Portland Pandit - Hindu Priest

Hindu Wedding Ceremony "A Hindu wedding is Vivaha and the wedding ceremony is called Vivaah Sanskar in North India and Kalyanam in South India. Hindus attach a great deal of importance to marriages. The ceremonies are very colorful, and celebrations may extend for several days." In Hindu culture, marriage is one of the most important sanskaras or rites of passage that a Hindu observes during his or her lifetime. Briefly stated, the marriage or the Vivaah Sanskar is the transition from the first stage of life, devoted to education and learning, to the second stage of life, devoted to building a household and raising children. The married couple pursues Dharma , performing the righteous duty, Artha , the acquisition of wealth and Kama , the enjoyment of natural desires. They lead a productive life of work, service and enjoyment, fulfilling various duties and obligations towards themselves, their families and society at large. In Hindu scripture, marriage is a sacrament with strong moral and ethical values. It is meant to unite the bride and the groom firmly so that they essentially become one in soul and spirit. The Hindu marriage ceremony is primarily based on the marriage of Surya, the daughter of Savita (The Sun) to Ashwinikumar, as described in the Rig-Veda, one of the oldest Hindu scriptures. After Ashwinikumar wins the chariot race, Savita gives away the bride in a splendid ceremony. It is written in Sanskrit, one of the oldest language in the world. Think of the actual wedding ceremony as if it were a romantic story, where the bride and the groom come to the Mandap, separately, as if unknown to each other. Then they fall in love and ask the parents' permission to get married. We explain them what the Hindu marriage means and they accept the obligations that go with it. During the various rituals, the couple commits to remain faithful to each other and repeat the pledge in front of the Fire God, the Agni and all the witnesses. Then, they walk four(every Hindu wedding has at least four pheras. These pheras signify the four main aims of life: Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha) or seven (In an Arya Samaji wedding, the couple take seven pheras. The groom leads for the first four pheras. After this, he walks behind the bride, who leads the last three pheras, thus signifying that the wife will always lead the husband) steps together committing to seven marriage vows to each other , about their future life together. We all bless them and wish them a very happy life and they leave the Mandap as a newly married couple! The traditional hosts for the ceremony are the bride's parents. The groom and his family are the guests arriving from outside to the Mandap. The ceremony revolves around the bride and her transition to the in law's home. The ceremony depicts the transition for the Bride and the Groom, from the first stage of their lives, Brahmacharyashram, to the second stage of their lives, Grahasthashram.