Hindu weddings at Khumba mela
A travel to Kumbha (Kumbh) mela can have many meanings for many people. some come to experience the Indian life, some based on faith, some for pleasure and just for fun We at Kalpavasi.com are encouraging Weddings in the next forthcoming Kumbha (Kumbh) Mela at Haridwar in 2010. It would be an ideal location and setting for the adventurous.
Why Get Married at The Kumbha Mela: Abundant positive energy as it is the world's largest religious gathering Have the most memorable wedding ever Blessed by hundreds of monks and dozens of pontiffs Opportunity to get married in the worlds largest transitory city Exclusive experience amongst a gathering of 60 million people from all over the world Emphasize 'Love is Forever' on the holy grounds exemplifying the idea of Immortality Become part of 'New Age Mela Followers' exchanging vows as part of a 15,000 year old civilizational continuum
VEDIC WEDDINGS
mAngalya dhAraNa mantras
AcchAdya nUtanam vAsO varO mAngalya sUtrakam |
suvarNamaNi samyuktam badhnIyAt kanyakA gaLE ||1||
mAngalyam tantunAnEna mama jIvana hEtunA |
kaNThE badhnAmi subhagE tvam jIva SaradAm Satam ||2||
mangalam bhagavAn viShNur mangalam madhusUdanaH |
mangaLam puNDarIkAkShO mangaLam garuDadhvajaH ||3||
The Groom says to the Bride while tying the Mangalya,
"This is a sacred thread. This is essential for my long life. I tie this around your neck, O maiden having many auspicious attributes! May you live happily for a hundred years!"
The Vedic wedding has evolved into different ceremonies depending on the demography, While various regional groups follow different steps of rituals while performing the Vedic wedding across India, the following steps form the core of a Vedic wedding ceremony:
vâk dânam
This step is a part of Kanya Varanam, where the groom-to-be (brahmachari) sends two elders on his behalf to the father of a girl whom he wishes to marry. The elders convey the message of the brahmachari and ask for the daughter’s hand. The two mantras in the form of brahmachari’s appeal to intercede on his behalf come from Rg 10.32.1 (“pra sugmantha…”) and 10.85.23. The first mantra begs the elders to proceed and return quickly with success back from their mission on his behalf. The second mantram (“anruksharaa Rjava:…”) asks for the gods’ blessings for the elders’ safe journey to the house of the father of the would-be-bride. The mantra prays to Aryama and Bhaga for a marriage full of harmony. The father accedes to the request of the elders and the resulting agreement for betrothal is known as vaak daanamVara Satkaarah - Reception of the bridegroom and his kinsmen at the entrance gate of the wedding hall where the officiating priest chants a few mantras and the bride's mother blesses the groom with rice and trefoil and applies tilak of vermilion and turmeric powder
Madhuparka Ceremony
Reception of the bridegroom at the altar and bestowing of presents by the bride's father
Kanyâ dânam
The bride's father gives away his daughter to the groom amidst the chanting of sacred mantras. Here, the brahmachari meets his prospective father-in-law. The latter seats him facing the eastern direction and washes the feet of the future son-in-law, considering him as Lord Vishnu Himself. All honors are given including the ceremonial washing of the feet of the groom by the father-in-law and offer of madhu parka (a mixture of yogurt, honey and ghee) to the accompaniment of selected Veda mantras
Vara prekshaṇam
In this ritual, the bridegroom and the bride look at each other formally for the first time. The bridegroom worries about any dośa (defects) that the bride might have and prays to the gods Varuna, Brihaspati, Indra and Surya to remove every defect and to make her fit for harmonious and long marriage life blessed with progeny and happiness (mantra: Rg 10.85.44). The bride groom recites the mantra and wipes the eyebrows of the bride with a blade of darbha grass, as if he is chasing away all defects. The darbha grass is thrown behind the bride at the conclusion of this ceremony
