Wedding Traditions
Hindu Culture
Celebrating Marriage
- The Hindu culture celebrates marriage as a sacrament, a rite enabling two individuals to start their journey in life together.
- The Hindu wedding lays emphasis on three essential values: happiness, harmony, and growth.
Significance of Certain Aspects of Wedding
- Sindhoor (Red Powder): The groom applies a small dot of vermilion, a powdered red lead, to the bride’s forehead and welcomes her as his partner for life. It is applied for the first time to a woman during the marriage ceremony when the bridegroom himself adorns her with it.
- Aashirvad (Parental Blessing): The parents of the bride and groom give their blessings to the couple. The couple touches the feet of their parents as a sign of respect.
- Menhdi (Henna Ceremony): The traditional art of adorning the hands and feet with a paste made from the finely ground leaves of the Henna plant. It is tradition for the names of the bride and groom to be hidden in the design, and the wedding night is not to commence until the groom has found both names.
- Vivah-Homa (Sacred Fire): Sacred Fires date back to Vedic Times. The fires purifies and calls forth the holy witness. The couple circles the fire chanting mantras and their vows.
Attire of Wedding
The groom will wear a Dhoti, which is an unstitched garment, and a shirt. On arrival at the brides house he will change into another similar outfit. He will cover himself with a sheet and wear the topor (paper mache headdress). The groom may wear a white silk brocade suit, sword and turban as his wedding outfit.
Bibliography
"Hindu | Wedding Details." Wedding Details | Your Complete Wedding Planning Source. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. <http://www.weddingdetails.com/lore-tradition/hindu/>.
"Modern Indian Wedding Traditions & Inspiration | Vibrant Table Blog | Vibrant Table." Vibrant Table Catering & Events | Catering, Portland Oregon. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. <http://www.vibranttable.com/blog/bridal-boutique/indian-wedding-traditions-modern-inspiration/>.