Some Interesting facts about Indian Wedding !!

Indian marriages are known for their opulent and vibrant look but in real there is much more than just the gloss and glamour in an Indian wedding ceremony. In fact, the Indian wedding ceremonies are the most ritualistic and serious affair than any other kind of marriage performed any where else in the world. Most of the religions in India regard marriage as more of a religious ritual than a social or legal affair like that in west. Indian weddings are a perfect blend of traditions, values and celebrations. In India, marriage is not simply regarded as an event, rather it is considered as a soulful affair of the merger of two souls. Some of the interesting facts about Indian so called Desi Marriages are as follows :-

• More than just a day of celebration
  Indian weddings, unlike many Western traditions lasting only a day, include pre-day wedding traditions, actual wedding day rituals and post-wedding day celebrations, which means that the festivities for an Indian wedding can in fact last for weeks, with all friends and extended family of the bride and groom being included in their union. 
   
• Sixteen steps to beauty A traditional Indian bride is expected to enjoy the tradition of ‘Solah Shringar’. Solar Shringar is a sixteen step process of beautification and is only enjoyed by the bride of Indian weddings. The ladies of the bride’s household will take part in this ritual which includes styling the bride’s hair, make up, dress and accessorising the bride with traditional wedding adornments. 
   
• Pass the sweets 
  A rather unusual Indian wedding tradition, related more to superstition  rather than ritual, is for the bride and groom to share the same sweet drink and sweet foods during the wedding ceremonies – this is believed by many Indian wedding bride and grooms to increase the amount of love between them. 
   
• Seven vows to seal the deal 
  Indian weddings require the bride and groom to make seven individual vows to deal the marriage ceremony and bind them together forever. The seven vows include prayers to God for prosperity, wealth, health and to be blessed with noble children. Both bride and groom pledge to honour and look after each other, and pray for their love to grow and blossom over their many years of happiness together. 
   
• Shoe stealing
  One of the more bizarre but fun rituals during the wedding day of an Indian wedding is for the groom to remove his shoes prior to the wedding ceremony which will bind the bride and groom together. It is then up to the bride’s family to attempt to steal the shoes – in fact, it is expected that they will snap up the shoes, and often go to great lengths to grab them unnoticed and hide them. If they are successful, the groom must then pay for their safe return. 
   
• Fishing the ring
  A fun-filled Indian wedding ritual is Aeki-Beki – a popular ceremony for the Gujarati community. Aeki-Beki begins with a tray or pot filled with a mixture of water, milk and vermillion. Some coins and a ring are then placed in the water. The bride and groom are then given seven changes to fish out the ring – whoever is successful is finding the ring more often during their seven tries is considered as having the dominate personality in the wedding, and is predicted to rule the household.
   
• Right foot forward
  Another superstitious ceremony for Indian wedding traditions happens after the wedding ceremony. The bride is taken to her new home with her husband, often ushered in by her new mother-in-law. The bride must enter the threshold with her right foot before her left – and then uses the right foot to knock over a strategically-placed vase or vessel brimming with rice. This ensures good luck not only for the bride and groom but for all of her new family.
   
• Shake your Kaleere
  For Punjabi brides of Indian weddings, beautiful Kaleeres are worn. A Kaleere is a silver (or gold) plated ornament which is tied to the ‘Chudas’ (wedding bangles worn by the bride on the wrist). It is said that the leaves on the Kaleere represent the number of true friends the bride has. After the ceremony, the bride will shake the Kaleere over the heads of all the unmarried girls at the Indian wedding – if the Kaleere falls on the head of any of the girls, it is assumed she will be the next to marry.  
   
• The evil eyeKeeping evil spirits, ill omens and evil eyes away from the bride and groom are often incorporated into important rituals during an Indian wedding ceremony. Depending on which customs are being honoured, some Indian weddings will cover the hands of the new couple with a sacred cloth during the completion of the Pheras.
   
• Find the Henna
  Henna decoration is a well known part of the traditional Indian wedding this is known as Menhdi. The henna artist, according to age-old ritual, must weave the names of the bride and groom in the design, hidden, and the bride and groom must find both names in the design prior to retiring on the wedding night. In addition, the Indian wedding bride cannot perform any housework until her Menhdi has entirely faded away.

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