Maṅgala snânam
The wearing of the wedding clothes by the bride. Five Veda mantras are recited to sanctify the bride in preparation for the subsequent stages of the marriage. This aspect of the marriage is known as mangala snanam. The sun god (Surya), water god (Varuna), and other gods are invoked to purify the bride in preparation for a harmonious married life. Next, the bride wears the marriage clothes to the accompaniment of additional Veda mantras. The bridegroom then ties a darbha rope around the waist of the bride and leads her to the place, where the sacred fire is located for conducting the rest of the marriage ceremony. The bride and the groom sit on a new mat in front of the fire. The groom recites three mantras which invoke Soma, Gandharva and Agni to confer strength, beauty, and youth on the bride
Mâṅgalya dhâraṇam
There is no Veda Mantram for tying the mangala sutram (auspicious thread) around the neck of the bride by the groom. The latter takes the mangala sutram in his hands and recites the following verse:
mâṅgalyaṁ tantunânena mama jîvanahetunâ |
kaṇṭheḥ badhnami subhage! sañjîva śaradaḥ śatam ||
This is a sacred thread. This is essential for my long life. I tie this around your neck, O maiden having many auspicious attributes! May you live happily for a hundred years (with me)
Pâṇi grahaṇam
The groom takes the right hand of the bride in his left hand and accepts her as his lawfully wedded wife. After mâṅgalya dhâranam, the groom lowers his right palm and encloses it over the right hand of the bride. He covers all the five fingers of the right hand of the bride with his right palm through this act of paani grahanam. He recites mantras in praise of Bhaga, Aryama, Savita, Indra, Agni, Suryan, Vayu and Saraswati, while holding the bride’s hand. He prays for long life, progeny, prosperity and harmony with the bride during their married life. The closed fingers of the right hand of the bride is said to represent her heart. The pâṇi grahaṇam ritual symbolizes the bride surrendering her heart in the hands of the groom during the occasion of the marriage
Sapta padi or Sapt-Phere or Saat Phere (Parikrama or Pradakshina or Mangal Phere)
The couple circles the sacred fire seven times. This aspect of the ceremony legalizes the marriage according to the Hindu Marriage Act as well custom. During this ritual, the groom walks with the bride to the right side of the sacred fire. All along, he holds his wife’s right hand in his right hand in the way in which he held her hand during the pâṇi grahaṇam ceremony. He stops, bends down and holds the right toe of his wife with his right hand and helps her take seven steps around the fire. At the beginning of each step, he recites a Veda mantra to invoke the blessings of Maha Vishnu. Through these seven mantras, he asks Maha Vishnu to follow in the footsteps of his wife and bless her with food, strength, piety, progeny, wealth, comfort and health. At the conclusion of the seven steps, he addresses his wife with a moving statement from the Veds summarized below
Dear Wife! By taking these seven steps, you have become my dearest friend. I pledge my unfailing loyalty to you. Many wonder about the significance of the quintessential seven steps / the sapta padi / the saath phere in the Indian wedding, here is an English translation of the mantra recited during the ritual
My bride, follow me in my vows.
Take the first step for food,
Take the second step for strength,
The third for increasing prosperity,
The fourth for happiness,
The fifth for children. May we have healthy and long-lived sons.
