Wednesday 29 May 2013

Weddings in India

Wedding is said to be one of the most significant events of a person's life. It involves the union of two souls. Marriage is an auspicious affair for all the Indians. Indian wedding involves the performance of a gamut of rituals and customs. However, India is a land of diversity. People of different cultures and customs live in India. So wedding rituals in India vary considerably between ethnic groups and cultures and social classes of India.



History of Indian Wedding

The Indian Vedas say that people are supposed to marry after puberty. However, in ancient ages, child marriages were very common in India. It was basically because of the several invasions in Northern India. People gave their daughters in marriage only to save them from the foreign invaders. As far as remarriage and divorce are concerned, they were completely forbidden in ancient India. Polygamy was also prohibited.

In medieval period, marriage was mandatory for all girls except the ones who had chosen the path of asceticism. Polygamy was a common practice during this time. However, in modern times, divorce and remarriage have been legalized. But polygamy is considered to be a criminal offense and is entitled to punishment. However, according to the Islamic personal law of Sheriat , a man can have a maximum of 4 wives. For a Muslim, it is not a offence to have many wives.

Community Wedding in India

India is the residing land of different community of People. The community wedding in India can be classified as under:

Hindu Wedding
Muslim Wedding
Christian Wedding
Hindu Wedding in India

The customs involved in Hindu marriages are basically traditional. The hymns and verses uttered during the wedding ceremony are mostly Sankrit verses. As per Hindu Marriage Act 1955, Hindus belonging to any caste or sect can intermarry. Special Marriage Act, 1954 sanctions the marriage between a Hindu and Non-Hindu. Hindu wedding in India include several pre-wedding, wedding and post-wedding rituals.

Manusmriti speaks of 8 types o Hindu marriages. The following types of Hindu marriages were common in ancient India:

Brahma marriage
Prajapatya Marriage
Rakshasa Marriage
Daiva Marriage
Gandharva Marriage
Arsha Marriage
Paishacha Marriage
Asura Marriage
At present registry marriage has been made compulsory in India.

Muslim Wedding in India

Muslim wedding, referred to as 'Nikah', is celebrated with utmost splendor. Islam does not allow inter-religious, marriages. The wedding ceremony can be arranged at the groom's or bride's house. But these days, Muslims in India prefer grandly decorated banquet halls as their marriage venue. The pre-marriage rituals include Istikhara and Imam-Zamin, Mangni,Manjha and Sanchaq. Arsi Mushaf, salami, Rukhsati, Kheer Chatai, Runumai and Bridal Night are some of the rituals that Indian Muslims observe after marriage.

Christian wedding in India

Christian wedding in India mostly takes place in churches in front of the priest. It involves the observance of various ceremonies and rituals. However, the rituals vary from a denomination to another. The wedding is declared in all church services before three weeks of the marriage day. The bible is read, the sermons are uttered, vows are taken. After the sermons, the parents of the bride move forward to give their daughter's hand in marriage.

Online Matrimonials in India

Now-a-days, arranging a marriage in India has become very easy. One can seek help from the various budding matrimonial sites in finding his/her 'right person'.One of the fast emerging matrimonial website providing one stop solution to all your wedding needs is-

www.ultramatrimony.com

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