An Indian Hindu wedding is strictly observed according to the ancient cultural norms laid down in the Vedas in the Indian society a wedding is not just the coming together of two people rather two souls. In fact, a wedding also brings two families closer, which thereafter share a bond of respect and affection. As a result there are a number of traditions and customs associated with the Indian Hindu wedding ceremony.
TRADITIONS
I will now elaborate more on the different Indian traditions related to an Indian Hindu wedding.
Kanyadaan – is a ritual, which apart from being vital to the ceremony, tugs at the emotional cord of the prides of the parents.
Mangalsuta – it is basically a black and gold beaded necklace with a gold/diamond pendent. It carries immense importance in Hindu weddings as well as in the lives of Hindu married women.
Wedding Barat – one of the most fun filled traditions in the entire wedding ceremony. Basically the procession, which proceeds from the house of the groom, towards the wedding venue. The procession is attended by all the relatives and friends from the grooms sides
ARRANGED MARRIAGE
Arranged marriages
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In traditional wedding ceremony the groom and bride families get in a singing battle about who the bride belongs to, the groom’s family often sing “Umakhoti ngowethu” meaning that the bride belongs to them and she will cook and clean for them and that she is welcomed. The cows that were got from lobola negotiation are often used here. The bride is introduced to the groom’s ancestors by walking around the groom’s family house with her white wedding dress, then the bride changes into her traditional wedding attire. The exchange of gifts occurs; the bride gives the groom’s family gifts according to a list that was written by the groom’s family. Traditionally the bride’s family should not attend this ceremony but now they are allowed to
There are various customs and traditions for marriage in United States based on varying factors such as culture, social norms, and religion. There are no unique practices because most of practices are derived from other cultures. The marriage practices and customs revolve around wedding attire, before wedding, wedding ceremony, reception, and after wedding. White bridal dresses are worn with a veil in weddings. However, those not wedding for the first time can choose any color of bridal dresses apart from white. Before a wedding, most have bridal showers where the bride receives gifts from the guests. Preparation takes considerable time to plan a wedding. In a wedding, groomsmen and bridesmaids are included (Lilian, 2013). The bride’s father walks the bride down the aisle to indicate approval of the groom. “The typical 21st century wedding can now feature a supporting cast of stepparents, half-siblings, Dad's new girlfriend and her kids, the bride's first stepfather and his new wife, and sometimes even the bride and groom's ex-spouses” Wedding cakes are used and couples kiss as a form of endearment. Cakes are seen symbols of fertility. It is a custom for the newly married woman to
A traditional ceremony consists of feeding friends and visitors attending, the wedding ceremony would take place in the hogan with the groom and his father or uncle sitting on the west side followed by the bride and her father or uncle. Sitting beside the boy on his right side they would be positioned towards the east which was facing the door. Starting with the girl she would pour water onto the boy’s hands and he would wash them, then he would do the same to her washing her hands, this symbolized purity and cleansing. A medicine man would then pray quietly while arranging a corn meal mush decorated with pollen, they would then take turns eating the mush starting with the boy followed by the girl. Usually they were instructed to eat it all, but if it was not all eaten it would be passed to each of the boys family members so they could have a bite. Once the mush was eaten the mother of the boy would keep the basket where the mush had been and preserve it at all times, this was important to a successful marriage. Traditional weddings were held at night, but modern traditions allow them to be held in the daytime, and because of this some believe it is the reason for divorce and family problems. Once the wedding ceremony was over the couple would stay in the hogan while family and friends went home. Traditional Navajo
This ritual is most important for boys, even though they go through no educational or moral training everyone now treats them as adult men. They have more duties and who’s main goal is proving his worth of his wife-to-be. In the Hmong the girls dress up in their clothing that their mother has made. The Hmong also believe in Shamans, one who heals souls. Although the most powerful for the Nuer is the Deng, who is associated with illness.
Weddings are one of the important circumstance around of the world. Every county has their owns ways of wedding ceremonies. Although, in past the wedding ceremonies were just simply, but as time pass by weddings were improved. However, In Afghanistan, wedding ceremonies are the same as it was in the older generation. Wedding culture is passed from old generation to the new generation while nothing is being changed. Meanwhile in America, wedding ceremonies are being changed and getting more futuristic. As a result, there are three differences between Afghan and American wedding ceremonies such as their Cloths, Culture, and food.
In the film Monsoon Wedding, Indian culture is illustrated in the practices of the traditional Punjabi wedding. The wedding in the film was arranged as is the norm in Indian culture. Thought the wedding was rushed it was not forced. Aditi wanted to be married having realised the uncertainty of her previous relationship with a married man.