Take the sixth step for seasonal pleasure,
Take the seventh step for friendship
- Ashvalayana Grihya sutra
Another version is
Let us stay together for the rest of our lives
Let us not separate from each other ever
Let us be of one mind in carrying out our responsibilities as householders (gṛhasthas)
Let us love and cherish each other and enjoy nourishing food and good health
Let us discharge our prescribed Vedic duties to our elders, ancestors, rishis, creatures, and gods
Let our aspirations be united. I will be the Saaman and may you be the Rk (Saaman here refers to the music and Rk refers to the Vedic text that is being cast into music). Let me be the upper world and let you be the Bhumi or Mother Earth. I will be the Sukla or life force and may you be the bearer of that Sukla. Let me be the mind and let you be the speech
May you follow me to conceive children and gain worldly as well as spiritual wealth. May all auspiciousness come your way
This series of Veda mantras starting with “sakhâ saptapadâ bhava…” and ending with “pumse putrâya…” are rich with meaning and imagery
Vivah-Homa or Pradhâna homam
The sacred fire ceremony ascertaining that all auspicious undertakings are begun in an atmosphere of purity and spirituality. After Sapta padi, the couple take their seat on the western side of the sacred fire and conduct pradhâna homam. During the conductance of this homam, the bride must place her right hand on her husband’s body so that she gets the full benefit of the homam through symbolic participation. Sixteen mantras are recited to the accompaniment of pouring a spoon of clarified butter into the sacred fire at the end of recitation of each of the mantras. These mantras salute Soma, Gandharva, Agni, Indra, Vayu, the Aswini Devas, Savita, Brihaspati, Viswa Devas and Varuna for blessing the marriage and beseeches them to confer long wedded life, health, wealth, children and freedom from all kinds of worries. One prayer — the sixth mantra — has a sense of humor and provides deep insight into human psychology. The text of this mantra is: “daśâsyaṁ putrân dehi, patim ekâdaśaṁ kṛti”. Here, the groom asks Indra to bless the couple with ten children and requests that he be blessed to become the eleventh child of his bride in his old age
Pratigna-Karana – the Vows
The couple walk round the fire, the bride leading, and take solemn vows of loyalty, steadfast love and life-long fidelity to each other
Shila Arohan - Stepping on the grinding stone
The mother of the bride assists her to step onto a stone slab and counsels her to prepare herself for a new life. After pradhâna homam, the husband holds the right toe of his wife and lifts her leg and places it on a flat granite grinding stone known as “ammi” in Tamil. The ammi stands at the right side of the sacred fire. The husband recites a Veda mantra when he places the right foot of his wife on the Ammi or Shila:
May you stand on this firm stone
May you be rock-firm during your stay on this grinding stone
May you stand up to those who oppose you while you carry out your time-honored responsibilities as a wife sanctioned by the Vedas and tradition
May you develop tolerance to your enemies and put up a fair fight to defend your legitimate rights as the head of the household in a firm manner, equal to the steady strength of this grinding stone
Lâja homam
Puffed rice offered as oblations into the sacred fire by the bride while keeping the palms of her hands over those of the groom. After Shila stepping, a ceremony of doing homam with puffed rice is conducted. Here, the wife cups her hands and the brothers of the bride fill the cupped hands with puffed rice. The husband adds a drop of ghee to the puffed rice and recites five Veda mantras. At the end of each of the recitation, the puffed rice is thrown into the sacred fire as havis (offering) to Agni. Through these mantras, the wife prays for long life for her husband and for a marriage filled with peace and harmony. At the end of the lâja homam, the husband unties the darbha (grass) belt around the waist of his wife with another mantra. The husband states through this mantra that he unites his wife and ties her now with the bonds of Varuna and invites her to be a full partner in his life to enjoy the blessings of wedded life
Abhishekam
Sprinkling of water, meditating on the sun and the pole star
Anna Prāshanam
The couple make food offerings into the fire then feed a morsel of food to each other expressing mutual love and affection. Not to be confused with the anna prashnam of a new born
Aashirvadaha
Benediction by the elders
Gṛha praveśam
This ceremony relates to the journey of the wife to her husband’s home. The husband carries the sacred fire (homa agni) in a earthern vessel during this journey home. There are many Veda mantras associated with this journey. These mantras pray to the appropriate Vedic gods to remove all obstacles that one can experience in a journey. The bride is requested to become the mistress of the house and is reminded of her important role among the relatives of her husband. After reaching her new home, she puts her right foot first in the house and recites the following Veda mantra:
