What are the customs and traditions of the Indian Marriages?

Marriages in India are hell of a show and to be a witness to one of them is a real joyful experience. You can have all sorts of marriages here. There are instances when brides and grooms who are below a certain economic level are married en masse.

Well, the wedding day is a very special one in the life of not only the two individuals but also the members of the family.

The days preceding the wedding or shaadi as is commonly called are filled with tension among both sides of the spectrum.

1. Expectations:

Indian marriages Services in general are full of hullabaloo and it is natural to have expectations between the two most important people of the event i.e. the bride and the groom because they are the ones who are going to pursue a long journey of life together.

Some expectations are really cute and romantic when one explores them:

1. Not to keep her waiting:

In Indian weddings, it is almost normal that there are delays on the part of the groom’s family to reach the bride’s place and start the wedding rituals.

Your wife designate will not like that at all.

Remember she is waiting for you wearing a pretty heavy bridal attire to hold your hand.

2. Pamper her all along:

On the wedding day, her bridal attire coupled with all the jewelry is a heavy dress compared to the groom’s. The bride could become frustrated.

She needs to feel pampered by the groom. Stealing a kiss on the cheek and surprise her is the best way and then to hold her hand through the steps on the way to the stage.

3. Be sensitive on the photoshoot:

This is one day will not come to both of your lives again. Hence the bride would want to capture the best moments of the day in the camera to be framed for life.

These are womanly instincts.

As her husband she expects you to be sensitive to this issue and give good poses for the pics.

2. Rituals

What good is an Indian wedding if it is dry? By dry it means a marriage ceremony without rituals. Usually Indian wedding rituals vary as per region and of-course the race or caste to which the families belong.

Surprisingly there are also certain rituals which are universal in nature and are practiced irrespective of geographical and social boundaries.

Let’s see which are those!

Haldi ceremony:

This ceremony happens within the family where in the body of both the bride and groom are layered with a mixture of oil, water and turmeric over the skin and the clothes.

Turmeric for many of its scientific qualities and features is considered to play a good role for moisturizing and calming their skin before the wedding.

Seven rounds of the holy fire:

This ritual is one of those that happens all across the varied culture and geography of India. The garments of bride and groom are tied together to signify an unbreakable bond and then they make seven rounds i.e. 360 degrees of the fire.

The number 360 can be divisible between numbers 1-9 but not by 7. This makes the relationship of the bride and the groom an indivisible one.

The Mangalsutra -

Mangal- means auspicious and sutra means thread. In other words an auspicious thread that the husband ties along the neck of the wife while performing the wedding rituals.

It  consists of two strings of black beads and a pendent. The beads are said to be charmed with vedic mantras that makes the marital bond very sacred and has long implications on the health and wealth of the wife.

Hindu belief is that, the primary key of building a peaceful family rests with the woman.

3. Role of parents and other family members

If you have attended a typical Indian wedding ceremony irrespective of the region of its occurrence, you will be mesmerized by the sheer running of family members from pillar to post.

Bride’s parents

Of all the others, the role of the bride’s parents are foremost as they are giving away their daughter to another family. They are the primary hosts and co-hosts of the marriage ceremony.

Right from hosting the guests to the decision of wedding venue, menu and the financial appropriations, are decided mostly by the bride's family.

Here mostly the father along with other male relatives like brother in laws or his own sons take the decisions.

The mother on the other side acts as a liaison among different parties involved in the planning. This is a strange coordination. The mother of the bride often is in communication with the members of the groom’s family and comes handy in filling the gaps or lapses in communication.

The Kanyadaan:

The Kanyadaan is one of the most important rituals that has to be performed by the father while he gives away his daughter. It is a deep emotional journey of both father and daughter and has deep religious connotations as well.

The Vows:

A traditional Indian wedding involves seven rounds around the holy fire that is lit while the priest recites sacred hymns and chants vedic spells to sanctify and bless the marital relationship and the couple.

Each round consists of one vow between the couple which are as follows:

• The provision for nourishment and shouldering of responsibilities equally.
• Strength during sickness, bad health, good and bad times and phases.
• To seek prosperity, to be able to educate their children and remain loyal.
• Respect for elders of each others’ family.
• A decent and strong progeny. Also prays for the well-being of all living creatures in the universe.
• To pray for a healthy and disease free life.
• Finally, the couple prays before the lord almighty to enrich their relationship with love, understanding and loyalty.