A Hindu wedding, also known as (, ) in Hindi,Sanskrit English Dictionary, entry for vivaha. Germany: University of Koeln. () in Marathi, () in Bhojpuri, Maithil Vivah in Maithili, () in Bengali, () or () in Odia, () in Tamil, () in Telugu, () in Kannada, and (, ; ) in Malayalam and other languages, is the traditional marriage ceremony for Hindus.
The weddings celebrations may extend for several days and involve large number of participants. The bride's and groom's homes—entrance, walls, floor, roof—are sometimes decorated with colors, flowers, lights and other decorations.Yee, A. (2008 May 17) Sari nights and henna parties. The Financial Times.
The word vivāha originated as a sacred union of two people as per Vedic traditions, i.e. what many call marriage, but based on cosmic laws and advanced ancient practices. Under Vedic Hindu traditions, marriage is viewed as one of the saṁskāras performed during the life of a human being, which are lifelong commitments of one wife and one husband. In India, marriage has been looked upon as having been designed by the cosmos and considered as a "sacred oneness witnessed by fire itself." Hindu families have traditionally been patrilocal.
The Arya Samaj movement popularized the term Vedic wedding among the Hindu expatriates in north during the colonial era, it was however prevalent in south India even before.A. N. Raina (1978), A Shortened Arya-Hindu Vedic Wedding and Initiation Ritual by Suniti Kumar Chatterji, Indian Literature, Vol. 21, No. 1 (January–February 1978), pp. 115-117Erika Buckley (2006), A Cross-Cultural Study of Weddings through Media and Ritual: Analyzing Indian and North American Weddings, McNair Scholars Journal, Volume 10, Issue 1, page 14R. N. Dandekar (1975), A DECADE OF VEDIC STUDIES IN INDIA AND ABROAD, Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Vol. 56, No. 1/4 (1975), pp. 1-25 The roots of this tradition are found in hymn 10.85 of the Rigveda Shakala samhita, which is also called the "Rigvedic wedding hymn".
At each step, promises are made by each to the other.Lochtefeld, J.G. (2001). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A–M, p. 427. . The primary witness of a Hindu marriage is the fire-deity (or the Sacred Fire) Agni, in the presence of family and friends.Bajpai, S. (2011). The History of India - From Ancient to Modern Times, pp. 4, 73–74. Hawaii: Himalayan Academy Publications, . The ceremony is traditionally conducted entirely or at least partially in Sanskrit, considered by Hindus as the language of holy ceremonies. The local language of the bride and groom may also be used. The rituals are prescribed in the Gruhya sutra composed by various rishis such as Apastamba, Baudhayana and Ashvalayana.
The pre-wedding and post-wedding rituals and celebrations vary by region, preference and the resources of the groom, bride and their families. They can range from one day to multi-day events. Pre-wedding rituals include engagement, which involves vagdana (betrothal) and Lagna-patra (written declaration),Pandey, R. (1969). Hindu Saṁskāras: Socio-religious Study of the Hindu Sacraments, see Chapter VIII, pp. 153–233. . and Varyatra— the arrival of the groom's party at the bride's residence, often as a formal procession with dancing and music. The post-wedding ceremonies may include Abhisheka, Anna Prashashana, Aashirvadah, and Grihapravesa – the welcoming of the bride to her new home. The wedding marks the start of the Grhastha (householder) stage of life for the new couple. In India, by law and tradition, no Hindu marriage is binding or complete unless the ritual of seven steps and vows in presence of fire (Saptapadi) is completed by the bride and the groom together. This requirement is under debate, given that several Hindu communities (such as the Nairs of Kerala or Bunts of Tulu Nadu) do not observe these rites. Approximately 90% of marriages in India are still arranged. Despite the rising popularity of love marriages, especially among younger generations, arranged marriages continue to be the predominant method for finding a marriage partner in India.
Institution of marriage According to the Veda, marriage is a union between a masculine and feminine entity with commitments to pursue Dharma (duty), Artha (earning money and other possessions), Kama (physical and other desires) and Moksha (the eternal liberation) in unison. Scripturally, it is viewed as a celebration of sensual pleasure, progress, prosperity and joy as it is also a pyramid of elevation to the next level of one's Karmic experience. Society recognizes this and puts in place quality controls since it influences the social and cultural growth of society. According to Manusmriti, or Manu's text, there are eight different types of marriages. Not all eight are approved by Scriptures. The last four were not advocated and the last one was condemned. These are: Brahma marriage, Daiva marriage, Arsha marriage, Prajapatya marriage, Gandharva marriage, Asura marriage, Rakshasa marriage, and Paishacha marriage.
