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Showing posts from January, 2010

Mandap

Today, Hindu weddings are celebrated on a large canvas. People are mostly influenced by the lavish portrayal of wedding ceremonies in Hindi movies. The Indian wedding normally is a four to five days affair and each day has a special significance and role. Just like the pre wedding functions such as sangeet, mehendi and engagement are celebrated in a grand manner, so is the main day wedding. These are also celebrated on a grand scale with lots of glitz and opulence. Indian Wedding Mandap In a traditional Indian wedding, the main day function is usually held at the bride's place. However, these days, garden areas, parks and farm houses are mostly preferred, as wedding venues. These open spaces are not only big but also pose to be the ideal location. The place where most of the wedding ceremony is held is a colorful and beautifully decorated mandap. Mandap can be explained as a canopy that is supported by four pillars. It is the stage for the wedding function. The mandap is mostly...

Indian Wedding Day Functions

In Indian society, marriage is not just a social custom. It is an institution, which teaches us lots of things about life. Wedding function is considered as the biggest event in one's lifetime, and to make this occasion a memorable one, people generally celebrate it in a grand manner. For a girl and a boy it is a transition from boyhood to manhood and girlhood to womanhood respectively. Marriage marks the beginning of a new life of the couple. Remember, in India, wedlock is not just about coming together of two individuals into oneness, but of two souls as one. Hindu Wedding Day Rituals In a Hindu marriage ceremony, the main day or the wedding day is characterized by performing a lot of rituals and customs. Though the ceremonies practiced in different regions are somewhat different, the basics of the ritual remain the same. The functions of the main day start with the reception of the baraat. Generally, in the Hindu custom, the groom, along with his parents, relatives and friend...

Solah Shringar for Indian Bride

For an Indian bride, the wedding day is the most important day of her life. Most of the girls in our country have lots of dreams for this day, since it marks the beginning of their journey into womanhood. Different kinds of beauty rituals are associated with the wedding day, as her female friends and relatives gather together to prepare her for the most special occasion of her life. Almost all the girls wish to look their best and epitomize beauty on their wedding day. In India, the beautification of the bride consists of sixteen parts and covers almost every part of the body, right from the head to the toe. To get detailed information about the solah shringar of an Indian bride, explore the following lines. Solah Shringar Bindi The first shringar of the bride, bindi has a strong religious implication and is a sacred symbol of a married woman. To make the bindi look utmost attractive, you can even decorate it with red and white dots around it and along the eyebrows. Sindoor A...

Mangalsutra Significance

A Hindu marriage symbolizes not just coming together of two individuals, but also the bonding of understanding, commitment, mutual love, oneness and spiritual growth. Traditionally, Hindu marriage is much more than just celebration and fun. It demands sacrifice, companionship, dedication, and devotion from both the partners. Each and every rituals and customs associated with marriage portrays the real essence of wedding. Traditionally, there are five signs of marital status of women, according to Hindu culture- mangalsutra, toe rings, kumkum, bangles and a nose ring. Talking about Mangalsutra, the word denotes a significant meaning. While mangal means aupiscious, sutra can be deciphered as a thread. Significance Of Mangalsutra In Hindu Marriage Mangalsutra, as such, is not just a jewelry item, but a sacred thread of love and goodwill worn by married women, as a symbol of their successful marriage. An inevitable part of Hindu marriage ceremony, Mangalsutra refers to a revered symbol...

Hindu Marriage Rituals

According to Hindu Sastra there are four stages of life, of which Grahastha Ashram or married life signifies the second stage. It begins, when a man and a woman come together and marry. In India, marriage is treated as an institution, which teaches the actual values of life. Every stage in life has its own charm and a married life is no exception. In India, a marriage is usually arranged by the respective parents of the bride and the groom and follows various steps. Marriage among Hindus is not only considered a union of two souls, but of two families. Hindu Marriage Rituals And Customs A Hindu wedding not only involves the bride and groom but the entire community, friends, family and relatives as everybody participates in their coming together of the to-be couple. The first and the foremost step is the selection of the bride and the bridegroom. While in love marriages, a boy and a girl themselves select their life partner, it is crucial when it comes to arranged marriages. Talking...

Hindu Marriages

Hindu marriages signify customs, rituals and elaborate celebrations and are full of fun and frolic. Indian weddings speak volumes of the rich culture, heritage and ethnicity of the country. Every region follows its own traditions customs and rituals for the wedding. A wedding is an important religious ceremony in the Hindu religion and one of the most important of the sixteen Hindu sanskars or sacraments. It is not only establishing the bond between two people, but also the bond between two families. Hindu weddings are usually hosted by the bride's parents and take place at a common place, decided by both the bride and groom's family. Generally, the marriage ceremonies take place at an open space, under a decorated canopy called mandap. Hindu Marriage Ceremony Talking about the varied customs and rituals followed, Hindu weddings extend up to four to five days. The ceremonies practiced are essentially divided into three parts - pre wedding customs, wedding day ceremony and po...