I enter this house with a happy heart. May I give birth to children, who observe the path of righteousness (dharma)! May this house that I enter today be prosperous forever and never be deficient in food. May this house be populated by people of virtue and pious thoughts
Prâviśya homam
After gṛha praveśam, a fire ritual known as prâviśya homam is performed by the couple to the accompaniment of thirteen mantras from the Rg Veda. Jayadi Homam is also part of the prâviśya homam. This homam offers the salutation of the newly married couple to Agni Deva and asks for strength and nourishment to discharge the duties of a grihasthas for the next one hundred years. After that, the bride shifts her position from the right side of her husband to his left side. At that time, once again, she recites a Veda mantra invoking the gods for blessings of children and wealth to perform the duties of a householder
At the end of the above homam, a child is placed on the lap of the bride and she offers a fruit to the child, while reciting a prescribed Veda mantra. Yet another mantram asks the assembled guests to bless the bride and then retire to their own individual homes peacefully. During the first evening of the stay in her new home, the couple see the stars known as Dhruva (pole star) and Arundhati. The husband points out the pole star and prays for the strength and stability of the household thru a Veda mantra. Next, the husband points out the Arundhati star to his wife and describes to her the the story of Arundhati and her legendary chastity
Veda mantras or sacred hymns play a key role in every step of the traditional Hindu marriage. The mantras for this ceremony come mostly from the ṛks housed in the tenth mandala of the Rg Veda, where Sūrya, the daughter of the sun god, is given in marriage to a bridegroom by the name of Soma. These mantras are mostly from Section 10.85
Many Divya Desams have references in their traditional histories (sthala purâṇas) to the Lord seeking the hand of Maha Lakshmi, who is raised by a maharishi after discovering her as an infant of divine origin (ayonijâ). For instance, in Oppiliappan Koil, Markandeya Maharishi accedes to the request of Sriman Narayana who seeks the hand of his daughter Bhūmi Devi. She was found as a child in the tulasi forest by the Maharishi. At Kumbakonam, Sarngapani weds Komalavalli, the daughter of Hema Maharishi. At Thiruvahindrapuram, Hēmâmbujavalli, the daughter of another rishi, marries Dēvanâthan in a Vedic ceremony. At Tirupati, Srinivasa marries Padmavati after seeking her hand from her father, Akasa Rajan. At Tiru Idavendai, the Lord got the name of Nitya Kalyâṇar through his marriage to the 360 daughters of Kalava Rishi. He married them each one a day and made them all into one named Akhilavalli Nacciyar
The most celebrated one is the wedding of Andal and Ranganatha. Ranganatha seeks the hand of Andal from her father Periyalvar and weds her in a ceremony at Srivilliputtur. Andal had previously dreamt about this marriage and recorded the wedding in detail in her Nacciyar Tirumozhi, Varanamayiram section, exactly as prescribed in the Vedic ceremony
The rich and meaningful ceremony of the Hindu marriage (Kalyâṇa Mahotsavam of the temples) is thus carried out in concert with sacred Veda Mantras. The bride and bridegroom should enunciate clearly the Veda mantras and reflect on their meanings during the different stages of the marriage ceremony. This way, they can be sure of a long, happy and prosperous married life and play their appropriate role in society to the fullest extent. Srinivasa Kalyanam is performed in the temples to remind us of these hoary Vedic traditions behind a Hindu marriage
The marriage ceremonies are almost identical throughout India from Kashmir to Tamilnadu. The Vedic marriage has held its sway almost on all geographic regions. The exchange of garland (var maala), kanya daan, paNigrahaNa and sapta padi are common everywhere. But Maangalya dharanam has found a place in the South of Vindhyas. Some sects of Gujarat and Maharashtra follow this ritual. It is found in some sects in Karnataka and Andhra too, but more widespread in Kerala and Tamilnadu
The Kerala customs are shocking to some extent. In some sects the father himself ties the mangala sutra to his daughter before she is taken to the marriage mantap. In many other sects, particularly in non-brahmin sects, kettu-kalyanam had been prevalent until recently. The thaali was merely symbolic of a mock marriage so that even if a severe vaidhavya yoga were to afflict the girl, she would lose her mock husband and not the one with whom she would be living
The astrologer –cum- priest possessed the authority to conduct the marriage ceremonies with some modifications. But such practices cannot be included just like that. Unless there is near unanimous concurrence among the priests of those times – or debated for quite a few generations, this feature could not have been included.