Native American cultures are filled with many different tribes, which have their own distinct customs and traditions in which a marriage is held. Just like in Hinduism and Christianity, it is very hard to categorize just one aspect of a wedding to be Native America, because even different tribes have similar common procedures, while also being unique when compared to each other. Most Native Americans believe in A Great spirit- which is a source of all life on earth. Unlike in Hinduism and Christianity, the great spirit doesn't have a body, but it's believed to be a formless power which exists through the entire universe. And the sun is viewed to be a manifestation of that power which
In America we are known for throwing lavish ceremonies and expensive parties to celebrate the union between two people. I’ve attended quite a few weddings and participated in one during my lifetime thus far. Most weddings in the American culture follow the same itinerary.
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.
This joint family, like any social organization, must face problems such as acceptable division of work, relationships and specific family roles. These familial relationships are managed on the basis of a secular hierarchical principle. In fact, all Indians owe respect and obedience to the head of the family, who usually is the father or the oldest man of the family community. In The Gift of a Bride: A Tale of Anthropology, Matrimony and Murder by Nanda and Gregg, it is explained that, “females [are] placed under the perpetual guardianship of first their fathers and elder brothers, then their husbands.” (Nanda & Gregg 22) Thus, all the spending decisions, studies and profession, or marriage, are exclusively the responsibility of the father after the possible discussions with the other men of the family. Age and sex are the basic principles of this hierarchical system. The eldest sons enjoy greater unchallenged authority than their cadets. Of course men have more authority than women, but older married women have an important role within the family. In fact, the authority of a woman depends on the rank of her husband inside the group. Traditionally, the wife of the patriarch rules over domestic affairs and has considerable power over the other women in the community, especially her daughters- in-law.
Nowadays, people don’t want to make the wedding ceremony by using their traditional practice. There are several factors that have been involved which are education, source of economic in urban areas, and the modernization. Mostly all members of society from rural areas have moved to urban areas because of factor of work. In rural area, the number of work is decrease. Besides that, the living standard of live has been changed in this new era
In arranged marriages the marriage is consummated through elaborate ceremonies presided over by a Vedic priest well versed in Vedic mantras. The marriage date is fixed after consulting the astrological charts and then invitations are sent. Before the marriage date, both the parties spend a lot of time in preparation and exchange of gifts. On the marriage day, the bride and the
If they were to meet each other without the parent’s permission, it is considered as bad manner and bad upbringing. In India, the average age to marry is 24 years old for the males and 22 to 23 years old for the females. Indian weddings are usually the longest wedding, which are held in the night time in a huge wedding hall, that includes many different rituals which are performed in front of the God and the couple promise’s each other that they will be together in a sad or a happy moment, no matter what will be the results. Even though wedding has the same meaning in every culture, the way of celebration and ceremony is different. According to iloveindia.com, the ceremony in India is about the priest, groom, bride, and bride’s parents sit beneath a mandap, and a canopy. The wedding ceremony starts off with the Kanya Daan, in which the bride’s parents give away the bride’s hand to the groom with all her responsibility. Then the couple holds hands together and start circling around a small, enclosed fire in a ritual called the mangal phera for seven times by taking a seven oaths together to spend a rest of the life to live as a one soul. The seven steps around the enclosed fire, is the vow to support each other and live happily together. Finally, the groom will apply a red powder to the center of the bride’s forehead and tie a black beaded necklace around her neck, symbolizing
Marriage is a significant social event in contemporary society. It is a means of building new bonds between two individuals and their subsequent families. The foundations of memorable weddings are built on those that bring often-distant family and friends together for the occasion, while dressed in their most sophisticated attire, surrounded by elegant flowers, a night of dancing, captured through the lens of an exceptional photographer. Although Hinduism and Islam are two extremely distinctive religions, their matrimonial customs do share some comparable elements, like most other cultural wedding ceremonies. In both religions, they are devotedly obedient concerning religious and cultural practices in their marital ceremonies.
Can you imagine a society where brides are sold to grooms and aren’t expected to date before they marry? In ancient India, this was proposed as the norm for marriages. Marriages were more commonly seen as a financial deal rather than the joining of two individuals who are in love. We may laugh and say, “How crazy were they back then?” but some of these ancient traditions still hold some value in India’s society today. Through ostentatious detail, ancient Indian weddings took a lot of time, money, and effort to produce.
Dowry is derived from the ancient Hindu customs of ‘kanyadan’ and ‘stridhan’. In ‘kanyadan’, the father of the bride offers the father of the groom money or property, etc whereas for ‘stridhan’, the bride herself gets jewelry and clothes at the time of her marriage, usually from her relatives or friends. In Varadakshina’, the father of the bride presents the groom cash or kind. All of these could be done voluntarily and out of affection and love.