceremony location in a procession with his family and friends. Many grooms choose to arrive on horseback or on an elephant but Anil will likely show up in his pimped out Corolla S. The procession gathers together and everyone dances in celebration. Traditionally Indians did not marry someone from their own town so the baraat signified the groom entering the bride’s village.
Ponkvu
The arrival of the groom is the official start of the wedding. The groom is welcomed by his mother-in-law at the entrance. She will perform the aarti and will playfully try to grab his nose. This tradition reminds the groom that he has come rubbing his nose at their door asking for their daughter’s hand in marriage.
Jaimala
The bride will then be escorted by her uncle out and she will exchange garlands with her groom-to-be. The groom is traditionally lifted higher than the bride during this exchange. In modern times this is done by the groom’s friends to show that the bride cannot take the groom from his friends and family.
Madhuparka
The groom is welcomed to the mandap (the cermonial canopy) by his future mother-in-law. The groom’s feet are washed and he is offered honey and milk. It is at this time that the sister-in-law will try to steal the groom’s shoes. Traditionally the groom must leave the wedding with the same pair of shoes that he enters with. If his shoes are stolen, he must bribe the sister with money in order to get them back.
Kanya Agamana
The bride is led to the mandap by her uncle. When she reaches the mandap, there is an antarpaat (curtain) which separates her from her groom. The acharya begins the ceremony and the antarpaat is lowered and couple exchanges garlands. The wedding ceremony takes place in front of a sacred fire and is conducted by the pundit.
Kanya Daan
This ritual is when the bride is given away by her parents and the bride’s hand is placed over the groom’s. The bride’s parents do not eat before the wedding to make themselves pure for the occasion. In essence, the bride’s parents are handing over the Goddess Laxmi (their daughter) to Lord Vishnu (the groom).
Hasta Milap
The groom’s scarf is tied to the bride’s saree which symbolizes the union of their two souls. The officiant chants mantras to invoke the blessings of Goddess Laxmi and Goddess Parvati for the bride. The relatives also come together to bless the couple and shower grains of rice and rose petals on them.
Varmala
In this ceremony a cord is tired around the couple’s necks to protect them from evil. These cords are traditionally tied by the elders of the bride and groom. They are now officially married!
Mangal Pheras
The bride and groom circle the sacred fire four times, signifying the four basic human goals of Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha:
- Dharma - This signifies the spirit of righteousness and one's duty to follow the religion devoutly.
- Artha - This signifies the path one and right means that one should take for earning one's wealth and livelihood, striving for material gain and success, and endeavouring to help the poor and unprivileged whenever possible.
- Kama - According to Hindu mythology, Kama is the God of Love. This 'phera' thus symbolizes the love and dedication that a married couple should have towards each other. They should support and stand for each other, "for better or worse", for the rest of their lives.
- Moksha - The last phera signifies liberation of suffering. Once a person gets married and encounters the bliss of marital fulfillment, he will find liberation from the sufferings and pains of unmarried life.
Meanwhile, the priest chants mantras and the groom also recited them. As a fun tradition, at the end of the pheras the bride and groom will run to sit down first. It is said that the one who finds a seat first will rule the house.
Saptapadi
The groom helps the bride touch seven betel nuts with her right toe, while they recite the seven vows. With each step, the groom chants mantras in which he requests support from his wife.
- May the couple be blessed with an abundance of food.
- May the couple be strong and complement one another.
- May the couple be blessed with prosperity.
- May the couple be eternally happy.
- May the couple be blessed with obedient children.
- May the couple live in perfect harmony.
- May the couple always be the best of friends.
Mangalya dharanam
Groom's mother comes to the mandap and puts the mangalsutra necklace around the bride's neck. A mangalsutra is an Indian symbol of marriage, consisting of a gold ornament strung from a yellow thread, a string of black beads or a gold chain. It is comparable to a Western wedding ring, and is worn by a married woman until her husband's death.
Suraag
The groom places red powder, called sindhoor, on the bride's hair symbolizing her as a married woman.
Saubhagyavati Bhava
In this tradition, seven married women from the bride’s side will pass by the couple at this time and whisper blessings into the bride’s right ear.
Chero Pakaryo
Traditionally, when the bride’s mother passes, the groom will tug at her sari as a way of asking the bride’s family for (unboxed) gifts.
Ashirwaad
The wedding concludes with the Ashirwaad in which the couple asks for the blessings of their elders. Adjourn to refreshments and photo opportunities. Mob scene ensues!
Source: This page was blatently borrowed from the following sites: Yahoo Answers and IndianWeddingSite.