Significance of a Hindu Wedding Ceremony - in Plain English

A Hindu wedding is a joyous occasion for various reasons. There’s reunion with family and friends; the opportunity to display the latest saris, dresses and jewelry sets; the prospect of feasting on various delicacies day after day; and above all the mehndi, the singing, the dancing, etc. Amidst this sensory overload, the 2-3 hours of rituals which make up the wedding ceremony proper end up becoming just another photo-op.  The beautiful Sanskrit mantras that are chanted by the priest seldom get translated into English and therefore rarely understood or appreciated. This blog post is my attempt to fill that void by briefly explaining what happens during the wedding ceremony and the significance of these steps.

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vivAha, or wedding, is one of sixteen main samskAras or rites during the life of a Hindu. The exact rituals vary from region to region, but the core elements of the ceremony are based on Vedic tradition and are essentially similar. Let me elaborate on some of these.

In vivAhasankalpa, the bride and the groom announce their intention to enter into the grihastAshrama or householder phase of their lives in order to attain dharma – righteous life, artha – material resources, and kAma – fulfillment of natural desires.

During kanyAdanam or giving away of the bride, the groom accepts the bride, and both of them vow to be faithful to each other.

In akshatAropaNam, or expressing expectations from married life, the bride and the groom pray that their desire for good fortune, prosperity, children, sacrifice, righteous life and success be fulfilled.

During, pANigrahaNam, the right hands of the bride and the groom are ceremonially joined together to symbolize the union. This is followed by adorning the bride’s neck with the mangalasutra, a symbol of good luck, love and friendship.

A series of homams or offerings to the sacred fire comes next. The bride and the groom join together in offering ghee to the sacred fire, and ask for prosperity, security, health and happiness for themselves and their children. 

lAjAhomam or offering popped rice and asmArohanam or ascending the stone by the bride are repeated three times to symbolize how fortitude (being firm as a rock) is a desired virtue for the bride for dealing with adversity.

Next comes the very important saptapadi or taking seven steps together around the sacred fire. The bride and groom make seven vows or promises, one for each step, which form a set of guiding principles for the life of a householder.

The first step is taken for sustenance - with the promise to help earn a livelihood, and provide food to each other, the family and guests.

The second step is taken for strength - with the promise to support each other mentally and physically.

The third step is taken for prosperity - with the promise to work together for material and physical well being.

The fourth step is taken for harmony - with the promise to be respectful and happy with each other.

The fifth step is taken for children - with the promise to continue the lineage and bring up healthy children with good values.

The sixth step is taken for the seasons - with the promise to enjoy nature's bounties together, and protect the environment for the future.

The seventh step is taken for friendship - with the promise to enrich each other's lives through love, affection, trust and everlasting friendship. To me, this is the most profound of the seven vows. As the mantra says, sakhA saptapadi bhava – may you be my friend for ever.

The ceremony ends with extinguishing the sacred fire and a ceremonial blessing of the new couple by the priest, elders and guests. One of my favorite blessings is taken from the Rigveda: 
      samAni vah Akuti – may your intentions be the same 
          samAnA hridyayAni vah – may your hearts beat as one 
      samAnamastu vo mano – may your minds act in unison 
          yathA vah susahAsati – so that you may prosper together. 

HAT TIP - Dr. Madhu Godsay (for showing me how to conduct Hindu religious ceremonies in Sanskrit AND English), and Jnana Prabodhini (for their publications on this subject).