The Hindu Wedding Ceremony 

The Hindu wedding is one of the most colourful weddings.  Hindu weddings are steeped in customs and traditions.  One being that marriage has a purifying effect and has a great deal of socio-religious importance.

Hindu weddings are usually held in temples or outside, but it can be held in other locations as well as the bride’s home.  A canopied structure called the mandap must be erected for the ceremony.  The mandap is where the couple will unite in holy matrimony and can be ornately decorated with sculptures, columns, flowers, chairs and pillows.  The mandap must have the sacred flame front and center.

The universal marriage in Hindu is called the Vedic marriage, which is named after the Vedas (holy book).  Each ceremony, customs and traditions vary with sect as does wording for each part of the ceremony.

Pre-Ceremony Rituals

The bride and groom both apply turmeric paste on their bodies and bathe.  The bride has red henna dyed patterns (mehndi) painted on her hands and feet by close relatives, while the groom may apply red ink on his forehead.

The groom arrives with his wedding party and is received by the bride’s family.  The bride’s mother may apply kumkum (red ink) to the groom’s forehead (if not previously done) or may garland her future son-in-law.  The bride may garland her finance on arrival also and the groom may garland the bride and her mother in return.

The bride’s father may offer the groom gifts.  Before the ceremony, the priest blesses the bride’s bangles.  It is unlucky if the bride removes them before the forty days are passed.

The Mandap and the Handing Over Ceremony

The bride is accompanied to the mandap by her maternal uncle and sisters or flower girls, where her groom is waiting for her.  The groom was escorted into the mandap earlier by the bride’s parents.  She may garland her groom now if not previously done.  She sits either on a chair or pillow facing her fiancé.  The bride spreads turmeric paste on her hands, symbolizing the change in her status from a single girl and daughter to a wife. 

The bride’s father performs kanya danam, which is the handing over ceremony.  The father places his daughter’s dyed hands into her grooms, where he holds it acknowledging the daughter’s everlasting love.  The father pours sacred water over his hands, meaning he has ‘washed his hands’ of his daughter.  The groom recites Vedic hymns to Kama, the God of love asking for blessings of pure love.  The groom must prove his worthiness by promising the bride’s father to help his future wife find enlightenment (dharma), wealth (artha) and true love (kama).  These are great accomplishments by Hindu standards.

In some ceremonies, the bride’s mother washes the hands and feet of her daughter, while the bride’s father washes the hands and feet of the groom.  They apply red ink on their foreheads, if not done previously and give flowers.

The Rings

After saying vows, the bride and groom exchange rings.  Some customs have the groom place a ring on the bride’s toe.  The priest places the sacred rope (varamala) around the couples neck, this symbolizes they are now married.  Some ceremonies do not recognize the marriage, until the couple has taken the seven steps and the seven vows recited by the priest.

The Sacred Flame

The sacred flame (arti) is lit and the couple offers rice to the flame, which was given by a brother.  This symbolizes fertility.  The bride places a hand on the sacred stone or the couple may stand on the stone, with the hope that strength will be passed to them.

The couple sits down and the groom may present a gift to the bride’s mother.

The Seven Steps

The seven steps is the most important part of the ceremony, this confirms the marriage.

The bride and groom stand to take the seven steps while concentrating on the seven vows that the priest says aloud.  They walk around the fire, offering samagree, which is a mixture of sandalwood, sugar, rice, ghee, herbs and twigs.

The seven vows are food, strength, prosperity, happiness, children, harmony and friendships.  The couple may touch each other’s hearts after walking around the fire.

The groom may present his wife with a new sari and she changes.  This symbolizes her status in her new family.

The Ceremonial Food

The bride and groom feed each other four to five times with sweet foods.  The bride’s mother may give the groom a gift.  The groom’s mother enters the mandap and places the mangalsutra necklace around the bride’s neck.  The ceremony ends with prayers and readings done by the priest.

The celebration of feasting takes place in another room and could last anywhere from two days or a little longer depending on sect and time constraints.