Common Hindu Wedding Traditions for Your Upcoming Celebration
Have you been invited to your first Indian marriage celebration this season? Congratulations! You're going to love what happens at an Indian wedding. Besides the Muslim wedding ceremony, the Indian wedding is an intimate mixture of cultures, traditions, emotions, love, and affection that leads to the union of two people. But having a chance to witness an Indian wedding is itself a complete package of entertainment and fun.
Yes, you got it right!
You may have attended a party or American Muslim wedding earlier, but this time when your Hindu friend or colleague is getting married, you're welcomed to a new sequence of events. Colorful nights full of traditions and cultural rituals are going to drive you crazy.
A Hindu wedding starts many days earlier before the actual Barat/marriage ceremony. That's why people who're attending Hindu weddings for the first time need to know about certain traditions before they become a part of the groom's or bride's party.
Don't worry! We've got your back here.
So, if you're wondering about an authentic source that tells you everything about the traditions or rituals related to Hindu culture, you've landed on the right platform. In the following guide, you're going to get a brief idea about what happens at an Indian marriage.
Pre-Wedding Traditions
No doubt a Hindu wedding is a celebration itself, but the preparation and fun start a few days earlier than the actual wedding. So, without any ado, let's discuss what the traditions before the Hindu marriage are.
Roka Ceremony
Unlike Muslim wedding traditions, Roka is considered to be the first step at the beginning of the Hindu wedding ceremony. Both families play a leading role in boosting the colors or fun factors of a Hindu wedding. Thus, during Roka, both families from the groom and bride side come together and celebrate the upcoming bond of both individuals.
It's full of fun!
Besides the celebration, the groom and bride's families accept that they are agreed to the marriage and bless the couple with prayers of ancestors and old members of the family. They exchange gifts and express their emotions and happiness with sweets.
Day One Traditions
• Ganesh Puja
In an American Muslim wedding, there's a single event on the wedding day, but in Hindu culture, the day one ritual starts with the Ganesh Puja. This tradition is followed at home with the couple, both families, and their relatives—the association of Ganesh – the lord of Hindus with this tradition. The Hindu family asks their prayers to Ganesh for the prosperity and happiness of the couple after marriage.
Day Two Traditions
• Haldi Ceremony
With the name of the next tradition, you must think it's a common tradition in the Muslim wedding ceremony and Hindu wedding. In Hinduism, the Haldi ceremony is also known as the "Pithi" ceremony. When you're heading to your friend's wedding day, make sure to prepare for this ritual.
Both friends and families of the groom and bride gather and cover the couple with a thick paste of Haldi. Groom and bride don't see each other after this ritual till the wedding time. The use of Haldi before their actual wedding symbolizes the love and affection of the families towards the couple.
And here comes the most fun part, Mehndi!
• Mehndi
Application of Henna on the bride's hands is the most beloved tradition in Hindu weddings. It's done with hundreds of emotions and feelings thrown at her by her family, friends, and relatives. Mehndi ceremony is known to combine joy, beauty, and spiritual emotions. According to the ancestors, it is believed that the deeper the color of the Henna, the stronger will be the relation between the groom and the bride. And that's where the beauty of rituals and traditions lies!
• Sangeet
If you love to break the stage with your moves, Sangeet will be your favorite tradition of the Hindu wedding ceremony. No doubt, Muslim wedding traditions involve dance in the mehndi ceremony, but Hindus have a separate event for the dance performances of the family. Besides meeting and mingling, showing off your moves at different songs is the best part of Sangeet.
Day Three Traditions
Day three of Hindu wedding begins with the following traditions:
• Barat Arrival
If you ask the most wholesome part of the Hindu wedding, it would be Barat day. The arrival of Barat is also known as the entry of VARA YATRA. Barat is supposed to enter the wedding venue while dancing and singing their traditional songs. The groom meets the bride's family at the entrance of the venue. Floral garlands are mainly used to greet or welcome the groom's party. After the celebration of the arrival of Barat at the entrance, the groom is then escorted to the Mandap or altar, where he waits for his bride.
Don't you know about Mandap? It's the place which is supposed to unite bride and groom in the eternal relation of marriage. It consists of four pillars with a canopy. The four pillars of the Mandap represent the four parents. However, at the center of the Mandap, there lies a sacred fire known as Agni.
• Kanyadan
Besides fun and love, marriage can be the most emotional event for the bride as she's leaving her family behind and starting her new life with the other family. So, kanyadan is all about letting the bride away to the Mandap. This pious tradition is followed almost in every Hindu wedding ceremony around the orb. The bride’s father, brother or uncle has the responsibility to do this ritual.
• Jai Mala and Lighting of Agni
After the arrival of the bride at Mandap, she exchanges floral garlands with her groom – she welcomes him. Let us tell you a lovely fact here. The exchange of floral garlands between bride and groom shows the acceptance of their relation.
Other than this, there's also a tradition of lighting up the Agni fire. It symbolizes the divine feelings related to the bond called marriage. The Muslim wedding ceremony has no such traditions though, and that’s the beauty of each culture and religion, their uniqueness.
• Mangal Phera
Once kanyadan, Jai Mala, and the lighting of Agni are done, the next tradition that the groom and bride follow is Mangal Phera. The couple holds hands that symbolize their bond and love. After that, they circle the divine fire "Agni" about seven times. They cover these four rounds around the Agni while keeping the four pillars of happy married life in mind.
There's a race also! Yes, you heard it correctly after the completion of Mangal Phera, both bride and groom race to sit back to their seats to win the dominance in their married life ahead.
• Saptapadi
Have you ever heard about the vows that the bride and groom make to each other at the end of their marriage ceremony? If yes, this tradition is all related to those vows. With the completion of the Mangal Phera, bride and groom take seven steps together. It's then followed by the application of red powder on the bride's forehead by the groom and tying the golden beaded necklace around the bride's neck. All these seven steps symbolize seven different vows the couple makes to each other for a happy married life.
• Party at the End!
The Hindu wedding ceremony ends with a memorable reception or commonly called a party. Dinner, dessert, and drinks are served in buffet style in the venue. All family members, along with the bride and groom, dance on the stage with their full energy to celebrate the wedding.
This was all about the traditions of a Hindu wedding. Unlike Muslim wedding ceremonies, there's a long list of traditions that Hindus follow. We know you'll be anxious now to attend a Hindu wedding and enjoy it to the fullest. Well, best of luck with that!