Based upon the region of India
in which the actual wedding ceremony is taking place, there may be some slight
differences. However, overall the ceremony is the same and has
remained unchanged for hundreds of years.
From Punjab to Kashmir, Hindu weddings are conducted with a strict adherence
to their deities and the Vedic scriptures. Referred to as the Vedas,
these scriptures go back thousands of years to the time the Aryans first set
foot on the sub continent of India.
The reading of the Vedas denotes the importance
of “blessing” as the bride and groom commence their wedding vows.
The sacredness of the Hindu wedding is portrayed
by different ceremonial acts that include the participation of both sets of
parents of the bridal couple. Beginning with the procession from
the groom's home to the temple or makeshift Hindu altar, every part of the ceremony
is rich with historical and spiritual significance. These traditions
completely convey the specialness of the event.
The ceremony is officiated by a priest.
He has the couple sit in front of a fire, which is symbolic of the
continuity of life. Various relatives are asked to place offerings
in the fire because it is believed the Hindu deities are present as
well.
The bride is then committed into the hands of the
groom by her parents after several other rituals are performed. The priest then
describes how the couple are to respect and fulfill their marital obligations to
one another. This ends the ceremony.
Hindu wedding celebrations continue while the newlyweds
exchange informal and formal salutations with relatives and invited guests.
At the end of the celebration the newlyweds go to the groom’s house where
they will live. The bride’s feet are washed with milk and she in
turn sprinkles milk around her new dwelling. Milk symbolizes what
her new role within the family is to be, that of mediator of family disagreements.
Finally the last public expression of the couple’s
commitment to one another is when each places a handful of salt in the other’s
hand several times. This ritual marks the merging of the bride
into the husband’s family.