Samskara Cosmic rituals constitute an important part of Vedic practices/the Hindu religion. Rituals were designed to build a solid foundation for Dharmic living. They are known as Samskaras. Their purpose is to spread awareness and uplift social consciousness. The Veda has instituted sixteen different Samskara meant for different phases of life from conception to marriage to old age and death. The word samskara in Sanskrit means 'to cause indelible impressions on consciousness and to develop every aspect of oneself.' Out of the sixteen Samskaras in The Scripture, and consequently in Hinduism, the sacred practice of marriage or Vivaha Samskara is the most important and marks a milestone in journey of life. Vivaha Samskara influences the life of a couple as partners by enabling them to take their rightful place as creators in society.
Key rituals There is no single standard Hindu marriage ceremony. Regional variation is prevalent in the sequence of rituals comprising the ceremony. There is also considerable flexibility within each ritual. Variation reflects family traditions, local traditions, resources of the families and other factors. Three key rituals predominate, as follows.Kane, V. (1962). History of Dharmasastra.Roy, R. (2004). Saptapadi – The Seven Steps. University of Canterbury, UK: Ph.D. Thesis. Two are yajna. Kanyadana – the giving away of his daughter by the father. Panigrahana – a ritual in presence of fire, where the groom takes the bride's hand as a sign of their union and a vow to care and protect her. Saptapadi – The term means 'seven steps'. It symbolizes the journey of life they will take together. Each step corresponds (in the Long Form) to a pair of vows: from the groom to the bride, and vice-versa. The vows are pronounced in Sanskrit; sometimes also in the native or regional language of the couple. (For the Short Form see below.) Like Panigrahana, Saptapadi is performed in presence of fire, and in many weddings, after each of their seven oaths to each other, the groom and bride perform the ritual of agnipradakshinam: walking around the fire, with hands linked or with the ends of their garments tied together. The groom usually leads the bride in the walk for first few Pheras —circumambulatem around the consecrated fire, then the bride leads the groom in the rest.Sharma, A. (1985). Marriage in the Hindu religious tradition. Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 22 (1), 69–80. Fire is the divine witness (to the marriage), and after Saptapadi the couple are considered husband and wife.
Kanyadana
The Kanyadana ceremony is performed by the bride's father. If the father has died, a guardian of the bride's choosing performs the ritual. The father brings the daughter, then takes the bride's hand and places it in the groom's. This marks the beginning of the ceremony of giving away the bride. The groom accepts the bride's hand, while the kama-sukta (hymn to love) is pronounced, in the presence of the father, the bride and the groom. The Kamasukta verse is:Prabhu, P.H. (2011). Hindu Social Organization, pp. 164–165. .
Who offered this maiden? to whom is she offered? Kama (the god of love) gave her to me, that I may love her Love is the giver, love is the acceptor Enter thou, the bride, the ocean of love
With love then, I receive thee May she remain thine, thine own, O God of love Verily, thou art, prosperity itself May the heaven bestow thee, may the earth receive thee
After this ritual recital, the father asks the groom to not fail the bride in his pursuit of dharma (moral and lawful life), artha (wealth) and kama (love). The groom promises to the bride's father that he shall never fail her in his pursuit of dharma, artha and kama. The groom repeats the promise three times. As per several stone inscriptions that have been found from 15th century in the Vijayanagara empire, to fight the epidemic of bride price, a community group of Brahmins created a social legislation to adopt the marriage system of kanyadana for their community. It was mandated that no money should be paid or received during marriage and those who do not follow are liable for punishment by the King. The above inscriptions also reinforce that system of social legislations within community groups was widely in practice as against personal laws based on religious scriptures.
This repeated promise by the groom marks the end of the kanyadaan ritual in the Hindu wedding.
Panigrahana
The ritual of Panigrahana comes after Kanyadana. It is sometimes preceded by the vivaha-homa rite, wherein a symbolic fire is lit by the groom to mark the start of a new household.Williams, M.M. (1893). Indian wisdom; or, Examples of the religious, philosophical, and ethical doctrines of the Hindus. London: Luzac & Co.
Panigrahana is the 'holding the hand' ritual as a symbol of the bride and groom's impending marital union, with the groom acknowledging a responsibility to four deities: Bhaga signifying wealth, Aryama signifying heavens/milky way, Savita signifying radiance/new beginning, and Purandhi signifying wisdom. The groom faces west, and while the bride sits in front of him, with her face to the east, he holds her hand while the following Rig vedic mantra is recited:
I take thy hand in mine, yearning for happiness I ask thee, to live with me, as thy husband Till both of us, with age, grow old
Know this, as I declare, that the Gods Bhaga, Aryama, Savita and Purandhi, have bestowed thy person, upon me that I may fulfill, my Dharmas of the householder, with thee
This I am, That art thou The Sāman I, the Ŗc thou The Heavens I, the Earth thou
In Punjabi and Gujarati weddings this step is called Hast-Milan (literally, "meeting of hands"). The whole ceremony was timed around an auspicious time (Muhurat) for this step and a few decades ago the wedding invitation would even list the time when this event was going to take place.
Saptapadi – short form