India’s weddings are as diverse as its culture, and almost every region in India has a different way of celebrating its customs and rituals. Weddings in India are colourful, large affairs filled with ritual and celebration that continue over several days. A true Indian wedding has as its focus the social wedding of two families rather than the emphasis on the individuals involved. Most marriages are still arranged but more and more couples in urban areas are getting married for love. Certainly in Hinduism, marriage is a life-long commitment between two souls, not a contract between humans, and is a means of spiritual growth.

In India today, both divorce and remarriage are legal, whilst polygamy and polyandry are regarded as criminal offences. Indian weddings are diverse and many and include Bengali, Gujarati, Parsi, Muslim, Punjabi, Sikh, Kannada, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Maharashtrian, Malyalee, Marwari, Tamilian and Telugu weddings – each with its own set of customs, rites of passage and ceremonies.

But there are certain rituals common across most of these different types of Indian weddings.

Pre-wedding Rituals

The ceremony of mehendi (henna) is almost certainly common across every caste and region in India, usually celebrated at the bride’s home, where her hands, arms, feet and legs are adorned with henna. Mehendi designs are incredibly intricate and complex, some of them telling whole stories, and the tradition is that the hours spent applying henna to the bride’s skin allows her friends to give her marriage advice at the same time. The henna is applied as a dark green paste, allowed to dry and then scraped off, revealing a dark red colour. The darker a bride’s henna, the more her mother-in-law loves her!

Another pre-wedding custom is the garland ceremony where the bride and groom exchange garlands of flowers. It represents a proposal by the bride and acceptance by the groom and also represents their new unity.

The Wedding Day

At the main event a wedding altar or mandapa is built that represents a structure within which a wedding is performed. In the centre of this mandapa, the bride and groom will encircle holy fire lit by the officiating priest.

The rituals of the wedding ceremony vary according to the regional traditions, but some of the common rituals practised by all include the ceremony of parting the bride’s hair, by the groom, after which he places sindoor or vermillion powder in the parting. This is particularly popular in the northern and eastern parts of India.

Other common rituals on the big day include kanyadaan – in this ceremony, the bride’s parents hand over their daughter to the groom and his family; Vidaii – the traditional send-off of the couple, once they’ve been officially married – usually very emotional for the bride’s side of the family.

Tying mangalsutra around the neck of the bride – this is a sacred symbol of wedlock and most prevalent in Hindu marriages. Marriage is more than the bonding of two individuals; it is also the bonding of understanding, commitment, mutual love and spiritual growth. Mangalsutra is seen as a sacred thread of love and goodwill and is tied by the groom around the neck of the bride.

Saptapadi, or seven steps, are taken by the couple together after tying the mangalsutra. This is the most important marriage ritual and the way in which these seven steps are taken differs from region to region. Taking the seven steps together signifies the couple’s agreement on being companions forever. They agree to lead a harmonious life taking one another’s likes and dislikes into consideration but keeping in mind the good of the whole family.

This article was posted by Celebration.co.za - South Africa Wedding Guide.