Dear All,
I have got a little time now to see ur posts
There are so many wedding rituals that are followed in India, so it was very tight schedule. Any way!
We express our sincere thanks for all your good wishes and love.
I may post link of a few clippings of wedding ceremony as gets available.
Love,
Mohan
Pre Wedding Rituals in India (Maharashtra)
Sakhar Puda / Engagement: Better known as the engagement ceremony, is held once the marriage is fixed. The literal meaning of Sakhar Puda is a packet of sugar that is exchanged between the two families. For this ceremony, the groom's parents gift the bride a saree as a token of her being accepted in the new family. It normally takes place a day or two before the wedding. Giving of sugar symbolizes sweetness that should be filled in the lives of the going to be newly wedded couple.
Kelvan: This is the first occasion that takes place in the houses of both the bride and the groom few days before the wedding. All the relatives and the family members gather and a meal is organized. A puja is conducted or more to say it is the worship of the Kuladevta or the family deity.
Haldi Ceremony: This ritual takes places a day before the wedding. Haldi / Tumeric paste is applied on the body of the bride so that it brings out her colour and clears her skin. The bride is made to sit on a small table. She is then given a blouse piece and coconut which she receives in the sari pullo. Then the haldi paste is applied on her body starting from her feet upwards over her whole body. A similar function takes place at the groom's house also.
Five married woman with a copper vessel and mango leaves that are entwined over a coconut and filled with holy water go round the place arranged with neem twigs, from left to right five times. The bride is sitting in the center while this ritual is being performed. Then these ladies pour the holy water, which is a symbol of warding away evil spirits. After the bath is given to the bride her maternal uncle comes and breaks the neem twigs and asks the bride to leave and go inside the house.
Seemaan Poojan: Simant literally means boundary. The groom and the marriage party are welcomed at the boundary of the bride`s home or village and her mother does puja of the groom. These days, it is done on the wedding day itself at the venue of marriage. Bride`s mother washes the groom`s feet by pouring a little water over his feet in a plate, does kumkum tilak, puts akshata on groom`s head, does arati and gives some sweet. The groom is made to sit in the venue and bride`s father gives gifts like a piece of clothing and jewellery to the groom. Groom`s mother and ladies go to bride`s quarter and give her five saris and jewellery.
Antarpat Ceremony: Antarpat is actually a silk shawl that is used to separate the bride and the groom till the actual moment of their marriage. Her mama brings the bride to the venue. The Bride is also accompanied by two of her sisters carrying an oil wick lamp and a kalash full of water, adorned with mango leaves with a coconut sitting atop. After the elaborate meal, the boy goes centre-stage for the antarpat accompanies by tow of his sisters carrying an oil wick lamp and a kalash full of water, adorned with mango leaves with a coconut sitting atop. The bride looks westwards and the groom towards the east.
The boy and girl hold a garland throughout the ceremony. This ritual is a set of eight series of mantras, with invocations to the various gods. After each series is over the priest recites:
"Shubha Mangala Saavadhaan!" The guests throw rice on the bride and the groom. This is for the first time that the bride and the groom see each other. They exchange the garlands. The sisters dip their fingers into the kalash and wipe the eyes of the bride and groom.
Wedding Rituals:
The venue is decorated with flowers and a havan is prepared. The priest sits on the north side of the altar, with the bride sitting on his right and groom sitting on his left. As the auspicious time for the wedding approaches, the brides' mama brings her to the mandap. The approach to the mandap is indeed an elaborate one as they bride and the groom are not allowed to see each other again.
Sannkalp: The groom shows his desire to enter a life of a householder. The priest thus blesses him ensuring that his desire will be fulfilled. The bride and the groom seek the blessing and permission of the elders to marry, which is granted and they are gifted with clothes, jewellery etc. The parents of both the parties greet each other and they are given madhuparka( fruit salad with honey , yogurt, ghee and milk).
Kanyadaan: The bride's father places her hand in the hands of the groom. The mother of the bride pours water into the palms of the couple. This is a symbol that the father of the bride has offered his daughter to the Groom. The groom touches the right shoulder of the bride in acceptance. The groom then assures the bride's father that he will be faithful and will take care of the bride for the rest of his life.
Mangalsutra Bandhan: The groom ties the mangalsutra around the neck of the bride. The groom then applies kumkum on the forehead of the bride and she in turn applies a tilak made of sandalwood paste on his forehead.
The grooms mother gifts the bride a silk sari, along with toe rings etc. The bride then changes into the new sari as an acceptance into her in-laws household.
Vivah Homa: The priest lights the fire in the altar. A stone is kept facing the west, an urn filled with water to the northeast, four kusha grass blades, are spread to the north of the fire. On them two small metal bowls containing ghee is kept. One of these urns is to be filled with water and the other with ghee already melted in the fire. The priest then lights fire called yajoka. The groom then takes two darbhas and dips then into the bowl of water and sprinkles them over the ghee and around the fire. This is a purifying gesture. Then he offers the pavitrika of the darbhas to the fire in the name of Skanda, the heroic deity. He takes the container of ghee and pours a spoonful into the fire as a sacrifice to Prajapati, the God of creation.
Satpadhi: This is the ceremony where the two walk together the seven steps. The groom takes the left hand of the bride in his right hand and they take seven steps together in the southeast direction. A heap of rice is kept at every step and the couple step on this heap at every step. The ritual is symbolic of their married life and is an exchange of vows between them. At the end of the ritual the groom chants mantras to forgive him for any flaws in the conduct of the homa.
A large container of water known, as praneetapatra is taken around the fire in an anti clockwise direction, after which the water is sprinkled in all direction and also on the heads of the bride and the groom. The seven steps across the sacred fire is the most common ritual in all Hindu marriages.
Karmasamapti: This ritual symbolizes concluding the ceremony. The bride's father is the one who ends the marriage ceremony. He takes water from his left hand and passes it over to his right hand, reciting a mantra, which appeases the Gods, so that they are pleased with the wedding of his daughter. The bride and the groom so the same things, asking God to bless their marriage.
Post Wedding:
Feast: Once the wedding is over a lavish feast is arranged for all. Traditionally the meal is served on banana leaves. The bride, groom and the immediate family members sit and enjoy the feast.
Reception: This is not a traditional requirement, the reception is normally held in the evening.
Grihapravesh: The couple is welcomed by the groom's mother who washes the couples feet with milk and finally water. The aarti is performed. After which the bride enters the house by kicking a glass of rice. The couple enters the house with their right foot. The family sits and talks for sometime after which the couple is shown their room.
