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Muslim and Hindu Wedding Ceremony - Similarities and Differences

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INTRODUCTION:
The Islamic and Hindu religions have an array of similarities and differences regarding their customs and laws in relation to the ‘wedding ceremony’.
Within Islam, the wedding ceremony is believed to be both a religious and social obligation to get married. As a result, there is a great weight placed on religious, social and cultural dimensions of the ceremony which tends to be simple in nature, paralleling Islamic beliefs. Hindus also place a lot of importance on marriage ceremonies which signify customs, rituals and elaborate celebrations. However, a key difference lies in the fact that Islamic marriages are seen as contractual agreements, whereas Hindu marriages are perceived to be sacrilegious.
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The Hindu service is performed by a male Brahmin priest (‘Pundit’), in accordance with the holy verses (‘mantras’) from the Vedas – the Hindu Holy Book. Often the ceremony can be conducted in Sanskrit which gets its roots from Hinduism and embraces a rich tradition of poetry as well as practical and philosophical texts.

The Venue
An Islamic wedding ceremony can take place in many places apart from a Mosque, even though a Mosque is highly preferred. Before the ceremony, the bride and groom should find out whether it’s possible to video and take photos of the event. Flowers and ornaments are not allowed in the Mosque even though the bride and groom are decorated with flowers for the service. If the ceremony takes place in a venue which isn’t a Mosque, the bride and groom have more freedom to decorate, providing they seek advice from the local ‘Imam’, of what is appropriate.

The Hindu marriage usually takes in the bride’s hometown or city. The venue is generally a town or community hall, or a hotel, depending on the budget of the bride’s family. There are often blessings in the temple before or after the service.

Wedding Attire
Customarily, the Arab Muslim bride wears a simple white dress and veil, very similar to the Christian faith. An Asian Muslim bride however, is much more colourful and wears glittering clothes, plenty of jewellery and flower garlands around her. The hands and feet of the bride are often decorated with henna (‘Mehndi’). The

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