March 26, 2014

The Craze About Indian Weddings!! Part 1- Ceremonies and Traditions




We Indians are crazy about only  two things a Big Fat Indian Wedding and Cricket of course but I'm not here to talk about century's and sixer's I'm here to tell you about the Big Fat Wedding!
Its crazy all the colour the food and the people, its a whole family affair. And as the wedding season has began I wished to tell you about the traditions, ceremonies and dressing style that follows during an Indian Wedding.

The Indian culture celebrates marriage as a sacrament (Sanskara), a rite enabling two individuals to start their journey in life together. In a Hindu wedding, the multiplicity of creation becomes possible when spirit (Purush) unites with matter (Prakritti). The Hindu wedding lays emphasis on three essential values: happiness, harmony, and growth.
The institution of marriage can be traced back to Vedic times. The ceremony should be held on a day in the “bright half” of the northern course of the sun. Months before the wedding an engagement ceremony known as� Mangni is held. This is to bless the couple, who are then given gifts of jewelry and clothing by their new family. Given below are the traditional ceremonies that take place at a wedding.

1. The Tilak Ceremony
         One of initial wedding ceremonies in India is the Tilak ceremony. It was initially held one month before the actual wedding day, but with changing times people have become quite flexible.



2. The Engagement
         Indian weddings are known for their elaborate ceremonies and opulent celebrations. Besides, they are held in a very traditional manner, commemorating numerous rituals as per the ancient Vedic era.


3. Sangeet Ceremony
         Any Wedding is not complete without the dance and song sequence, Sangeet ceremony as the name suggests is all about dance and music. It is one of the most enjoyable ceremonies before the wedding and is exclusively for women but now as times have changed and everything has modernized the whole family participates in this ceremony. They have dance competitions from the brides and bride grooms families. Everyone from young and old enjoy dancing and celebrating. Dj and elaborate music arrangements are made for the musical evening.




4. Mehendi Ceremony
          Mehndi is yet another traditional yet exciting pre wedding ceremony. In India, a lot of emphasis is given on customs and rituals. Indian people are ardent lovers of beauty and elegance. Henna also known as Mehendi is applied to the bride and her friends before the wedding in intricate designs on the hands and feet. It is said the darker the colour of Mehendi on the bride's hand  that much is the love of her husband for her.





5. Var Mala Ceremony
         Var Mala ceremony is an important main wedding day ceremony. It is also known as Jaimala and basically involves exchange of garlands between the bride and the groom.



6. Mandap Ceremony
         Mandap ceremony holds utmost importance on the day of the wedding. This is because all the significant rituals are performed during the mandap ceremony. The Kanyadan (Giving away of the Bride) by the father of the bride and the ritual of walking around the sacred fire for 7 times takes place during this ceremony.

 

7. Vidai Ceremony
       Vidai Literally means good bye or farewell its a very emotional part for the bride as she says her goodbye's to her maternal home and prepares herself to move on to the next chapter in her life the journey to her husband's home. Its new beginnings for her and her inner turmoil comes out during the farewell.


         These are the main rituals and traditions in an Indian Wedding.

2 comments:

  1. Thank your for that post! :) It was really interesting to see how different cultures can be :)

    http://thequeenisintown.blogspot.com

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    1. Hi Thnxx For the Appreciation !! Means So much for me :)
      Keep Tuned For more on Indian wedding about the Style n Clothes .. xoxo

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