Wedding Decoration Tips

Traditional Hindu weddings are grand affair. It normally takes place over several days with elaborate ceremonies, which lasts up to one week. Indian wedding function is divided in to three sections pre wedding functions, main day functions and post wedding functions. These functions include the entire family, friends and relatives in the celebration and involve many costume changes. The bride and groom are treated royally for the days preceding the wedding and are showered with gifts and attention. The main day ceremony is nothing less than a fairytale. On the day of the wedding the groom mounts a grandly decorated horse and rides to the wedding ceremony accompanied by his family and friends. Nowadays the grooms mostly travel by decorated car. The bride on the other hand is dressed in traditionally attire, which is normally a pink or a red sari with heavy zari work and embroidery on her wedding day and sparkling jewelry given to her by family and close friends. arlier main wedding fu...

Wedding Photography

Wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime situation, which requires an intuitive sensitivity to each and every aspect of the ceremony. Choosing a professional wedding photographer is one of the prerequisites to make the ceremony a memorable one. When it comes to marriage photography, the decisions are very often made on the basis of price. In fact, what you should be looking for in a marriage photographer is his/her ability to capture the precious moments of the ceremony, so that you will enjoy viewing the photos time and again, and cherish them for the rest of your life. Here in this article, we provide you tips that will help you know how to choose a wedding photographer. How To Choose A Wedding Photographer The best professional photographers usually do their bookings a year in advance. In case you want to have outstanding photographs for your wedding, then start searching for a professional wedding photographer few months prior to the ceremon...

Indian Baraat

The traditional Indian wedding establishes a bond between two families and their cultures, apart from creating a very special relationship between the couple, who tie the nuptial knot. The marriage ceremony is a series of colorful events, spread over two to three days. One of the important and fun ceremonies is the arrival of the groom on the day of the wedding, at the venue. The groom's family members, relatives and friends accompany him to the wedding venue, in a marriage procession called 'baraat'. Groom's friends and relatives are called the 'baraati'. The wedding baraat is held with high esteem and the baratis are pampered by the bride's family, when they arrive at the wedding venue. The baraat is received in different ways in different parts of the country. In the following lines, we have given description about the baraat in Indian marriage. Indian Wedding Barat Traditionally in north India, the groom, dressed in his wedding attire, is seated on a w...

Seven Vows Of Marriage

Hindu wedding is all about rituals and customs, which teach us the actual essence of a blissful married life. The seven vows of marriage symbolize seven promises, which are sworn by the bride and the groom during the auspicious ceremony of wedding. During the marriage, a sacred fire is created with ghee and wooden sticks, in order to evoke Agni (fire god), which serves as the witness to the ritual of seven vows. The priest, who conducts the wedding, chants Vedic mantras. Amidst the blazing fire of the havankund and the chanting of mantras, the bride and the groom pledge their commitment to each other, for the lifetime. Known as Saptapadi/pheras, seven vows is a beautiful ritual observed in Hindu marriages, although the act of taking the seven vows varies from region to region, in India. People following Hinduism believe that if a married couple walks seven steps around the fire of the havankund, they will remain together for the lifetime. Generally, before taking the seven vows, the ...

Famous Indian Weddings

Indian Wedding ceremonies have always been known for their elaborative and ritualistic nature. As most of the Indian religions regard marriage to be a social as well as religious ritual, the wedding ceremony acquires dual importance in the Indian context. Apart from this, in Indian families the Wedding ceremony is also treated as an occasion of celebrations and display of riches and wealth. That is why, the trend of grandiose and ostentatious wedding ceremonies have caught the attention of the people in the country. When even the middle class people go far beyond their capacities to make their wedding ceremony pompous and extravagant, you can easily imagine the display of luxuries in a famous Indian Wedding. Some of the most famous Indian Weddings in contemporary times have been the wedding ceremonies of Sahara Shree Family and the Mittals. The wedding ceremony of Subroto Roy's sons Seemanto and Sushanto have been one of the most grand marriage ceremonies of modern Indian times. ...

Muslim Wedding Ceremony

Muslim wedding ceremony is celebrated with grandeur. Muslim wedding, known as 'Nikaah' in Urdu, can take place at any convenient time, because there is nothing like muhurat (the auspicious time) for the Muslims. Traditionally, the Muslim wedding is held at either the bride or the groom's home. However, in the present time, due to convenience and the availability of enough space to accommodate the long list of guests, Muslim weddings are organized in banquet halls, auditorium as well as community centers. Wherever the wedding is held, all the rituals of the three phases of wedding are strictly followed by the Muslims. Muslim wedding is divided into pre-wedding, wedding and post-wedding rituals. Pre-wedding rituals largely involve the exchange of sweets, fruits and visits to the bride and groom's houses. The pre-wedding rituals increase the level of excitement among the families of the bride and groom, who keenly look forward to the wedding day. The wedding is organiz...

Hindu Marriage Act

Unlike West, marriage in India is regarded more as a religious and social affair than a legal affair. Despite a very detailed chapter on the Indian marriages in the Indian constitution, most of the people in the country are unaware of the laws associated with marriages. In a cosmopolitan culture like India where umpteen numbers of cultures and religion prevail under the same canopy, it is very difficult to regulate all the customs by same kind of regulation especially of the matter is related with sensitive issues like marriage and hierarchy. Therefore, different kinds of Marriage Acts have been defined for different religions in the country. The Hindu marriage is governed by, ‘The Hindu Marriage Act', which came into existence on 18 May 1955. Basic Provisions of Hindu Marriage Act The provision under the Act is that it applies to any person who is Hindu by religion and it is also applicable to Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhsas well as and the person who is not a Muslim,...