Indian Weddings – festive, colourful and traditional
Universally when couples wed they are celebrating their love and commitment to each other with their true values they uphold. Every culture celebrates them a little differently and many societies have customs that include traditional rituals.Indian weddings are very festive colourful events that often run for three days and are planned well in advance, usually including immense guest lists.
The first day of the Indian Wedding, Ganesh Puja, is reserved for the primary family and close friends. Ganesh is the deity who brings prosperity to a person’s life. There is a lot of preparation and decoration for the wedding with flowers and greenery. The sacred fire, the Agni, burns in the center of the Mandap providing unity for the couple, with offerings of rice entering the fire.
Photography courtesy of Rolling Canvas
Photography courtesy of Rolling Canvas
The Bride and Groom’s immediate family and close friends assemble together sitting at the raised platform, the Mandap, a beautiful wedding alter. The mandep is a four pillared canopy, that is colourfully decorated to compliment the wear that the couple select. Once the Groom arrives he traditionally bows in honour to his guests, and family, extending his thankfulness for their presence. The bride is escorted to the mandap by a brother, aunt, or uncle, where the tradition Kanyadan occurs. This ritual is where the parents offer their blessing for marriage, by the custom of washing the feet and hands of the bride and groom cleansing them for their new life together.
In the second day there is much celebration, the Mehndi occurs when all of the female family and friends gather adorning the bride with detailed henna designs that will be traditionally worn for the whole wedding event. Another celebrative tradition is The Sangeet and this is where the big party begins singing folk songs, dancing, laughter, and an elaborate dinner for all. The family celebrates all night into the early hours of the morning.
Photography courtesy of Rolling Canvas
Photography courtesy of Rolling Canvas
The wedding ceremony occurs on the third day. Everyone attends the beautiful wedding ceremony, and many rituals are performed. Colourful floral garlands are exchanged. The meaning of the garland florals are happiness, and welcoming into the family. Traditionally a member of the groom’s family connects a part of the bride’s sari to the grooms scarf representing the happy couple are now together forever. The ritual representing the formality of marriage in a Indian wedding under the Hindu tradition is the mangalsutra. This is when the groom ties a necklace thread with two gold pendants and three knots, or a black and gold necklace with a gold or diamond pendant symbolising their official marriage.Today a ring exchange often takes place following the offering of the Mangalsutra, where the couple promises to love each other forever with unconditional love.
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