The Mangalya –sutra Tradition
The planetary ills and mangal dosha had become centre points of debate and every kind of remedial could have been devised. But times were such that even learned ones would not invent something from out of the blue and impose it. Vedas and age old practices were respected in those days. So any additional feature such as Maangalya dharanam must have some Vedic acceptance. This additional feature can not be introduced unless authorized by highly respected Vediks
The Vedic authentication for Maangalya dharanam is found in the famous Rig vedic hymn on Surya's bridal
This hymn is the basis of the Vivaha manthras.
After invoking the blessings of Soma, Gandharva and Agni to confer strength, beauty and youth to the bride, the ceremony of Mangalya dharanam begins.
This is supported by the 40th and 41th verse of this Rig vedic hymn. The 42nd verse asks for non-separation and life of 100 years! This is exactly what the Mangalya dharanam manthra asks for
The 'tying' of 'something' is already a concept followed in marriages everywhere. In every sect of North India, the union of the couple is symbolically indicated by the tying of their garments. With this knot or 'mudicchu' they would go round the Agni and make the marriage vow. In some sects the wrists were tied
This symbolism was incorporated in the Mangal sutra. By tying the sacred thread, the groom signals a union of the two. Here the Mangal connection is not just that of a Graha. All the grahas or planets are connected to 3 stars each. As such 27 stars of the zodiac are linked to 9 planets. The important feature is that these stars are lorded by Vedic Gods only. Every Vedic God mentioned in the Hymn on vivaha manthras is the lord of some star of the zodiac which controls the planets.
The prayer for 100 years – the veda praayam nooru – is something granted by the Sun God. He grants this to the one who never misses the Madhyaniha vandana! The Sun grants a life of 100 years to the one who worships Him in sandhya vandana. The same 100 years are prayed for in the Mangal sutra. That means Mars, the friend of Sun, who also happens to be the Commander-in- chief for the Sun, the King of the zodiac (who exalts in the Martian sign of Aries from where He begins his journey with Ashwin Devas bestowing health – this is told in the Rig hymn too) also is authorized to grant a 100 year longevity!
Now the next issue is why a sutra around the neck?
Is there any precedence for this?
Yes there is a precedence, the 'Mangal sutra' was indeed worn by women even as early as 2000 years ago as an ornament – but not with the kind of importance attached to it as is done in our period to thaali!!
Mangal sutra was worn at the time of marriage
It was one of the mangal AbharaNas worn by women
Mangal sutra was indeed an auspicious piece of jewelry worn by woman at the time of marriage which she continued to wear at all times
But it was not tied to her neck as a sacred thread to the blessings of "mangalyam thanthunanena…" sloka.
It was because it was always a golden chain with an amulet
It was part of the wedding jewelry traditionally worn
In Sita's times, the 'ChoodamaNi' worn on the top of the head was an auspicious jewel that cannot be parted off by the woman
That jewel was a like a small ring having a 'gem'
Rama describes it as the gem got from the waters
That must be the reference to pearl.
The pearl was used as an amulet for long life and prosperity
according Atharvana vedas
So the choodamani was considered by Sita as life itself
Eastern Indian and Bengali Wedding Traditions
Adan Pradan
In the presence of a Purohit (priest), the bride and groom, (after approval of each other), their elders (usually parents, grandparents and elder aunts and uncles) sit down together. It is established that the couple are not close blood relatives and have the same status. This occasion is called Adan Pradan. After this takes place the date of the marriage is set according to the Indian calendar. (There are several time periods during which a wedding cannot be held.)
