How do people get married in India?
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Every country has its customs and traditions associated with marriage. India is certainly no exception. Furthermore, India is a country where wedding traditions are preserved in their original form.
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How they get married in India is a very interesting topic, as the country”s traditions are very specific and sometimes completely incomprehensible to modern people.
Marriages in India differ from those in Russia. First of all, it is noteworthy that the decision to marry is not made jointly by the man and woman, but only by the groom”s parents.
They themselves search for a bride for their son, meeting and negotiating with the parents. This is a very long, complex, and painstaking process. Religion, caste, and the socioeconomic status of the family members considered the son”s life partners play a very important role.
If the choice is made and the bride”s parents respond positively, a wedding date is set. In some cases, the process of finding a bride begins immediately after the son”s birth.
The Sacrament of Marriage
Hindus are very particular about matters of purity. In India, no man will marry a woman who has lost her virginity. This is considered a fundamental fact. If such a marriage takes place, these Men and women, their families, and children are automatically cast in the category of outcasts.
Characteristics of an Indian Wedding
An important aspect when choosing a wedding date is drawing up compatibility horoscopes for the young couple. Only if the stars indicate a happy marriage will the newlyweds be allowed to meet in the presence of a relative and exchange a few words.
According to the parents of both parties, now that compatibility between the future spouses has been established, they can begin thorough wedding preparations. Preparations take an average of one to two months.
The wedding is organized entirely at the expense of the bride”s family. No meat or fish is allowed. Only vegetarian food is served, and, as a rule, no alcohol is allowed.
The bride chooses her own wedding dress. It should be a red dress, decorated with gold thread, herringbone patterns, rhinestones, and beads. The dress can weigh up to 15 kg. Wearing black and white is strictly prohibited. Another tradition is mehendi, which is henna painting of the bride”s hands and feet.
Read also: Who are hijras and how does the third gender live in India?
Slowly, standing side by side in a golden tent, on a throne made in their home, surrounded by offerings from the crowd, the hijra blesses them. Making sarfi p.
It is believed that the darker the pattern, the more the groom loves his bride. After this procedure, the bride should not leave the house until the wedding.
Wedding Ceremony
The wedding itself takes place exclusively in the bride”s house and attracts a huge number of guests. Sometimes this number reaches a thousand. These are young people, friends, and sometimes just passing close and distant relatives. Weddings in India are extravagant and grand celebrations of life. They spare no money or time.
Married an Indian Woman: What an Indian Wedding Is Like.
When the future husband and wife meet for the first time at a wedding, they exchange wreaths. This means that the wedding has begun. Everyone sits down at the table and begins to celebrate such a joyful event.
After dinner, the ends of the bride and groom”s clothes are tied together with a knot. This means that they enter into a sacred marriage that cannot be broken, and the young people are now bound to each other forever. It is believed that from this moment on they are officially called husband and wife. Then, holding each other’s hands, the newly made husband and wife move to the temple, in the center of which a fire burns.
The newlyweds must walk around the fire seven times. Each circle and each step has a specific meaning. The woman leads her husband through the first three circles, leading to the next four circles — the husband leading the wife.
The whole process takes place under the guidance of a prayer constantly read by the priest. The marriage ceremony also includes the presentation of a gift from the husband to the wife. Typically, this is a gold necklace that symbolizes love for your spouse.
After the temple, the couple returns to the bride”s house, where it can continue until midnight. After the celebration is over, the husband remains with his wife, but they live in different rooms. The next morning, the young wife, dressed in a wedding robe, goes to her husband”s house. Her parents are waiting for her there with gifts and blessings.
When she leaves the house, her wife has already poured rice over her shoulder. This tradition means that the woman wants to return everything that was invested in her in this house, and with this rice, symbolically, the parental home. Love, Christmas and prosperity. This woman comes to her parents” house only as a guest and within a month after marriage.
Perhaps, at first glance, it may seem that the way people get married in India does not take root anywhere else. However, it is worth paying tribute to the people of India that, despite the development of the world as a whole, they remained faithful to the traditions of their ancestors.