Aashirwad
The Aashirwad is a confirmation of the marriage alliance. It takes place a day or two before the actual wedding in the evening. A priest is present. The ceremony takes place at either the groom's or the bride's home. The door of the entrance is decorated with a string of mango leaves which will stay for a period of one year after marriage. The bride is given a sari. The groom is presented with a ring, gold buttons and a watch
Vridhi
On the day before the wedding, the priest will visit the house of the bride and the groom and offer a prayer to the ancestors. This ceremony is called Vridhi
Dodhi Mangal
On the day of the wedding, early in the morning, before sunrise, the Dodhi Mangal ceremony is held. Eight to ten married women accompany the couple to a nearby pond. They invite the Goddess Ganga to the wedding and bring back a pitcher of water from the pond to bathe the bride and groom. The bride and groom are offered the only food they will eat that day. This meal is fried fish, curd and flattened rice
The Wedding Ceremony
At the actual wedding ceremony the groom's father and all other relatives are present. The groom's mother does not attend. A paternal or maternal uncle gives away the bride. The bride's father and other relatives attend, but her mother does not. It is believed that if the mothers are not present it will protect the bride and groom from the evil eye.
As the groom arrives he is welcomed by blowing conch shells, ringing bells and ululation. The mistress of the house touches the silver plate to the groom's forehead and then the ground, and up to the groom. This is repeated three times, the groom is offered sweets. Water is then poured on the doorstep of the house as the groom enters.
The priest comes with an idol of God and in the presence of the family and friends the ceremony begins. As a part of the ceremony there is an exchange of the floral garlands and other rituals. While the ceremony is taking place, dinner may be served. After the ceremony is over, games are played and the couple is kept awake that night by songs, poetry and jokes offered by the family and friends
The Mandap Ceremony
The morning after the ceremony the bridegroom applies vermilion on the bride's forehead. This is a symbol of her marriage status. At the Mandap ceremony, in the presence of the priest, they then worship the Sun God. They seek the blessings of all elders and set out to the groom's house
The Bou Bhat Ceremony and the Arrival at the Groom's House
On arrival at the groom's house, women pour water on the ground under the vehicle which they have travelled and the couple exit the vehicle.
In some houses, the women wash the feet of the bride with milk and flour before offering sweets and sherbet to the couple. In others, the bride steps into the milk and flour and imprints her soles on the the mixture. The bride is then led by the women in the house
The elders present bless the couple. Ornaments and saris are presented to the bride. She and her groom sit on a wooden plank and the Bou Bhat ceremony begins
Women blow conch shells, ring bells, and take up wailing. The bride does not eat any food in her in-laws house. That night, the bride wears a new sari. The bedroom is tastefully decorated with flowers. The flowers and clothes come from the bride's house along with the sweets
A travel to Kumbha (Kumbh) mela can have many meanings for many people, some come to experience the indian life, some based on faith, some for pleasure and just for fun
we at Kalpavasi.com are encouraging weddings in the next forthcoming Kumbha (Kumbh) Mela at Haridwar in 2010. It would be an ideal location and setting for the adventurous. Why Get Married at the Kumbha mela :
Abundant positive energy as it is the world`s largest religious gathering
Have the most memorable wedding ever
Oppurtunity to get married in the world`s largest transitory city
Exclusive experience amongst a gathering of 60 million people from all over the world
Emphasize 'Love is Forever' on the holy grounds exemplifying the idea of immortality
Become part of 'New Age Mela Followers' exchanging vows as part of a 15,000 yearold civilizational continuem
The Return to the Bride's House
A few days after the wedding day, the newlywed couple return to the bride's home. The thread which was tied on the bride's wrist by the priest is cut
